João Pessoa – Points of Interest

As I have written about before, I have a special place in my heart for João Pessoa. It may not have the fame of Rio De Janeiro, or the size of São Paulo, but it is the first city I explored in Brazil, and it is where Minha Noiva (My Fiancée) calls home.

João Pessoa is not without its own landmarks or attractions that make it unique, and a wonderful place to visit, and if you are looking for great photograph opportunities, here are three great locations:

1. The Easternmost Point in all of Mainland America, Ponto de Seixas.

Even to people who have no familiarity about Brazilian geography, I can always easily describe the location João Pessoa. South America comes roughly to a point (or a horn) on the Eastern side, and João Pessoa is located exactly at the end of that point. This is as close as you can get to Africa without leaving travelling to an island.

Atop a nearby cliff, called Capo Branco, there is a lighthouse, which most people confuse with the actual Easternmost point, Ponto Do Seixas (always go to the Wikipedia article in the local language, using Google Translate, rather than assuming the English article has the full story, especially if the English article is a stub). Capo Branco does give a much better view (and is better for the lighthouse’s functionality), but the location of a large landmark so close to the actual location, causes much confusion.

If you are looking to visit though, always ask for directions to Ponto De Seixas, not Capo Branco. Since there is a neighborhood named after the Cliff, which will just add to your confusion.

2. Saint Francisco Cultural Centre, Centro Cultural São Francisco

While most people would either know, or could guess, that Brazil was formerly part of the Kingdom of Portugal, far less would know that parts of Brazil were one time conquered by the Dutch. Saint Anthony’s Convent (a part of the Cultural Centre), while initially built by Friars in 1589, was used as a fortress by the Dutch during their occupation from 1630 to 1654.

The Friars then returned for three centuries, but shared their space in 1885 to 1892 with a School of Marines Apprentices, and the Military Hospital, before eventually becoming a Seminary (until 1964) and Diocesan College (until 1906). Eventually, the site became a Cultural Centre, but remains one of the most beautiful churches in the area, having been renovated over centuries, in baroque style, with extremely ornate details and adorned in gold.

It also houses some of the most important artwork a for the Brazilian Baroque style.

3. Global Hotel, Hotel Globo

This is a beautiful hotel built in 1928 that used to host presidents of the country. It was located here for the beautiful view over the Sanhauá River, over the same river as the Praia de Jacaré sunset, and in the heart of downtown, but recently it has become a heritage museum noted for its unique neoclassical influenced architecture. The sunset remains just as beautiful, but the area was abandoned in the mid-1930s, due to construction of a new port, which caused a mass exodus of the elite to the newly developed beachfront area. The area has become a time capsule of that period of time in Brazil, but being in an abandoned area, I wouldn’t visit it on foot, or stay well after dark. I highly recommend you go to see the sunset from the gardens, just don’t stay too long afterwards.