Beaches near Porto de Galinhas

The southern coast of Pernambuco stays beautiful beyond Ipojuca, the municipality Porto de Galinhas belongs to. By car or on an organized tour, you can quickly reach beaches with very different profiles. To the south are Carneiros, in Tamandaré, and Santo Aleixo Island, in Sirinhaém. To the north, on the way to Recife, are the beaches of Cabo de Santo Agostinho.

Quick summary

Praia dos Carneiros

Praia dos Carneiros is in Tamandaré, 113 km from Recife and 90 km from the airport, according to Wikipedia. Coconut palms, pale sand and calm water are its trademarks. At low tide, the reefs form natural pools.

The symbol of Carneiros is the 18th-century São Benedito Church, right at the water’s edge. Tamandaré City Hall lists it among the town’s five tourist attractions. The beach is also shaped by the estuary of the Formoso River.

The Carneiros reefs lie within the Costa dos Corais (Coral Coast) Environmental Protection Area. According to ICMBio, the federal conservation agency, this protected area runs from the mouth of the Formoso River, in Tamandaré, to the Meirim River, in Alagoas. It is a sustainable-use area that combines tourism, fishing and conservation.

Access by land crosses private property, and restaurants charge a minimum spend, Wikipedia reports. You can also arrive by boat or by walking about 7 km along the sand from Tamandaré beach.

Santo Aleixo Island

Santo Aleixo Island belongs to Sirinhaém and lies about 2 km off the coast. It covers just over 30 hectares, is privately owned and has no permanent tourist facilities, according to Wikipedia. It sits within the Guadalupe Environmental Protection Area, a state-protected area. The Pernambuco government has studied the carrying capacity for boats in the area. Confirm the current rules with your tour operator.

Further south: Tamandaré, São José da Coroa Grande and Maragogi

• Tamandaré Beach is the main beach of the town where Carneiros lies, with a reef-sheltered bay and the Santo Inácio Fort. It pairs well with a day trip to Carneiros.
• São José da Coroa Grande is the last beach in Pernambuco before Alagoas. The name comes from the sandbars (coroas) that appear at low tide.
• Maragogi, across the state line in Alagoas, is famous for its galés, natural pools far out at sea. It is a long trip, with visiting rules set by ICMBio.

On the way, Barra de Sirinhaém and Guadalupe, in Sirinhaém, lie just past the border with Ipojuca.

Cabo de Santo Agostinho beaches

Cabo de Santo Agostinho lies between Recife and Ipojuca. That means its beaches can fit into your arrival or departure day.

Calhetas is a small cove surrounded by rocks and coconut palms, with calm, clear water. Wikipedia mentions swimming, diving and a zip line. It sits on the north side of the cape, a spot linked to the arrival of the navigator Vicente Yáñez Pinzón in 1500.

Gaibu is next to Calhetas, north of the Armando de Holanda Cavalcanti Metropolitan Park. Some stretches have waves.

Suape, the southernmost beach in Cabo, has shallow water with almost no waves and gave its name to the neighboring port.

Itapuama is a surf beach with volcanic rocks and gives access to Morro Melo, a hill with views of the neighboring beaches.

Paiva is about 28 km from Recife, according to Wikipedia. It has a dense coconut grove and reefs that form small pools at low tide.

Recife: Boa Viagem

Boa Viagem Beach is Recife’s most famous urban beach, with a promenade and reefs. It lies within the shark alert area monitored by the Pernambuco state government: respect the signs and the swimming guidelines. It pairs well with the Recife and Olinda day trip.

Tides and safety

The pools at Carneiros, Paiva and São José da Coroa Grande and the galés of Maragogi depend on low tide, just like those in Ipojuca. Check the tide table before choosing your day. At Gaibu and other open-sea beaches, respect the flags and the lifeguards. Do not step on the coral.

How to fit it into your itinerary

Carneiros and Santo Aleixo are usually sold as full-day tours. Compare the options in Porto de Galinhas tours. On trips of five days or more, there is room for one of them: see the 5-day itinerary. For the beaches in Ipojuca itself, go back to the beach comparison.