Alagoas and Pernambuco
Natural pools at low tide, palm-fringed beaches and colonial towns: an ideal coastline for a few days by the sea in the Northeast.
Destinations
Maceió, Maragogi, Porto de Galinhas, Praia dos Carneiros, Recife, Olinda
Recommended stay
4 to 7 nights
Best time to go
September to March
Airports
Recife or Maceió
Reefs and turquoise water
Along this coast, a barrier of reefs forms natural pools of warm water at low tide, teeming with fish. They are the great specialty of Porto de Galinhas and Maragogi.
Recife and its neighbor Olinda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, add a cultural stop. Recife is also the gateway to Fernando de Noronha.
Where and when to go
Map
When to go
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Months
Pernambuco
Recife, Olinda and the beaches south of the state capital.
Recife
A big city on the water, with its bridges, its old quarter and Boa Viagem beach.
Ideal for: arrival stop, culture
Access: international airport in the city
Discover Recife and Olinda
Olinda
A colonial town perched on a hill, with baroque churches and colorful houses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ideal for: heritage, artists’ studios
Access: about 20 minutes from Recife
Discover Recife and Olinda
Porto de Galinhas
The best-known beach village in Pernambuco, famous for its natural pools, reached by jangada (a traditional sailing raft).
Ideal for: families, couples
Access: about a 1-hour drive south of Recife
Praia dos Carneiros
A quiet, palm-fringed beach with a little white chapel right at the water’s edge.
Ideal for: honeymoons, relaxing
Access: about a 1.5-hour drive south of Recife
Alagoas
Farther south, lagoons, reefs and a coastline that is still peaceful.
Maceió
A seaside state capital, between lagoons and green-water beaches, a convenient base for day trips.
Ideal for: families, a convenient stop
Access: airport in the city
Maragogi
Offshore natural pools, the galés, reached by boat at low tide.
Ideal for: snorkeling, families
Access: about a 2-hour drive from Maceió or Recife
Discover Maragogi
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