Just 35 miles south of the bustling coastal city of Recife lies the small beach town of Porto de Galinhas. Although the beaches in Recife are nothing to scoff at, a day trip to Porto de Galinhas’ exotic beaches, tidal pools and endless palm tree groves is worth your time.

A visit to Porto de Galinhas doesn’t require advanced planning. The casual traveler in Recife can decide that they want to hop in an Uber or bus and head south for some fun in the sun with only a day’s notice.

Continue reading to learn about our day trip to Porto de Galinhas from Recife, including how we got there, how to see the tide pools, what the buggy excursions entail along with a few tips to make the most of your quick visit.

Originally called Porto Rico or Rich Port, Porto de Galinhas was a lucrative port city between the 17th and 19th centuries. Initially, its wealth was derived from the Pau Brasil or Brazil Wood industry. After the slave trade was outlawed, the port was secretly used to continue the slave trade illegally in northeast Brazil.

To keep the ongoing illegal transportation of slaves a secret, instead of announcing the arrival of new slaves to the port, they would announce that the boats had a new shipment of chickens. In Portuguese, they would say “tem galinha nova no porto.” Thus the port became known as Porto de Galinhas or Port of Chickens and the name remains today.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that Porto de Galinhas became a popular tourist destination in Brazil. Brazilians and people from all over the world travel here to enjoy the natural tide pools and coral formations that are some of the most easily accessible from the beach in South America.

The beach community of Porto de Galinhas is found in the Ipojuca municipality in the northeast Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It is 40 miles south of the state capital city – Recife. Porto de Galinhas is just under 4 hours by car from the city of Maceió which is the state capital of Alagoas.

The closest airport that services Porto de Galinhas is the Recife/Gilberto Freyre International Airport. From the airport you still need to travel 32 miles further south – by bus, Uber, or car. 

If you’re planning to also spend time in the cities of Recife and/or Olinda, read my blogpost, 2 Days Exploring the Cities of Olinda and Recife, for more information about the region.

The cheapest way (and longest) to get to Porto de Galinhas is by bus.

Two public bus options leave from Terminal Cais de Santa Rita (with a stop at the airport) in downtown Recife to Porto de Galinhas.

Operated by Expresso Vera Cruz, there is the option to buy tickets for an air-conditioned bus (bus number 195) or a non-air conditioned (bus number 191):

• Air-conditioned Bus 195: look for “195 Recife / Porto de Galinhas (Optional)”. As of 2024 a ticket cost R$24,75 one way.
• Non-air conditioned Bus 19, look for “191 Recife / Porto de Galinhas / Nossa Senhora do Ó”. As of 2024 a ticket cost R$21,50 one way.

The buses leave the Terminal Cais de Santa Rita daily and there is one almost every hour between 5 am and 9 pm. Check at the bus terminal or airport for exact times. Plan to spend up to 2 hours on the bus as they make a few stops.

Both buses drop passengers off in the heart of Porto de Galinhas (near this supermarket), within walking distance to the beach and popular tour pick-up spots.

If you want more flexibility with the departure and arrival, I suggest Ubering to Porto de Galinhas. 

We stayed in Olinda which is a neighborhood just north of downtown Recife. So our drive time to Porto de Galinhas was about 25 minutes longer than if you’re staying in Boa Viagem.

Our transportation plan was the following:

• Plan A: Attempt to call an Uber from our hotel in Olinda directly to Porto de Galinhas at 6:45 am.
• Plan B: If we got no bites from drivers on Uber, we would change the Uber destination to the airport in Recife and then grab another Uber from the airport to Porto de Galinhas. 

We had no problem grabbing an Uber from Olinda to Porto de Galinhas. We did have to stop for gas on the way but our driver had no complaints about the trip.

Now that Uber drivers can see where the trips are going before they accept, I think it is rare to have an Uber show up and refuse the trip. An Uber from Olinda to Porto de Galinhas costs roughly R$110.

If planning to Uber back to Recife after a beach day in Porto de Galinhas, have a change of dry clothes and remove as much sand as you can to avoid dirtying the Uber driver’s car. 

A quick side note about Ubers and some cars in general in Recife or northeast Brazil – many use natural gas!

The main thing you need to know as a tourist is that if your Uber driver needs gas, all passengers must exit the vehicle while filling up the gas tank. So don’t worry if it seems like your driver is kicking you out of their car at the gas station, they have to by law.

Another option is semi-private shared transportation, usually referred to as a translado in Brazil. Your hotel front desk or airport kiosk are good starting points for reserving a transfer.

You can also look online at Civitatis. I would only choose a professional transfer if I were traveling with a large group, or small children, or worried about depending on Uber.

6:45am: Leave Olinda for Porto de Galinhas

8:15am: Arrive in Porto de Galinhas

8:45am -9:45am: Jangada Tour to Natural Pools

9:45am – 12pm: Beach time and lunch

12pm – 1:15: Browse shops along main street

1:30pm – 5:30pm: Buggy excursion to 4 different beaches

5:30pm: Return to Olinda

Visiting the natural pools, or piscinas naturais as you will see them advertised in Portuguese, is one of the most popular activities in Porto de Galinhas.

The easiest way to explore the natural pools is by jangada or raft. 

Jangadas are large flat rafts with a single sail. They were originally used as fishing vessels in northeast Brazil and constructed with logs, vines, and other handmade materials. 

A more sophisticated version of the Jangada is still used in Pernambuco, Brazil. Today they are constructed out of flattened wood instead of logs. 

Association of Jangadas

All jangadas are operated under the Association of Jangadas. You will notice that all official jangadeiros or the people operating the rafts wear the same sun shirt so they can be easily identified. The association controls how many people visit the natural pools, where you can walk while visiting, and which pools you can swim in.

The pools are best visited during a low tide but before the tide comes back in and muddles the water clarity. The day of our visit, low tide was at 9:53 am and we planned to arrive 1.5 hours ahead of low tide or around 8:15 am.

The Association of Jangadas shares their monthly schedule of departures and tide levels on their Instagram.

Tickets for the Jangada are purchased in person in the praça or square in front of the beach where you will also find the life-size Porto de Galinhas sign.

As of 2024, 1 adult (ages 7 and up) ticket costs R$50,00 when you pay with cash or PIX (Brazil’s version of Venmo) and R$53,00 when purchased using a credit card.

Tickets for kids ages 4 to 6 years cost R$25,00. Kids 3 and under are free.

After purchasing your tickets, you will be instructed to head to the beach where a jangadeiros wearing the official sun shirt will collect your ticket and direct you to your jangada.

The ride from the beach to the natural pools is very short! I barely had time to put on sunscreen and take off my cover-up, and the jangadeiro was instructing us to deboard at the first stop.

We had 2 other couples and 2 small children on our jangada. Most have 3 benches that can sit 2 adults or 2 kids and 1 adult. The jangadeiro pilots the raft using a long pole.

Tip: Be ready before you board and have your phone, camera, and whatever else you plan to take with you off the Jangada out so that you can hop off right away and not hold up your group.

At our first stop on the jangada, our jangadeiro led us along a roped-off pathway to see the Mapa do Brasil or Map of Brazil – a natural pool formed in the shape of the country. Anything is possible with a little imagination, right?

You must stay within the roped-off area to protect the coral formations that are still living. Swimming is not permitted in the Map of Brazil natural pool. 

Next, we traveled a short distance to visit a natural pool where we could swim and snorkel.

In theory, once you arrive at the coral formations (during low tides), you could walk all around without using the Jangadas. However, this would be very damaging to an already fragile ecosystem.

Tip: Use a dry bag to keep your belongings safe from water. There is very limited space on the Jangada and nothing on the raft is protected very well from the water. 

On average tours last about 45 minutes to an hour. We were racing against an incoming thunderstorm, so I think our jangadeiro was eager to get back in under 45 minutes. As were we, since the jangadas have no cover or protection from the sun or rain.

Tip: Definitely use sunscreen and/or a hat. There is no shade on the Jangadas or where they take you on the tour.

A bathing suit, cover-up, and flip-flops are perfect for this tour. Visitors must wear shoes to walk on the rock formations. I was worried about traction in my Havaianas while walking on the reefs but it wasn’t an issue.

Packing List:

• • Suncreen
  • Sun hat
  • Towel
  • Goggles/mask and snorkel
  • Camera or Go Pro
  • Dry bag

The natural pools are very cool and the Jangada tour was the perfect length of time for us with only one day to explore! I also enjoyed taking in the views of the beach and Porto de Galinhas from offshore.

The tour goes pretty fast so if you want to spend more time exploring, I suggest finding a tour for snorkeling or diving in Porto de Galinhas that’s longer than 45 minutes.

The main beach in Porto de Galinhas offers all the amenities that come with Brazilian beaches – chair and umbrella rentals, caipirinhas and cold beer, and freshly fried seafood.

We had to dodge a few sunshowers while eating but the beach workers ensured we stayed dry with their umbrella positioning. 

There are tons of food vendors on the beach at Vila de Porto de Galinhas selling Brazilian beach fare like soups (don’t judge until you’ve had it!), açai, hot dogs, corn, churros, fried cheese, shrimp and kebabs.

Recommended Restuarants in Porto de Galinhas: 

• Munganga Bistrô
• Restaurante Farofa Fina
• Restaurante Barcaxeira
• Barraca

The main road leading to the beach in Porto de Galinhas, Rua Esperança, is lined with beach shops, clothing boutiques, and souvenir stores.

I purchased a stylish, comfortable, UV-protected bathing suit cover-up that was handy during our buggy tour.

Besides touring the natural pools, doing a buggy tour along the coast is the next best thing to do in Porto de Galinhas. 

During the tour, you will visit four different beaches. 

Specifically, we visited the following beaches:

• Praia de Muro Alto
• Praia do Cupê
• Praia de Maracaípe
• Pontal de Maracaípe

I found the buggy company Passeio de Buggy em Porto de Galinhas on Instagram and decided to book a tour with them due to their stellar reviews on Google and TripAdvisor.

It was super easy to reserve with Passeio de Buggy em Porto de Galinhas via Whatsapp and we paid a deposit to confirm the reservation.

Cost and Length

You can book a variety of buggy tours (and non-buggy tours) with them. We chose the 4-hour tour for 2 people. The cost of the tour was approximately R$350.

The tour is flexible within the allotted time so if you want to spend more or less time at specific locations you just need to let them know via WhatsApp beforehand or in person when you begin the tour.

We wanted to see a little bit of everything so we went with the already proposed itinerary.

We were picked up a few blocks inland from the beach in Porto de Galinhas and off we went in our yellow buggy to explore the beaches just outside of town.

• See more of the region: You will cover a lot of ground and have the opportunity to see more of the coast from the buggy in an adventurous way. Most of the roads on the tour are dirt and run directly along the coast.
• Open-air adventure: The buggy will be bumpy (that’s part of the experience!) and besides the roof that partially covers the back seat, you will be exposed to all the elements. Wear sunscreen!
• Safety: The buggy has seat belts in the front and back seats. While driving on “regular roads” we were instructed to sit not sit on the upper bench where there are no seatbelts for safety purposes.

• Photos: You will get a lot of photos! Our driver was insistent on making sure we got all the photos we wanted, and then some. He also knew all the best angles and poses on and off the buggy.
• Time for food and drinks: Two of our stops included restaurants on the beach so there was an opportunity to grab a quick bit or drink during the tour. Our longest stop was about an hour at Cupê.
• Sunset: Pontal de Maracaípe is the last stop on the tour because it is known for its sunset. Unfortunately, it was very overcast and windy by the end of our tour so we opted to spend more time at Maracaípe instead.
• Tour add-ons: You will have the option to add on experiences like paddle boarding, snorkeling, horseback riding or surfing within the tour at the stops.

With only 1 day to spend in Porto de Galinhas, the 4-hour buggy tour was the best way for us to spend the second half of our day exploring the areas and beaches outside of town. Without a car, it would’ve been difficult to recreate the experience.

Plus, the buggy tours know all the best beach spots and take the worry off you to decide where to go during your limited time!

My favorite stop was Maracaípe, where we drove through a grove of countless palm trees along the beach.

We unfortunately didn’t have perfectly sunny weather the whole day in Porto de Galinhas. However, this didn’t matter on the buggy tour. The overcast weather made riding in the open-air buggy a little more pleasant.

This is all about preference but at the very least I suggest the following items:

• Beach bag or dry bag with sunscreen and towel
• Sun hat to keep your hair under control while cruising around
• Sunglasses were good for not just the sun but also protected our eyes from dirt or sand while riding in the buggy
• Change of clothes if you don’t want to be in a bathing suit the whole tour
• Small portable speaker if you want to play music
• Water and snacks if you don’t want to purchase food during the tour

There will be photos but you will also be riding on the back of a buggy for 4 hours so don’t go too crazy with your outfit ideas. I wore a comfy beach cover-up (over a bathing suit) that I could button up or down depending on how warm I was feeling.

• Explore more reefs – Snorkel or scuba dive in the clear ocean waters
• Rent boards – Paddleboard or surf in at Maracaípe
• Relax, you’re on vacation – Relax at the main beach, Vila de Porto de Galinhas, or one of the many other beaches
• Go shopping – Browse the dozens of  boutiques for beachwear and souvenirs in Porto de Galinhas

If you have a little extra time, just 1 hour south of Porto de Galinhas is the town of Tamandare with one of Brazil’s most picturesque churches on the beach of Praia dos Carneiros.

• Know the tides for the day(s) you are visiting – The tides play a bigger role in the beaches around Porto de Galinhas than you’d expect. The natural pools are possibly the biggest attraction but during high tide they won’t be visible you won’t be able to access them. Some beaches in and around Porto de Galinhas shrink dramatically in size depending on the tides.
• Porto de Galinhas can be visited during any time of the year – The months with the coolest temperature and most amount of rain are usually May to August. We visited in September and while the temperature was warm (around 80 degrees), it was overcast and a little rainy. During the summer months of December to March you will have hot weather and plenty of sunshine but also the summer crowds.
• Safe area to visit – We felt safe walking around Porto de Galinhas but like many beaches throughout Brazil and around the world, I wouldn’t leave my belongings unattended at a busy beach.

Looking for more travel tips and inspiration in Northeast Brazil? Check out my blogposts on Recife, Olinda, and Fernando de Noronha!

Have more questions about visiting Porto de Galinhas? Leave a comment below.