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.

The main sights

• 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.

Good to know

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.