Difference between revisions of "Porto de Galinhas"

Revision as of 12:30, 22 March 2008

Porto de Galinhas is a city in Pernambuco, in northeastern Brazil.

Understand

Porto de Galinhas is a small beach resort town on the coast, very popular as a weekend getaway for people from nearby Recife. The area is stunningly beautiful and worth making the effort. Amazing reef. Hotels range from cozy "pousadas" to top-quality five-star resorts. Do not miss nearby Maracaípe.

Get In

The closest airport is in Recife, some 60 Km north of Porto de Galinhas. From Recife, local buses and taxis make the trip to Porto, as locals call it.

Get Around

The town is small and easily navigable on foot.

See

Bustling beach town in summer, lots of dining places, local "churrascarias" (barbecue) and good seafood. Cheap prices for 1st world standards. Lots of beach activities in the area. Amongst them, visits to the "piscinas naturais" in a jangada, a local raft tour to the nearby reef, where sea water makes natural ponds, and lots of different fish can be seen.

Within walking distance on the beach to the south is the smaller town of Maracaipe. If you want to get away from the noise it is a quiet place. Further south the "Recanto do Cavalho Marino", is a protected area for seahorse breeding. A local "jangada" can take you as well.

If lucky enough you might attend a sea turtle birth at full moon in midsummer, plan for a full moon stay.

In the beach point (Pontal do Maracaipe) local kitesurfers can be seen. For the more adventurous, classes on this sport are available as well.

Do

• Take a buggy tour
• Take a trip on a little boat in the lagoon and swim with the fish (take some kind of footwear as the rocks are sharp!).
• Walk to nearby Maracaipe and watch the surfers.
• Find a spot on the beach, order shrimp and beer, sit back and relax.

Buy

The shops in the pedestrian zone in the center of town offer local crafts and clothing as well as beach equipment.

Eat

• Bejupirá - Expensive but delicious.
• Carne-de-Sol da Cunha - Excellent meat for a good price. One dish serves two people.
• Peixe na Telha - Seafood at the seaside.
• Tio Dadá - In the town center 50 meters from the natural pools.
• Restaurante BarCaxeira - Excellent meat (specially the seafood) by a good price.

Drink

There are many bars and restaurants here to serve the weekend party crowd. It isn't hard to find a place for a drink along the beach, on either of the two main roads, or from a number of stands set up at night where the two main roads connect near the beach. Sometimes it is possible to see and even participate in an impromptu drum circle at this intersection on weekend evenings.

Sleep

Hotels range from cozy "pousadas" to top-quality five-star resorts (Nanai and Summerville).

• Pousada Beira Mar - In the town center right on the beach. Good service by the two Swiss owners.
• Pousada Recanto do Lobo - Ideal for families.
• Pousada Sonhos do Porto, [1].
• Pousada da Preguiça, [2].
• Casa Amarela, Praça 18.
• Pousada Santo Aleixo, [3]. A seaside pousada in the village of Serrambi.

Get out

Beaches further south are also beautiful, but harder to access.