The Great Brazilian Road Trip explores the "Brazilian Caribbean" (Part 1)
The Coral Coast
Brazil’s Costa dos Corais (Coral Coast), also referred to as Caribe Brasileiro (The Brazilian Caribbean), stretches alongside roughly 200 kms of the northeastern coast between Porto de Galinas in the state of Pernambuco and Maceio in the state of Alagoas. The area is home to some of the country’s most incredible beaches including Praia dos Carneiros (which I’ll discuss in this post) and Praia de Antunes (which I’ll discuss in the next).
Praia dos Carneiros
Praia dos Carneiros (Carneiros Beach) is roughly 2 hours south of Recife. Following a logical north-south road trip route, it would be logical then to make Carneiros our next stop. However, this part of our trip was actually completed BEFORE the Great Brazilian Road Trip began, during New Year’s Eve celebrations with friends. Forgive us for presenting it now, as if we were logical road-trippers, instead of a (slightly) crazy couple who occasionally sacrifice logic for fun.
Regardless of our reason for visiting, Carneiros was spectacular and certainly worth a stop on any northeastern Brazilian Road Trip. We were told that, before it became a popular beach and chic New Years’ Eve destination, Carneiros was a coconut farm. The farmer parceled out pieces of the farm to his sons and all but one had the good sense to build tourist-friendly bars and pousadas (bed and breakfasts) right up to the beautiful sand beach.
Carneiros certainly looks and feels like a sleepy coconut farm that’s slowly evolving into a tourism hot-spot. For a popular beach resort destination, the limited infrastructure is surprising.
Carneiros lacks a supermarket or even a convenience store. There are only 3 (total) restaurants that are open to the public. Due to the pandemic, 1 restaurant was closed for the duration of our stay which left 2 restaurants to service a high number of holiday travelers. A third bar/ beach club was “semi-public” and required the purchase of an expensive entry ticket. All restaurants/ beach clubs were top notch with incredible food served in a clean, modern setting, but after a week, we began to wish we had slightly more options.
(Quick shout-out to Beijupira Restaurant whose staff we came to know on a first-name basis and without whom we may have starved.)
Considering it was a coconut farm not too long ago, lodging in the Carneiros Beach area is surprisingly upscale. Some places we walked by were downright fancy, particularly as you get closer to the Carneiros icon: Igrejinah dos Carneiros (Little Church of Carneiros). Perhaps the price tag is why Carneiros Beach felt so peaceful for a tourist hot spot. Although we were there during a “peak travel” time and although there were a number of day trippers coming-and-going on their boats throughout the day, there were stretches of beach which were completed deserted. It was a little surreal to have so much of such a beautiful beach to myself.
Tamandare
Right next door to Carneiros, Tamandare can’t help but look a little rough around the edges. Like many Brazilian beach towns, tourism is a growing industry but hasn’t yet given Tamandare a make-over. The stores are functional but provide only the basics. There are a higher number of restaurants than in Carneiros but almost all provide the same quick, cheap, and mostly fried food. The beach was packed both day and night which suggests the “no frills” atmosphere isn’t a deal breaker for the majority of folks.
Our friends rented a house in Tamandare because it was more affordable than Carneiros. With a designated driver, Carneiros is only a 15 minute drive away and, in a pinch, walking to the Carneiros “action” only takes around 45 minutes. While their house was fairly basic, it didn’t seem to matter much given that the group was only home for a few hours each night to shower and sleep. If you decide to stay in Tamandare, remember that you’ll have to find parking in Carneiros … and that’s an adventure on its own.
Things to Do
1. Boat Trips - Visitors to both Tamandare and Carneiros are encouraged to book a boat trip to explore various beaches and piscinas naturais (“natural pools”) that are created on the reef during low tide. Our group booked 2 boating day trips through Manguezal Ecotourismo, but the company doesn’t seem to be any more or less “eco” focused than any other group.
Our assigned boat captain took us to see the major area sights but relied almost completely on us to tell him when/ where we were going. While it was fun to be out on a boat, none of the other beaches we visited were particularly special or beautiful. No wonder all of the other day trippers spend so much time in Carneiros.
2. Visit Igrejinha dos Carneiros – Also known as Capela de Sao Benedito, this tiny green beach church has come to represent Praia dos Carneiros. You can get to the church by walking along the beach or you can access it via boat during a day trip. Unless you’re prepared to visit at sunrise, the area will likely be packed with people as it’s considered the “must have” shot of any Carneiros holiday.
3. Enjoy the Beach – In Brazil, a day at the beach, any beach, is a cultural experience. Everyone looks their best and comes to socialize. Vendors walk up and down the beach selling anything you can imagine. In Carneiros specifically, we bought oysters, cheese and meat-on-a stick, coconut water (served in the coconuts themselves), popsicles, and beer from friendly strangers on the sand. Since this sort of thing doesn’t really exist the US, it was exciting for me to watch it unfold. Most vendors accept cartao (card) but bring cash just in case.
4. Visit Porto de Galinhas – We didn’t do this ourselves because we assumed it would be very similar to Carneiros/ Tamandare. We later discovered the town has some historical significance for Brazil’s early years which makes it worth a stop, if you have time.
Overall:
A beachside coconut farm is slowly becoming a touristic paradise. Enjoy the relative peace but be prepared to supplement the limited infrastructure by packing in your own supplies. Visit a supermarket in Recife and choose an AirBnb with a kitchen. And, if you can, try to find a place in Carneiros. The extra cost will be worth it to walk out of your front door and onto one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil.
