The coast of Paraíba attracts tourists with its fine white sandy beaches, warm crystal clear waters, paradisiacal landscapes and delicious cuisine.

Paraíba is known for its tropical coastline and Portuguese colonial architecture.

The capital, João Pessoa, has beaches such as Manaíra and Tambaú, as well as coral-filled dive sites off the coast.

On the banks of the Paraíba River, the historic centre has colourful houses and the church of São Francisco, with its baroque architecture.

Ponta do Seixas, with the nearby Cabo Branco lighthouse, marks the easternmost point of the Americas.

At just over 130 kilometres, Paraíba‘s coastline gives the impression of being easily explored. However, some beaches north of João Pessoa are more difficult to reach. You can use the capital’s infrastructure as a base and make the most of day trips along the coast.

Include Paraíba in your travel plans if you like cliffs – they can be seen along much of the coast. The beaches below are not ranked, but are listed from south to north:

Best beaches in Paraíba

1. Pitimbu Beach – Pitimbu
2. Tambaba Beach – Conde
3. Coqueirinho Beach – Conde
4. Tabatinga beach – Conde
5. Cabo Branco and Tambaú beach – João Pessoa
6. Bessa beach – João Pessoa
7. Jacaré Beach – Cabedelo
8. Miriri Beach – Rio Tinto
9. Bela beach – Pitimbu
10. Barra do Abiaí beach – Pitimbu
11. Tambá beach – Baía da Traição
12. Barra de Camaratuba – Marataca
13. Beaches of the coast of João Pessoa
14. Beaches of the South Coast of Paraíba
15. Beaches of the North Coast of Paraíba

Videos of the beaches of Paraíba

1. Pitimbu Beach – Pitimbu

The central beach of the Pitimbu community of the same name is a delight for families.

Despite the crowds, the beach is spacious and the sea is very calm, even at high tide, so windsurfers can enjoy the waves. There is no shortage of bars to satisfy the hunger and thirst of the locals.

Distance from João Pessoa: 63 km

See Pitimbu, in Paraíba, with its rich landscape of natural pools, estuaries and cliffs.

2. Tambaba Beach – Conde

The beach is divided into two sections. In the first and smaller part, nudist swimming is forbidden and visitors will find a rather dull natural pool among the rocks.

A gate gives access to the second part of the beach, where only the naked have a chance – if you’re wearing a swimsuit or bikini, you won’t even get a glimpse.

This is the most scenic section, with an imposing cliff and 300 metres of beach to enjoy the sea. There is no space for unaccompanied males, but they can enter accompanied by a couple.

Distance from João Pessoa: 42 km.

3. Coqueirinho Beach – Conde

If you were worried about visiting Tambaba, rest assured that a little further up the coast, seven kilometres to the north, Coqueirinho beach is just as scenic.

The diminutive name doesn’t do it justice; it should be ‘Coqueirões’ or ‘Coqueiral’, such is the number of trees.

The good news is that there’s plenty of shade. The beach is in the shape of a bay, with calm waters that are a delight for those with children. Usually the buggy rides from João Pessoa stop here for lunch.

But the options are few and simple. You just have to be careful when accessing the beach: a steep descent on a very boring sandy road. If you prefer, you can walk from Tabatinga Beach (more on this below), along a three-kilometre route along the cliffs.

Distance from João Pessoa: 35 km

4. Tabatinga Beach – Conde

At one end, the lagoons are formed where the Bocatu River meets the sea. On the other side are striking, colourful cliffs. Between the lagoon and the cliffs, a beach with little traffic and no structures, but with beautiful views.

The fine sand invites you to take a walk, while the sometimes rough sea calls for caution.

Coconut palms and coral reefs add to the beautiful scenery. Anyone spending the day on the beach should bring a snack. There’s even a structure on the sand, but it’s exclusively for guests of a nearby resort.

Distance from João Pessoa: 33 km

5. Beaches of Cabo Branco and Tambaú – João Pessoa

We’re going to talk about both beaches in the same text, because there’s no geographical accident separating them (only the names of the neighbourhoods) and they have a lot in common.

These are the two most central beaches on the João Pessoa seafront, where you will find most of the hotels and restaurants, as well as a good number of beach huts.

The sand at Cabo Branco is softer than at Tambaú, but both are good for walking.

If you don’t want to walk on the sand, you can use the seafront promenade, and in the case of Cabo Branco, the coastal avenue is closed to cars for part of the morning so that locals and tourists can get some exercise. Swimming in the sea? Despite the murky waters, you can go in without a problem.

The waves are calm and the temperature very warm. There is a boat trip from Tambaú to the natural pools of Picãozinho at low tide.

6 Bessa Beach – João Pessoa

But its greatest asset is a coral reef 800 metres off the coast, about 4 km long.

To get there, people take advantage of the calm waters and go kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding.

The beach is also called “Caribessa” because of the reefs.

7. Jacaré Beach – Cabedelo

There’s a bit of poetic licence here. Or rather, boleristic.

It’s a river beach, where no one swims in the river, and people start arriving around 4pm.

If you see people painting there in the late afternoon, you don’t have to bat an eyelid to know that it has something to do with the sunset.

The beach, in Cabedelo, a municipality next to João Pessoa, is famous for a local artist, Jurandy do Sax, who sings Ravel’s Bolero in a canoe in the middle of the Paraíba River at the same time every day.

Until 2015, people watched the show in bars or on catamarans on the river.

Then the public prosecutor intervened and ordered the bars to be demolished. Today, in addition to the boats, people gather on a wall to listen to the chords at dusk. You can also buy souvenirs in a craft shop.

Distance from João Pessoa: 11 km

8. Miriri Beach – Rio Tinto

The northern part of the Paraiba coast is much more unspoilt than the south.

No beach is too crowded, and in some cases you have to suffer a bit to get there.

Miriri is one of them. It can only be reached by buggy from João Pessoa or by a very sandy road from Praia da Campina.

So much effort to get to know a beach formed by the mouth of the Miriri River, coconut palms and incredibly colourful cliffs. What’s more, you can swim alternately in the sea, the river and the lagoon. Take food with you, you won’t find anything nearby.

Distance from João Pessoa: 38 km

9. Praia Bela – Pitimbu

Praia Bela is a spectacular open sea with strong, long waves breaking over the sand at high tide. This makes it ideal for water sports such as surfing and windsurfing, especially when the wind is strong.

Praia Bela is an excellent place for those looking for leisure activities, gastronomic experiences or simply relaxation. Located 44 kilometres from the capital, João Pessoa, it can be reached via the PB-008 motorway and is only a few minutes away from other more popular spots, such as the nudist beach of Tambaba.

Distance from João Pessoa: 44 kilometres from João Pessoa

10. Barra do Abiaí Beach – Pitimbu

Barra do Abiaí beach is wild, quiet and beautiful.

If you’re looking for peace, quiet and pure nature, you can’t miss Barra do Abiaí beach, on Paraiba’s fantastic south coast. Just as Praia Bela, on the Pitimbu coast, is becoming an increasingly popular place for sun and sea tourism, its neighbour, Barra do Abiaí, is also promising.

Distance from João Pessoa: 60 km from João Pessoa

11. Tambá Beach – Baía da Traição

Baía da Traição is a small town 90 kilometres from João Pessoa with indigenous villages nearby – so much so that its name refers to the place where the Indians attacked the Portugas. The central beach has some structure and is busy at weekends.

Five kilometres to the north, Tambá is as quiet as it gets. There, perched on a cliff, is the Alto de Tambá Village (formerly Galego), which sells indigenous handicrafts and sweets.

Despite the poor signposting, the village can be reached by car along a track. But many prefer to walk the half hour from Baía da Traição.

The sea is one of the most beautiful in Paraíba, but the waves are very violent, so much so that it is one of the best surfing spots in the state. A beach to call your own.

Distance from João Pessoa: 95 km

12. Barra de Camaratuba – Marataca

In the far north of Paraíba, Barra de Camaratuba already shows signs of approaching the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, with its unique landscape of dunes and Atlantic forest.

The fishing village has a simple structure with a few restaurants and inns.

As the name suggests, the centre is located at the mouth of the Camaratuba River. A ferry takes you to the deserted Cardosas beach in Baía da Traição.

In fact, the beaches there have no traffic. A buggy ride is the best way to explore the northern beaches with their dunes and mangroves.

The presence of surfers (few) in the sea shows that the sea is rough. Kitesurfers and windmills indicate strong winds.

Distance from João Pessoa: 115 km

13. Beaches along the coast of João Pessoa

The coast of João Pessoa has the popular beaches of Cabo Branco, Tambaú, Manaíra and Bessa. Promenades that make it possible to walk or stroll.

There are also cycle paths for activities such as cycling, rollerblading and skateboarding, as well as boat trips to the natural pools of Seixas and Bessa.

On Bessa beach you can also go kayaking and stand up paddle boarding – the latter can also be done at night. All these activities are subject to the tide table.

See also João Pessoa in Paraíba – Points of Interest and Historic Centre.

14. Beaches of the South Coast of Paraíba

On the south coast, the scenery is more exotic.

The beaches include Barra de Gramame, Praia do Sol, Praia do Amor, Jacumã, Coqueirinho, Carapibus, Praia Bela, Praia de Barra do Abiaí and Tambaba.

The latter is the first naturist beach in the northeast and is also known for hosting naturist surfing championships. One way to get to know the main beaches on the south coast is by buggy.

15. Beaches of the North Coast of Paraíba

The North Coast has 19 beaches, spread over five municipalities of Paraíba.

In the municipality of Cabedelo, for example, the beaches of Camboinha and Ponta de Campina are an option for those travelling with children, due to their calm waters. Catamarans and speedboats also depart from these beaches to the island of Areia Vermelha.

Barra de Camaratuba, Baía da Traição and Lucena are also beaches that make up this third part of the Paraíba coast.

The best beaches of João Pessoa, south and north coast of Paraíba

This post is also on: Português English Deutsch Español Français