Travel Information


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Get to know a bit about Joao Pessoa, called Frederikstadt when the Dutch ruled the region (1634-1654), the third oldest capital in Brazil, the last one to be founded in the XVI century.
Additional information (check the photos!!) is available here (text in portuguese)

Joao Pessoa is a touristic city and Wednesday, September 7th, is a national holliday in Brazil (Independence Day). So, please make up your mind safely soon and book your flights as early as possible. If you are not an Invited Speaker, book your hotel too.

From abroad, the most direct way to reach Joao Pessoa is to enter Brazil by the city of Recife, a megalopolis in the neighbour state of Pernambuco, (International Airport of Recife, Brazil) and proceed to Joao Pessoa with a connecting domestic flight. To flight straigth to Joao Pessoa is your best option. However, when entering Brazil via Recife it may happen that you will need to wait some 5 tp 6 hours to proceed to Joao Pessoa. If you do not want to wait that long, instead of flying the segment Recife to Joao Pessoa, you may well consider taking a taxi from Recife as the second best option to arrive in Joao Pessoa (see below). To fly directly to Joao Pessoa is always the best option. We only mention the "taxi option" for those that, bacause of inconvenient connections, might prefer to drop flying the last leg, replacing it by a taxi ride.

Infos about Taxi for those arriving by airplane in Joao Pessoa:
In Joao Pessoa the airport is not big and is located quite far from Hotel Tambau, at the beach. Taxis have no taxi-meters. Book your taxi at the Kiosk located at the beginning of the taxi line, just outside the air-conditioned area of the airport. Ask for a ride to "Hotel Tambau". Ask a Brazilian friend how to pronounce "Tambau": the accent should be placed in the "u", which is pronounced as the french "ou" [="ou" in "you"]. Flat rate: 58 Reais (= 26 Euros = 35 US dollars). Major credit cards accepted at the Kiosks. Taxis have no taxi-meters: agree about the price before you board a taxi!

Infos about Taxi (only for those entering Brazil via Recife):
Recife is located 120 Km (75 Mi) south of Joao Pessoa. For your information: A taxi ride from Recife airport to your hotel in Joao Pessoa costs about 170 to 200 Reais (some 75 to 88 Euros, 101 to 119 US dollars). Always book your taxi with help of the information desk located inside Recife's airport. Long rides must have their price agreed before you board a taxi!



From Europe, Recife is 7:10 hours away:
the portuguese national carrier TAP flies Lisbon-Recife nonstop
IBERIA flies Madrid-Recife nonstop 3 times a week.
The brazilian carrier TAM has good connections from London ( = Londres).



From the USA, Recife is 6:30 hours away:
American Airlines flies Miami-Recife nonstop



Other possible entrance points in Brazil from abroad include
Brasilia (located 2340 km = 1454 Mi from Joao Pessoa),
Sao Paulo (located 2790 km = 1733 Mi from Joao Pessoa),
Rio de Janeiro (located 2540 km = 1578 Mi from Joao Pessoa),
Porto Alegre (located 3916 km = 2433 Mi from Joao Pessoa).

Remember: if coming from, say, Europe or the USA, and entering Brazil from any of the above cities, you will have to first fly south to reach them, and then go backwards to the north, by a comparable distance. Since non-stop flights between either Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro and Joao Pessoa last well over 3:00 hours, choosing an entry point in the south may substantially incresase your total flight time.
Conclusion:
Book your flight straigth to Joao Pessoa. If entering Brazil via Recife, and if your connection time to Joao Pessoa is over 5 or 6 hours, then you may consider the option of taking a taxi.
Check the geography and save time and money... :-))
This may be useful: Brazil map & flight chart (click on the maps to enlarge them)



Joao Pessoa (Pontal do Seixas) is the Brazilian city closest to Europe and Africa.
In fact, Pontal do Seixas forms the easternmost point of the American continent, five miles southeast of João Pessoa, the state capital of Paraiba.



Find Joao Pessoa on the top-right corner of the map here:
(The map is incorrect: Joao Pessoa is located much closer to Recife, than Natal)



Details of the state of Paraiba, whose capital is Joao Pessoa:
Interactive map of Brazil (click and drag)

Check here the 5-days weather forecast

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