Pipa ´s Beach at Rio Grande Do Norte

By Jeanleo Figueira

Praia de Pipa is one of the most famous beaches in Rio Grande do Norte and it is no wonder, the beach is simply paradisiacal! I was there for 3 days and I would like to share with you this beautiful experience in Pipa. Check out the 3-day itinerary in Pipa.

Praia de Pipa is located on the south coast of Rio Grande do Norte, in the municipality of Tibau do Sul. To get there, it is recommended to go to Natal, capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte and then take a car to Pipa (1.5 hours).

The beaches of Pipa are simply perfect and are part of the lists with the best beaches in Rio Grande do Norte and also with the best in Brazil. Two of the 25 most beautiful beaches in Brazil, according to the 2019 Travellere’s Choice award from the TripAdvisor site of the year, are located in Pipa. They are:

Baía dos Golfinhos, which occupies the 8th position; Praia do Madeiro, which occupies the 23rd position.

Praia de Pipa has accommodation options for all tastes, I preferred to stay at a charming inn in Praia do Amor. The location is essential because it has some inns away from the beaches. The first tip is to stay close to Praia do Amor or Praia do Centro.

3 day itinerary

1st Day: Praia do Amor + Boat Trip + Sunset

After breakfast at the inn I went for a walk on the beach, because I wanted to take advantage of the fact that the tide would be low in the morning.

Here I leave another important tip: always check the tide table in Pipa, as there are some beaches, such as Baía do Golfinho, which can only be reached by foot, so the tide must be low.

As the Pousada was very close to Praia do Amor I went there. As soon as I stopped at the lookout, I already fell head over heels in love with Pipa.

I stayed there enjoying that wonderful landscape and then I started to go down to the beach.

From Praia do Amor, I walked for about 20 minutes and got to Praia do Centro to take a boat trip.

The tour passes through the main beaches of Pipa and lasted approximately 1 hour. The main objective of this tour is to see the dolphins and I saw several, one of the main attractions in Pipa.

The motorboat headed towards Baía dos Golfinhos and went to Praia do Madeiro, a place where we stayed for a while and could watch the dolphins. Then we had a 20-minute bathing stop and went back to Praia do Centro.

On the beach in the center there are some nice restaurants and bars, from which you can watch the sunset. It is a beautiful experience and you can practically see the sunset from any point on the beach.

To end the day in Pipa I went to the city center. After 7 pm it is forbidden to drive down this street with cars, as it becomes a pedestrian street. It really is a charm, many bars, good restaurants and shops from all you can imagine, I took the opportunity to buy some souvenirs. Some stores sell beautiful handicrafts made by the locals as souvenirs.

2nd Day: Jeep city tour

For the second day in Pipa I took a Jeep tour of the main tourist spots in the city. At 9 o’clock the guide picked me up at the inn and took us to the place where we would go for the tour.

This tour is like a city tour as it will pass through the main tourist spots in Pipa.

The first stop is at Chapadão de Pipa, a simply perfect place! From there it is possible to have a lovely view of Praia do Amor. The red cliffs, the blue sky and the sea mix to form a paradisiacal setting. Undoubtedly the most beautiful beach I have seen so far.

There the guide showed the stone that gave rise to the name Pipa and told the reason, because the stone is shaped like a barrel of wine that the Portuguese call a kite – Pipa- . This stone was the point of reference for ships arriving in Colonial Brazil.

Then we cross the Rio Catú by boat, which divides Barra de Cunhaú from Praia de Sibaúma. We stopped for an hour to bathe in the natural pools.

Then we went to a restaurant for lunch. From there we went to Praia de Sibaúma, where we paused to see the sea turtles. We got to see some.

The next stop was at the Cacimbinhas Dunes where the guide handed over some boards for Skibunda – a typical sand slide board. A lot of fun to slide through the dunes on the board.

We continue to Lagoa Guaraíras in Tibau do Sul to watch the sunset, after that we return to the starting point

3rd Day: Praia do Madeiro

As I said before, Praia do Madeiro is considered one of the 25 most beautiful beaches in Brazil, so I decided to dedicate a day especial for it.

This beach attracts tourists from all over Brazil and the world who go there to see the dolphins, which appear mainly in the morning. The beach is beautiful, with amazing cliffs, the sea surrounded by a lot of green forest, a breathtaking scenery. I loved it.

Then we went to a beautiful viewpoint where we could contemplate the beauty of Praia do Madeiro and agree with its reputation for being one of the most beautiful in Brazil. From the lookout point we go to the stairs, as it is necessary to climb down to get to the beach.

Praia do Madeiro is in an environmentally protected area, so its tents cannot have a bathroom and cannot operate at night. So they close around 16:30.

It is an unforgettable experience to be able to bathe in the sea and watch the dolphins, which swim very close to us.

On the beach it is possible to rent kayaks, because with them you will be able to get very close to the dolphins.

I stayed on the beach until  4pm​. I was able to see dolphins all day, but it was in the morning that they appeared the most.

And so, with a short 3-day itinerary, I was able to enjoy the beautiful things that Pipa has to offer, such as its breathtaking beaches, unique streets in the center and welcoming people.

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