Porto de Galinhas

Proximity to Recife, not to mention some of the most enticing white sand beaches on the Brazilian coast, explain why Porto de Galinhas (literally “Port of the Chickens”) is one of the perennially hottest beach destinations in Brazil. Dangerously popular and increasingly developed, this former fishing village is more tranquil in the off-season when you can float (with or without a snorkel) in warm, transparent ocean pools, framed by reefs, without ambient noise made by mobs of Brazilians on package tours. Adjacent to the town itself (accessible by dune buggies or the ubiquitous local sailboats known as jangadas) are other more tranquil ...

Proximity to Recife, not to mention some of the most enticing white sand beaches on the Brazilian coast, explain why Porto de Galinhas (literally “Port of the Chickens”) is one of the perennially hottest beach destinations in Brazil. Dangerously popular and increasingly developed, this former fishing village is more tranquil in the off-season when you can float (with or without a snorkel) in warm, transparent ocean pools, framed by reefs, without ambient noise made by mobs of Brazilians on package tours. Adjacent to the town itself (accessible by dune buggies or the ubiquitous local sailboats known as jangadas) are other more tranquil beaches such as Maracaípe, famed for its surfing, and Serrambi, where you can dive among shipwrecks. Not to be missed by true beach buffs is the utterly paradisiacal palm-lined beach of Praia dos Carneiros, which inevitably makes it onto all the Top 10 Beaches in Brazil lists.

About the Expert

Michael Sommers is the author of Moon Brazil and Moon Rio, as well as the blog Thrill of Brazil. He has been living in Salvador, Brazil since 1999.