As the first stop on this « Coral Route, » we decided to spend a few days in Porto de Galinhas, a beach town that’s super popular with local tourists. The road from Recife to Porto de Galinhas passes by a bunch of beautiful beaches, so we figured we’d stop in the Cabo de Santo Agostinho area to check out some of the famous ones.
That said, with the car packed full of stuff, we weren’t exactly thrilled about leaving it unattended. But we told ourselves we’d find safe places to park so we could enjoy the views—totally worth making a few stops.
First up was « Praia de Itapuama, » a gorgeous white-sand beach lined with palm trees. But the weather wasn’t great and didn’t do the scenery justice. Apart from a few surfers, the place was pretty empty. Before hitting the road again, we sat down for some coconut water by the ocean, which was starting to change right before our eyes. Just in time, too—rain started pouring down right after.
Next, we headed to « Praia de Gaibu » for lunch. This beach felt a lot less natural than the last one, but with the tide low, the visible reefs gave it a kind of pool-like vibe. We picked a random spot to eat, « Restaurante e Bar Opará, » where a singer was performing and we were the only customers. The food was amazing and totally hit the spot. Honestly, we’d go back there in a heartbeat for the great food and friendly service. Like everywhere in the Northeast, nobody’s in a rush. Even though we were the only ones there, it took about 45 minutes for our food to arrive—but it was so worth it. We had fried Cioba fish on a bed of shrimp, served with cassava fries and bell peppers. Simple cooking, but the fresh ingredients made all the difference.
The restaurant owner suggested we check out « Praia de Calhetas, » which is accessible via a trail. So we decided to give it a shot. Not the easiest hike in flip-flops, but the view from the top was pretty cool, giving us a nice perspective of Gaibu Beach with Recife in the background.
Cabo de Santo Agostinho ended up being a little preview of what’s waiting for us along the Coral Route: huge white-sand beaches, coconut trees, low-tide reefs in crystal-clear water, and amazing food. Not to mention all the locals being surprised that Tiago is Brazilian !
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