Expan Experience: Road trip through Northeast Brazil

In a new edition of Expan Experience , Valeria Villalobos , head of B2C marketing at Expan Tours, tells us about her family road trip through Northeast Brazil .

Inspired by the incredible travel programs I work with every day, I left my role as Head of B2C Marketing at Expan to become a traveler for two weeks. The planned route: a road trip from Maceió to Natal .

The situation was more or less as follows: we had two weeks to go on vacation, but this time things were different because Maite, our 2-year-old daughter, was joining us on the adventure . We wanted to see some beautiful beaches, but not travel too far, because with children, flying could become a bit complicated.

After a layover in São Paulo, we landed at Maceió airport. Right there, we picked up our rental car and began our road trip through Northeast Brazil . The car included a child seat, but it's always best to bring your own, if conditions allow . Since Chileans have roaming at local rates (note: only up to 1GB of data), Waze and Google Maps worked perfectly for us throughout the trip .

Northeast Brazil: It all starts in Alagoas

As a proper state capital, Maceió is a very large city. The best place to stay is in the Ponta Verde area to have easy access to the waterfront , full of restaurants, beach bars, and artisan shops.

From the city, we visited the natural pools of Pajuçara , which are reached by small sailboats or jangadas. These pools are formed by sandbanks that make the water waist-deep, but the tide comes in again around midday, so it's best to go early. From Maceió, we also took a day trip to Ipioca Beach , which is very beautiful, but has some waves.

After Maceió, we stayed a few days in Maragogi , definitely one of our favorite places on our entire trip through Northeast Brazil . On the way, we visited Marceneiro Beach , a true paradise with coconut palms, emerald waters, and a sea as calm as a cup of milk. A must-see for kids to enjoy the beach.

Maragogi is a small town with few streets, but plenty to do. The waterfront is full of all kinds of restaurants, souvenir shops, and beach bars perfect for spending the morning. From there, we took a tour to the natural pools—the best of the whole trip— and then visited the famous Moses's Path , a large sandbar where the water reaches your knees and is full of hammocks, swings, and even floating bars.

Just a few minutes north of Maragogi lies Antunes Beach . I have no words to describe how incredible this place is, so I'll just let you see it for yourselves. The sea is calm, the water temperature is perfect, its color is stunning, and the scenery is even better .

Pernambuco and Paraíba

The road trip through Northeast Brazil continued north, crossing the border into the state of Pernambuco , to reach the famous city of Porto de Galinhas . There, you're greeted by Rua das Sombrinhas , a pedestrian street lined with colorful umbrellas that create the perfect backdrop for the obligatory photo. The street stretches for many blocks, brimming with restaurants, shops, and bars. It's definitely a place to visit if you're looking for nightlife or if you're planning a trip with friends.

After Pernambuco, we traveled north towards João Pessoa , and along the way we made a stop that was well worth it. It was Olinda , a small city located next to Recife that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being a perfectly preserved colonial center .

With its strong Portuguese heritage, Olinda is considered Brazil's "Little Lisbon." Its historic center is small and easy to explore on foot, and it's best to dedicate a whole morning to strolling, buying beautiful handicrafts, and taking photos from its countless viewpoints that showcase the contrasting modern side of Recife.

At the end of the day we arrived in João Pessoa. The city reminded me somewhat of Maceió, but more elegant . There are natural pools opposite the Tambaú neighborhood, and to the north, along the waterfront, it's full of restaurants, so it's an ideal place to go for an afternoon stroll and choose where to eat.

Rio Grande do Norte

Our last few days in Northeast Brazil were spent in one of our favorite places of the entire trip, along with Maragogi: Pipa . This small town is located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte and is simply wonderful . At the entrance, we were greeted by a cobblestone street lined with shops, bars, and restaurants, with staircases leading up to passageways that come alive at night. A great place to park the car and forget about driving for a few days.

There, we absolutely fell in love with the famous Baía dos Golfinhos (Dolphin Bay ). This beach can only be reached by boat or by walking from Pipa; ideally, you should check the tide times online and visit when the tide is at its lowest, as access requires walking among the beach's rocks . Upon arrival, enormous cliffs of reddish stone open up, sheltering this stunning beach with its calm waters, where dolphins are commonly seen.

We didn't have enough time to enjoy Pipa, but the trip had to continue to our final destination: Natal . This huge city is very lively, and just a few kilometers away is the spectacular Maracajaú beach , which we were eager to visit. To get there, you can take catamaran tours from Natal, which combine the visit with the beautiful natural pools of Rio de Fogo.

We're leaving, but we'll be back in Northeast Brazil

At Natal airport, we returned the car and said goodbye to a vacation that began with high expectations, which Northeast Brazil definitely exceeded . It was 13 days traveling over a thousand kilometers by car, and our opinion was conclusive: our next vacation will be where our trip ended, in Pipa and Natal , two places where you can easily dedicate a whole week.

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