Residents of Maceió and people from the state of Alagoas in general, are some of the nicest and most helpful people you’re going to meet in Brazil. They are not traumatized by the big-city madness found in the large coastal cities of Rio, Recife, and Fortaleza. Maceió is calmer and more laid back. With about 650,000 inhabitants, it’s is one of the smaller capital cities on Brazil’s northern coastline. It has over 20 kilometers of urban beaches and is surrounded by beautiful blue water, islands, and offshore reefs. But the highlights of Maceió are found along the northern and southern coastline outside the city itself. For about 200 kilometers in either direction, you can explore the Alagoas coastline and some of the most pleasant beaches in Brazil.
There’s no better way to see Maceió and the surrounding beaches than to pack an overnight bag and make your way up and down the coast, spending a night (or two) in key locations along the way. After visiting the north coast, come back for a day in Maceió to re-group and then set out for the south coast, or vice-versa. But a lot of travelers approach Maceió a different way: they set themselves up in a hotel in the city and take a series of day trips to the principal beaches north and south, spending nights back in the city. The farthest beach to the north (Maragogi) is only 2.5 hours by car and Penedo is only 3.5 hours to the south. The proximity of these beaches makes day-tripping a reasonable technique, especially if you like festive nights - something the small beach towns cannot always offer.
Maceió grew up in the 19th century from its massive sugar exportation via the Port of Jaraguá, which still functions today as a major shipping port. The city’s sugar port grew to the point that the city overtook the economy of its neighbor Marechal Deodoro, which was capital of the state of Alagoas at the time. Marechal Deodoro never really recovered and today is a somewhat poor fishing town with a number of old buildings from its glory days. The old city center in Maceió and the port area of Jaraguá retain some of the old buildings from the sugar era and Jaraguá has been revitalized into one of the city’s night spots. Many of the old buildings are now bars and dance clubs. Over the years, Maceió lost two of its three major beaches to pollution, including Jatiúca, once the favorite of them all. Urban planning arrived just in time to save the last beach, Pajuçara, from the same fate.
Despite how clear and blue the Pajuçara Beach is, the happy masses hang out at Praia Ponta Verde on the north end of town. Ponta Verde has a huge variety of hotels in all price categories. Some are on the coast highway overlooking the ocean, but most are just a few streets inland. Along the boardwalk, beach bars offer seating on or overlooking the sandy beach and some have large, shady areas with palm trees and grassy knolls. Here, you’ll find some of the best restaurants in the city - both on the beach on the inland roads, and they all stay open late at night. It’s interesting just to walk along the boardwalk at Ponta Verde, by day or by night.
You don’t have to go far to find adventure. Right off the coast of Pajuçara are massive rock formations under the water, called "parrachos." These rocky reefs form beautiful "piscinas naturais," or natural pools, with pink, sandy bottoms. They are fabulous for snorkeling and swimming, as the water is shallow at low tide and the reefs fill with tropical fish and sea life. Boats leave from the main praça at Praia Pajuçara to take groups out to the pools in small boats, called "jangadas." The excursion includes snorkeling equipment, but it’s always a joy to have your own. The two hour excursion costs about R$15 per person.
There is a great arts & crafts market on the coat highway in Ponta Verde. Called Cheiro da Terra (scent of the earth), the permanent market has over 200 stands with t-shirts, trinkets, jewelry, and local crafts. Starting at 8p.m. they present music and dance events. If you call them, they will come pick you up at your hotel. They also have the Museu do Cangaço (Outlaw Museum), which has a photographic history of the famous outlaw Lampião, who is known for his Robinhood-like distribution of wealth, from the large land owners and cattle ranchers to the poor folks of the Pernambuco countryside.
Highlights along the north coast include Ipioca and Praia da Sereia. These two beaches actually belong to the city of Maceió and are easily accessed by car, bus or taxi from the city. Praia da Sereia (Mermaid Beach) is famous for its large rocky reef just a stone’s throw offshore. On the reef is a sculpture of a mermaid and you can swim out to see her up close. The pool formed by the reef is shallow, warm (a steamy 30*C year round) and clear. There are a number of bars that serve drinks, appetizers, and seafood lunch at tables on the sand. Being so close to Maceió, this beach can get rather crowded on weekends and during the summer.
If you prefer quiet and secluded beaches, then make a stop in Milagres, maybe to spend the night at one of the beachfront inns. Even if you just visit for the day, be sure to have lunch at Pousada da Toque or Pousada Côte Sud. Both have excellent restaurants open to the public. Near the little village of Porto da Rua in Milagres, there is a long stretch of virgin beach. At low tide, a wonderful series of pools form just inside the barrier reef and you can catch a small boat out to them for some snorkeling. The water is warm, shallow, and crystal clear.
At the top end of the north coast is Maragogi. What brings people all the way to this little town is not Maragogi itself, but the popular Galés, a sand bar about six kilometers off the coast that is surrounded by rock formations. At low tide, it makes an excellent playground for swimming and snorkeling. Boats will take you out to the pools to visit the fish for around R$15 for two hours, including equipment. If you have time after a trip out to Galés, visit one of the more remote beaches in Maragogi, such as São Bento with its small village and its own sandbar about two kilometers offshore.
The south coast is full of great stopping points, but the highlight here is the picture perfect Praia Gunga and its neighbor, Barra de São Miguel. The reef at Barra de São Miguel runs parallel to the coast for about six kilometers until it bumps into Praia Gunga on the far side of a rivermouth. The ocean side of Gunga Beach is lined with beach bars and stretches on for about two perfect kilometers. The calm, river side of Gunga has small kiosks that serve beer, coconut water, and other refreshments. You can find a nice, shady table, then take a Jet Ski out for a 10-minute ride. The entire point that is Gunga Beach is fenced-off by palm tree groves.
During the week in the off-season, Gunga is not crowded and many of the kiosks are closed or have limited selections. But the sandy point is as picturesque as any tropical beach you’re ever likely to see. If you decide to stay for a second day, set yourself up in a hotel in Barra de São Miguel.
In Maceió, there are vans, boats and off-road vehicles waiting to take passengers out of the city to the outskirts on various excursions. The most common, of course, are trips to the various beaches north and south of the city. You can visit Praia do Francês, Barra de São Miguel and Gunga in a single trip for only R$15 per person. Individual trips to these beaches are about R$15 as well. An excursion to the more distant Maragogi goes for R$25 per person (snorkeling not included). You’ll also find packaged excursions to historical towns, such as Penedo. A popular boat trip is the 9 Island excursion in Lake Mundaú, which leaves from the Pontal da Barra area (the southern tip of the city) and takes passengers up the waterways past nine different islands and a couple of beaches (with stops for swimming). It costs R$25 per person. Different tour agencies provide slight variations on the same trip. Check into Pôr do Sol Turismo (82/336-3038) and Carcão Turismo (82/231-0843).
Getting to and Around Maceió
A lot of international visitors from northern Europe fly directly into Maceio’s international airport. American travelers, however, usually have to catch a domestic flight from another city or take a bus from Recife. The Real Alagoas line goes to Maceió from Recife approximately every two hours. This is the standard bus for R$26. An executive bus leaves Recife at 8 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. daily.
Where to Stay in Maceió
The youth hostel Albergue Alagamar (Rua Pref. Abdon Arroxelas 327, 82/3231-2246) is well located a few streets inland in Ponta Verde. It has spacious rooms for 2, 3, or 4 people, ceiling fans (some rooms have air), kitchen facilities, laundry and a TV room for R$35 single and R$45 double with a small breakfast included.
The Ibis Hotel (Av. Dr. Antônio Gouveia 277, 82/3327-6699,) is in the Pajuçara Beach area overlooking the ocean. They are well managed and have rooms with air, cable TV, and phone. They also have a pool, bar, money exchange service and non-smoking rooms. Breakfast is optional. R$69.
An excellent beachfront hotel in Jatiúca is the Cais da Praia Hotel (Av. Alvaro Otacílio 4353, 82/3235-3013, reservas@caisdapraia.com.br) It’s a small building with about 32 rooms, a quaint pool and comfortable reception/lounge. The rooms have air, cable TV, phone and many have ocean views. Breakfast included for R$65 double in low season and R$120 in high season.
Where to Eat in Maceió
Just inland from the Jatiúca beach is 200 Milhas Surfshop and Creperia (Av. Dr. Antônio Gomes de Barros 234), which has a cool atmosphere for sitting and ordering one or more crepes with a cold beer. A popular place for late-night tapiocas (Brazilian crepes) is at the far end of Jatiúca, where several tapioca stands appear at night. They will whip up several combinations of sweet or salty tapiocas for about R$2.50–4.50 each. Speaking of sweets, you can get a number of ice cream dishes at Bali (Av. Dr. Antônio Gouveia 451) in the Pajuçara beach, near the Ibis Hotel.
One of the most well known places in town is a Peruvian restaurant, called Wanchako (Rua São Francisco de Assis 93) in Jatiúca. They serve all types of traditional Peruvian dishes, including a fantastic seviche for about R$50 per person. For great Italian food in a cozy environment, try Massarella (Rua José P. Magalhães 271) behind the Meliá Hotel in Jatiúca. They serve a variety of pizzas and pasta dishes for around R$35 per person.
Maceió Information and Services
The main tourist information booth is located about mid-way along the Pajuçara beach boardwalk. They have excellent maps and materials. You can call the bus station at 82/3221-4615. The Cybercafé (Rua Emp. Carlos da Silva Nogueira 192, 81/3235-5334) in Jatiúca is a great place for sipping coffee while getting some computer work done. There is a call center on the Jatiúca boardwalk just past the Meliá Hotel, where you can make quiet, international calls.
Adapted from Moon Handbooks Brazil (Avalon Travel Publishing, 2006). Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.
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