Porto de Galinhas Destination Guide

It is small and only caught the traveller's eye a decade back, but Porto de Galinhas is already one of the most popular beach resorts of Brazil. In fact, it has been voted the best beach in Brazil by Viagem e Turismo for the last seven years. A mere 60 kilometres from Recife, Porto de Galinhas is easily accessible by road. Tour operators also run day long packaged Porto de Galinhas tours and excursions from Recife, and they cover all the interesting sights and activities in this beach town.

For a destination as small as Porto de Galinhas there is a lot to do, but you also have the option of just lying on the beach and doing nothing at all!

Our Porto de Galinhas Destination Guide will tell you all you need to know about the best places to visit in Porto de Galinhas. If you don't know where to start, then book yourself on a Porto de Galinhas tour and start to discover this stunning part of Brazil. For more exciting things to do around the country, check out our Brazil Destination Guide.

Things to See & Do in Porto de Galinhas

Below is a list of some tourist attractions in Porto de Galinhas you might wish to discover.

Porto de Galinhas has a number of beaches in close proximity and each is a tourist destination in itself. Apart from their natural beauty, these beaches offer a variety of water sports and activities that will set your adrenaline pumping.

Camboa
The mile-long, palm fringed beach at Camboa is calm and secluded with shallow waters, thick mangroves and reefs that form small pools. These are ideal for bathing. Camboa can be accessed only by buggy or foot.

Muro Alto
Muro Alto is home to the deepest natural pool with a depth of 10 metres and that makes it ideal for diving and snorkelling. It also has state-of-the-art facilities for jet skiing. The beach at Muro Alto is accessible by road, buggy and by foot.

Cupe
The beach at Cupe has no reefs or small pools. Instead, there are strong waves and currents that enable surfing. Do not try to swim here, as the currents are very strong. Incidentally, the highest number of hotels and apartments in Porto de Galinhas is found in Cupe.

Maracaipe
This beautiful, palm fringed beach is well known as the surfer's paradise because of its strong waves. The Maracaipe beach is a great favourite among the younger generation and is the venue of many domestic and international surfing competitions like the Brazilian Surf Championship (Circuito Brasileiro de Surfe). It is also the nesting site of sea turtles and each nest is supposed to have at least 120 eggs. If you are lucky and have the time and patience, you may see a baby turtle hatching on a full moon night!

Pontal de Maracaípe
The Pontal beach is a must see. Located at the mouth of the Maracaípe River, this beach has a wealth of mangroves, coral reefs and sandbanks. It is also the site of the Hippocampus Project which is involved in the protection, preservation and breeding of sea horses. Take a jangada and explore the mangroves. Hire a guide to show you the sea horses. Watch the guide capture a sea horse in a bottle so that you can have an up close and personal view of the creature. You can even see it change colour with the colour of the water. Of course, they are released into the water as soon as possible.

Do not miss the 400-year-old giant baobab tree at Nossa Senhora do Ớ. It is believed to have been planted by the African slaves and has such a thick trunk that it requires almost 20 adults to embrace it fully!

Porto de Galinhas has numerous natural pools and reefs where both novices and veteran divers can go diving and discover a wealth of marine life. The ledge at Pedro de Ada is ‘the' place for underwater photographers. Glide along with the morays, stingrays, octopuses and surgeon fish at Boca da Barra, Poco da Paixão and Bolo. Dive in and explore the shipwrecks at Navio do Gás, Gonçalo Coelho, Galeão and Rebocador Marte.

Maracaípe beach is excellent for windsurfing, water skiing,wakeboarding and surfing.The Muro Alto beach is ideal for jet skiing,wakeboarding and water skiing. For the more sedate tourist, there are banana boat rides!

Kite Surfing
Join the kite surfers on the Maracaípe and Cupe beaches and try your hand at flying bird shaped kites on the beach.

Kayak and Jangada rides
Explore the mangroves along the Maracaípe river in a kayak or jangada and follow the river right upto the point where it meets the ocean. Along the way you can catch glimpses of the fascinating marine life supported by these mangroves.

Porto de Galinhas has many ecological trekking trails. One of the most popular and interesting trails is the Maracaípe-Outeiro trail which begins at the Maracaípe beach and follows the slave track through the Mata Atlantic mangroves and forests. You will pass an old manioc flour mill, a church and the Outeiro viewing point (Mirante de Outeiro), each of which is worth exploring. This three-hour trek is not easy but is very interesting.

Take a guided tour through sites of historical significance like Engenho Gaipó, Engenho Massangana, Engenho Trapiche and Engenho Tabatinga. Stop by at Engenho Canoas, which is the venue of the feast of St.Anthony. This is an ideal way to experience the culture and heritage of Porto de Galinhas and Brazil.