For the eighth consecutive year, Porto de Galinhas (State of Pernambuco) has been voted as the best beach destination in Brazil by the readers of revista “Viagem e Turismo” (Travel and Tourism magazine), the most popular tourism publication sold in newstands in Brazil.
The region of Porto de Galinhas has more than 16 km of white sandy beaches with coconut trees, crystal clear warm water (average temp. 28º Celsius) and natural pools. Although only 56 km (40 minutes by car) from Guararapes International Airport in Recife, the town seems to be far from city life. There are 7 linked beaches from Camboa to Maracaípe and its beautiful “Pontal”, taking in Muro Alto, Cupe and Porto de Galinhas beach.
Porto de Galinhas boasts hotels of international acclaim and world standard resorts but also cozy family inns offering accommodations so close to the beach that it is possible to sleep to the sound of waves lapping the shore.
Porto de Galinhas is situated in the municipality of Ipojuca to the South of Recife. Besides the aforementioned beaches, Ipojuca has 3 more beaches to the South of the town – Enseadinha, Serrambi and Cacimbas – about 32 km of coastline, making it the town with the longest stretch of coast in the State of Pernambuco.
The town of Porto de Galinhas is very small; indeed, only a couple of streets with a central square, called “Pracinha”. The village concentrates gourmet restaurants, souvenir shops and the residences of the local dwellers; most hotels occupy spaces along the beach, both North of Porto (towards Muro Alto) and South of Porto (towards Maracaípe). Also, it is from the village that visitors depart to boat and buggy trips to other beaches in the region.
Besides beaches, Ipojuca has numerous sugar cane mills that have produced and exported sugar to Europe for hundreds of years. These mills can now be visited by anyone interested in this period of Brazil’s history by joining a guided tour taking in the following sites:
• Engenho Gaipó, which today is a tourist attraction due to its colonial mansion;
• Engenho Massangana, where the abolitionist Joaquim Nabuco lived during his
childhood, located between Cabo de Santo Agostinho and Ipojuca;
• Engenho Curuassu, which has a beautiful waterfall;
• Engenho Canoas, which still produces molasses and rapadura (hard chunks of raw
brown sugar candy) and where the feast of St. Anthony is celebrated on June 13th;
• Engenho Trapiche, birthplace of the famous Count of Boa Vista, whose name was
given to the main avenue in the centre of Recife, capital of Pernambuco, and
• Engenho Tabatinga, whose patron saint is Santa Luzia, where a battle between the
locals and the Dutch took place.
The origin of the name is well known. Porto de Galinhas means in Portuguese “Port of Chickens”. In the second half of the 19th century, the Brazilian Imperial government imposed restrictions to the commerce of slaves, which were widely used as manpower in the sugarcane farms. To circumvent the prohibition, the “black ships” (which transported slaves from Africa to Brazil) looked for other places to moor, further away from the usual Recife harbour. One such place was in the bays around Suape and Ipojuca. When a ship arrived in Porto de Galinhas, as it was prohibited to mention slavery, the word spread as “there are new chickens in the port”; hence, the place gained its name.