Joao Pessoa

Founded in 1585, Joao Pessoa is among the oldest continuously occupied cities in Brazil, and its centrepiece is the Centro Cultural Sao Francisco - a complex of church, convent and chapel begun in the seventeenth century, with a tiled forecourt, a carved and gilded interior and a bell tower that is one of the most photographed pieces of colonial building in the north-east. Ponta do Seixas just south of the city is the easternmost point of continental South America and, by extension, of the Americas, marked by a lighthouse on the cliff at Cabo Branco. The city has a reputation among Brazilians for green space per resident and for a quieter pace than its neighbours, and the beach strip at Tambau and Manaira is where most visitors stay.

What you actually see

• The Sao Francisco complex - tiled forecourt and gilded seventeenth-century interior.
• Ponta do Seixas - the easternmost point of the Americas, below Cabo Branco.
• A 1585 foundation - among the oldest cities in the country.
• A quiet capital - lower key than Recife or Natal, with heavy tree cover.

When to go

September to March. Two days.

Honest expectations

The historic centre is compact and can be done in a morning; it is also run down in parts and quiet after dark. Beaches in the city are pleasant rather than remarkable. Sunrise at Ponta do Seixas draws a crowd and the road there is slow.

Nearby

Areia and the brejo hills are inland; Recife is south down the coast.