Coqueirinho Beach

The Conde coast south of Joao Pessoa is a run of small beaches separated by headlands of soft coloured sandstone, and Coqueirinho is the best known of them: a curve of sand between cliffs banded in white, yellow and red, with coconut palms behind, a freshwater stream crossing the beach, and rock pools at the northern end that fill and clear at low tide. Buggy trips run the whole coast from Joao Pessoa taking in Tabatinga, Coqueirinho and Tambaba further south, which is a naturist beach with its own marked section and rules. Development along here has stayed low, partly through planning restrictions on the cliffs, and the beaches remain quiet outside weekends and holidays.

What you actually see

• Banded sandstone cliffs - white, yellow and red behind the sand.
• Low-tide rock pools - clear water at the northern end of the beach.
• A stream across the beach - fresh water running onto the sand.
• A low-built coast - planning limits keeping the cliffs clear.

When to go

September to March. A day, timed for low tide.

Honest expectations

The pools need low tide and are unremarkable at high water. There is no public transport - a car or a buggy trip is needed. Kiosks are the only facilities. Weekends and holidays bring crowds from Joao Pessoa.

Nearby

Tambaba is south; Jacumã and Tabatinga are along the same coast.