Pipa Beach

Pipa was a fishing village that surfers reached in the 1970s and is now the main beach destination in Rio Grande do Norte, built along a clifftop with the beaches below reached by stairs and paths. Baia dos Golfinhos, the next bay north, holds a resident group of spinner dolphins that come in through the morning and can be watched from the cliff or from the water; access on foot depends on the tide, which cuts the bay off at high water. The Santuario Ecologico protects a stretch of Atlantic forest on the cliffs with trails and viewpoints. The main street is dense with restaurants and bars and is loud until late, which is the trade-off for everything else the place offers.

What you actually see

• Baia dos Golfinhos - resident spinner dolphins in the bay north of town.
• A clifftop village - beaches reached by stairs from the lanes above.
• The ecological sanctuary - Atlantic forest trails along the cliffs.
• A loud main street - restaurants and bars running late every night.

When to go

September to March. Three days.

Honest expectations

The dolphin bay is only walkable at low tide and gets crowded when it is. Nightlife noise carries across the village. Cliff paths are steep and slippery. In peak season prices rise sharply and the beaches fill.

Nearby

Tibau do Sul and the Guarairas lagoon are north; Natal is up the coast.