Capital of the State of Paraiba
João Pessoa is one of the oldest towns in Brazil and was founded by the Portuguese in 1585 after wars against the local Indians and the invading French. Besides beautiful beaches and white sand bathed by a turquoise blue sea, Joao Pessoa is a city with extremely unique characteristics. As reports suggest, the 3rd oldest city in Brazil, João Pessoa has a rich architectonic patrimony, including the beautiful baroque structures, like the church São Francisco and the convent Santo Antônio, dating back to the XVIII century.
Joao Pessoa has a mass of fully preserved natural forests, squares and gardens, which is why it is considered one of the cities with the highest index of green area per inhabitant in the world (2nd in the world according to a United Nations survey conducted in 1992). Another beauty of the city is the Ponta do Seixas, the most easterly point of South America, which can be seen from the majestic Farol do Cabo Branco (Cabo Branco Lighthouse).
João Pessoa has a typical tropical climate, with warm to hot temperatures and high relative humidity all throughout the year. However, these conditions are relieved by a near absence of extreme temperatures and pleasant trade winds blowing from the ocean.
João Pessoa has approximately 40 km of beaches (both residential and virgin) as well as many small, natural islands. The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism (BMT) notes that "on the outskirts of the capital are the most popular beaches in the State, such as Tambaú and Manaíra. Nearby it is possible to find one of the few Brazilian nudist beaches (naturism) that is officially recognized, Tambaba." In addition, BMT enphasizes that it is "full of parks and avenues which abound with fruit and ornamental trees; João Pessoa has many forest reserves, where one can find the coconut tree and many other species of tree which constitute the coastal woodland landscape that attracts thousands of tourists every year."
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| Jacaré Beach - Photo: Setur João Pessoa | Tambaú Beach - Photo: Setur João Pessoa |