Tourism in Maceio, Brazil

Small wooden boats called jangadas take visitors from Maceio’s beaches to clear offshore reef pools about a mile away that are formed by low tides in the morning and evening. Because the pools are so popular for swimming and diving, other boats serve cocktails and snacks. Popular beaches include Pajucara, Ponta Verde and Jatiuca. Find food vendors and bars with live entertainment under palm trees along beach boardwalks closest to downtown.

See the history of northeastern Brazil’s folk art and culture at Theo Brandao Museum, which is housed inside a two-story 19th century building. Or see a performance in Portuguese, the national language, at Deodoro Theater. Find local crafts, baskets and pottery inside the covered stalls at Mercado de Artesanato, Maceio’s folk art market. Don't miss the local cuisine. Sururu de capote is a dish made with Brazilian mussels, or sururu, cooked in the shell with coconut milk and seasonings.

Costumed residents demonstrate popular folk dances by day and fireworks are on display at night during Festa Junina, or St. John’s Festival, celebrated for two weeks each June during South America’s winter. The Maceio Music Festival is scheduled each March. Like most cities in Brazil, Maceio celebrates Carnival, South America’s version of Mardi Gras, each year in late February or early March. You’ll see parades and dancing for at least four days before Ash Wednesday. December through March is summer in South America, so expect hot, humid weather. Temperatures can reach the triple digits during these months, although cooling ocean breezes along the northeastern coast provide some relief.

Familiar hotel brands like Ritz, Radisson and Holiday Inn can be found among the dozens of hotels and resort properties in Maceio. A fine art gallery featuring regional artists is located inside the Ritz Lagoa da Anta. Hostels at or near the beach are a no-frills bargain. You can also rent a local home through websites such as Property Brazil. The U.S. State Department advises against drinking the local water unless it has been boiled, filtered or chemically filtered. Before visiting any foreign country, visit the State Department’s website for travel advisories. .