Ponta do Seixas

At about thirty-four degrees, forty-seven minutes west, Ponta do Seixas is the easternmost point of mainland South America and therefore of the continental Americas - which also makes it, along with the neighbouring coast, among the first places on the mainland to see the sunrise each day. A marker sits on the headland and the Farol do Cabo Branco lighthouse stands on the cliff above, with a viewing platform looking north along the whole city coastline and south toward the Paraiba coast. The cliff itself is banded sandstone in reds and yellows and is actively eroding, which has moved paths and closed sections over the years. The beach below is small and rocky rather than a swimming beach.

What you actually see

• The easternmost point of the Americas - the marker on the headland.
• The Cabo Branco lighthouse - on the cliff above, with its platform.
• An eroding banded cliff - red and yellow sandstone, actively retreating.
• A first-sunrise coast - among the earliest mainland points to get the sun.

When to go

September to March. An hour, at sunrise if you can manage it.

Honest expectations

There is little here beyond the marker and the view, and the visit is brief. Sunrise brings a crowd and the road down is narrow. The beach is not for swimming. Erosion has closed paths at various times.

Nearby

Joao Pessoa's historic centre is inland; Jacare beach is north on the river.