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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
João Pessoa
Give João Pessoa 3 nights: one for the historic centre, two for Tambaú and Cabo Branco beaches. Aim for Sep–Feb; expect more rain May–Jul.
João Pessoa is the capital of Paraíba and the easternmost city in the Americas — Ponta do Seixas sits just south of Cabo Branco beach. It is a mid-sized coastal city with a colonial centre on a hill and a 5 km beachfront strip, Tambaú to Cabo Branco, where nearly all tourist beds and restaurants are. Foreign visitors are few and English is limited. Three nights covers the centre and the beaches; longer only if you want the offshore reefs and the Conde coast as well.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Sep–Feb (dry, clear water)
- Avoid
- May–Jul (heaviest rain)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$180–280 excl. bed · Mid R$300–500 excl. bed · High R$600+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a coconut on the beach | 2026 estimate: check |
| Regional buffet by weight (per kg) | 2026 estimate: check |
| Plate of grilled shrimp at a beachfront restaurant | 2026 estimate: check |
| Large draught beer | 2026 estimate: check |
| App taxi across the beachfront strip | 2026 estimate: check |
| App taxi airport to Tambaú | 2026 estimate: check |
| Laundry, wash and dry 4 kg | 2026 estimate: check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- JPA · Presidente Castro Pinto International
- About 25 km from town; current app-taxi fare and journey time: check.About 16 mi from town; current app-taxi fare and journey time: check.
Typical fares
- JPA airport → Tambaú, app taxi
- Current fare and journey time: check.
- Boat to Picãozinho reef
- Current fare and departure time: check; tide-dependent.
- City bus from the centre to Tambaú
- Current fare and route: check; bus safety concerns are reported in the source.
Get around
Uber and 99 are available. The beachfront strip is walkable; use an app taxi to reach places inland or travel after dark. Current fares: check.
See and do
Known for
- Ponta do Seixas, easternmost point of the Americas
- Tambaú and Cabo Branco beaches
- São Francisco church and colonial centre
- Seafood and regional Paraíba cooking
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ponta do Seixas and Cabo Branco lighthouse | App taxi from Tambaú; journey time: check. | Check |
| Picãozinho reef and Areia Vermelha sandbank | Boats depart from the beachfront; exact departure point and fare: check. | Check; tide-dependent |
| Conde and Tambaba | Travel south on PB-008; transport and journey time: check. | Check |
| Campina Grande | Intercity bus; current schedule and journey time: check. | Check |
| Recife and Olinda | Intercity bus or shared ride; current schedule and journey time: check. | Check |
Sleep
- Tambaú
- Beachfront hotels, the feirinha craft market and most restaurants; walkable at night along the promenade.
- Cabo Branco
- Quieter stretch of the same beachfront avenue, 1–2 km south of Tambaú; good for a calmer base.Quieter stretch of the same beachfront avenue, 0.6–1.2 mi south of Tambaú; good for a calmer base.
- Manaíra
- North of Tambaú, cheaper beds and hostels, less appealing beach; 3 blocks inland is fine.
- Centro (historic centre)
- Colonial streets and cheaper hotels, but empty and poorly lit after dark; stay here only if you are moving on early.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom diabom JEE-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / -dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favorah KON-tah por fah-VOR |
| I don't speak Portuguese | Não falo portuguêsnowng FAH-loo por-too-GAYS |
| Help | Socorrosoh-KOH-hoo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- Do not wear expensive watches, phones or cameras openly, even on the beachfront during the day.
- Avoid city buses: robberies are a recurring problem and tourists are targeted.
- Do not walk from the coast to the centre, or to Shopping Manaíra, on foot — take an app taxi.
- If robbed, do not resist; hand over what you have and leave calmly in a different direction.
- Carry a small amount of cash for that reason, but keep the rest in a card or an inside pouch.
- Rip currents on the open Atlantic beaches: swim near other people and where lifeguards are posted.
Street robbery happens even on the coast, in Cabo Branco and Manaíra, and in broad daylight: carry little, wear nothing flashy, take app taxis after dark and never walk inland from the coast at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for João Pessoa yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ponta do Seixas, easternmost point of the Americas
- Tambaú and Cabo Branco beaches
- São Francisco church and colonial centre
- Seafood and regional Paraíba cooking
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata — João Pessoa: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36228
- Wikivoyage: João Pessoa, revision 5336735 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5336735
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
João Pessoa
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Brazil's emergency numbers: police 190, ambulance 192, fire 193. Embassy and consular services: check.
Screenshot this card before heading out.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/joao-pessoa). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.