[JOÃO PESSOA] Like Rio's But Not on Steroids

Monday, February 14, 2022

[JOÃO PESSOA] Like Rio's But Not on Steroids

Wait, steroids? What steroids? Nope, we’re not going to talk about doping at the Olympics. I’m talking about Rio’s beaches, which felt like urban beaches on steroids to me. Weird comparison. In any case, all I’m trying to say is that João Pessoa’s Tambaú and Cabo Branco tandem is just as alluring as Copacabana and Ipanema, but with less people, whiter sand, more shades of blue, and an environment that is far more chill. At least, that is what I observed after visiting both pairs of beaches on a Sunday afternoon. At different times, of course.

The plan was to start the day at Ponta do Seixas, another beach father down south whose claim to fame is being the easternmost point of continental America. I was amused by the prospect. After all, I’ve done the European version visiting the westernmost point of continental Europe at Portugal’s Cabo da Roca. I imagine the vibes would have been the same. After all, both points face the opposite sides of the same ocean. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to visit Ponta do Seixas anymore due to work commitments and exhaustion in general.

While I had two afternoons free for João Pessoa, I could have lumped both itineraries during the first after-lunch excursion, except that Uber was on surge pricing and was asking for ridiculous fares from Bessa to Ponta do Seixas. And so, I had to settle for Tambaú, which is closer to the north and cheaper in terms of Uber fare. As is the norm in most of these Brazilian coastal cities facing the Atlantic, walk farther north or south and you just end up at another beach.

In the case of João Pessoa, Bessa's beach is farther north and just a few blocks aways from my Airbnb, but I no longer bothered to visit because it is not as popular. Walk farther down and you end up at Manaíra Beach, which I didn’t visit either but managed to see when the Uber going back home passed by it. There are obviously less people there and that beach also has a nice skyline view of northern João Pessoa, but I noticed that the waves were a bit wilder. Not as wild as to be suitable for surfing, but perhaps you could try.

From Manaíra, walk farther towards the south and you end up at Tambaú, which is considered as JP’s prime beach. Here is where everyone prefers to engage in their beach bumming activities. It is also here where you will find a lot of not so fancy restaurants along the beach but serve good food anyway. If you want the fancy variety with air-conditioning, just cross the street and take your pick there. The border between Tambaú and Cabo Branco is non-existent. One beach just flows right into the other. It is, however, marked by the J-O-Ã-O P-E-S-S-O-A letters you need for your selfie overlooking the beach.

The walk from Cabo Branco all the way down to Ponta do Seixas is a bit longer according to Google Maps. I suggest you just take an Uber for that unless you have the time and the stamina. Cabo Branco has the southern skyline featured on its horizon. Tambaú has nothing of the sort when you look north. It’s just sand and water all the way. Tambaú, nevertheless, has its party boats. I don’t know how they operate and how you pay, but they looked like a floating alternative to the many reclining benches and parasols at the beach itself.

There is no scarcity of vendors making their presence felt by shouting that they accept credit cards, debit cards, and PIX, whatever that is. I guess this is one aspect of mobile payments that I appreciate here in Brazil. Even hawkers sell their food, coconut water, and what have you payable by credit card. I can count with one hand the few number of times where I had to pay anything in cash since I arrived in this country a month ago. It’s convenient like that, so, hooray Brazil. Good job in being a contactless payment pioneer.

If beaches are not your thing, João Pessoa has a few blocks of pastel colored colonial houses along with a church or two at its historic center, where the Uber passed by on my way to the main bus terminal. It’s not as lively as I thought it would be and not as attention-grabbing as, let’s say, Ouro Preto or Paraty. I’m glad I succumbed to sleep and did not allocate an afternoon for that. Paraíba also has a dinosaur park if you are into archaeology, but it’s a few hours away so I don’t really recommend it unless you have such special interest in that area.