I stood at the highest point on the island of Itamaracá and looked out over thousands of acres of lush, tropical forest. Off in the distance, the town of Pilar is nestled on the eastern shore, amid nine miles of sandy beaches bordering warm, blue ocean waters. I’m at a house in a beautiful planned community—a house that enjoys this same view—with an asking price of only $32,500. Large houses on the beach below start at less than $72,000.
Beware the exchange rate
The prices in this article are based on an exchange rate of 2.31 Brazilian reais per U.S. dollar. This rate can change significantly, which—in dollar terms—will increase or decrease the value of your property in Brazil.
From beachfront lots for less than $20,000 to 94 rolling acres of farmland for just $129,000… from large, clean, cheerful cities to small fishing villages, Brazil’s eastern point has a lifestyle and property for everyone’s taste and budget.
The “eastern point” of Brazil is the area between Recife on the south, and Natal on the north. It’s the easternmost area of the country—about 200 miles of coastline—that juts into the south Atlantic to a point that’s less than 1,800 miles from Africa, and more than twice that distance from Miami.
Early to bed, early to rise
It gets light in João Pessoa at about 4:30 a.m., and the sun is up before 5 a.m. I found that this city “closes up” earlier than many Brazilian cities, and that people also rise earlier. The boardwalk is active by 5:30 a.m.
The weather here is warm and balmy year round, and most areas enjoy a pleasant, onshore breeze that keeps the heat in check. Many expats do not need air-conditioning. There is a rainy season and a dry season in this part of Brazil. The amount of rain you get—and when you get it—differ depending on where you are. It varies between 51 and 83 inches of rainfall per year. The sunniest and driest months are generally September through February, while March through August deliver most of the rainfall.
The people in this region are primarily of European descent, and most expats are also from Europe.
As you drive onto the bridge that connects the island of Itamaracá to the mainland, it seems like you’re heading into a different world…shockingly different. Behind you is the town of Itapissuma, with its busy streets, traffic, crowds, and loud music…while ahead of you is what looks like a tropical paradise, with lush green hills, thick mangrove forests, and almost no visible development. Here on the island you’ll find a pleasant, growing community and some of Brazil’s most enticing beachfront property buys.
The island of Itamaracá (ee tah mar ah KAH) measures 4 miles wide from east to west, and 9 miles long. It lies about an hour north of Recife. There’s a mountain ridge that runs down the center of the island lengthwise, from which you can see both the mainland to the west and the island’s villages and beaches to the east.
Atop this ridge, at the south end of a well-maintained cobblestone road, you’ll find Vila Vela (Old Village), built around its original church from the 1530s—the second-oldest church in Brazil. From this quiet village you can look out over the lush tropical forests to the sparkling ocean and jewel-like tropical islands. The forest preserve that occupies most of the island’s area dominates the western half, while most of the 17,000 residents live on the eastern side, in the town of Pilar or one of the smaller villages.
Also on the east side are the island’s best beaches, along with the small (free) community hospital, gym, shops, and a supermarket. Most of the island’s restaurants are in this area, and tend to be casual, open-air settings specializing in mouth-watering, inexpensive seafood dishes. Public buses are available, and many people use the island’s 40-cent shuttle to get around.
Itamaracá has a fair number of English-speakers. Most are Europeans, with about 45 British families owning property here. Gated communities are few, and most expats are integrated into the local community.
Years ago Itamaracá had an “open” prison, where inmates even operated kiosks along the road. But though it no longer exists, there are still persistent reports about it on the Internet and in guidebooks. (There are prisons in the forests of the island’s west side, but the prisoners are inside them nowadays.) This lingering image has helped to keep island property prices low.
The premier planned community on Itamaracá sits on top of the hill that overlooks much of the island and the ocean beyond. It is well groomed and maintained, with four swimming pools situated tastefully around its nicely landscaped wooded grounds. We saw a pretty, two-story house—with a sea view—here in great condition for just $32,500. A large, 2,000-square-foot, four-bedroom house was selling nearby for $58,400.
We viewed a four-bedroom beachfront home on a double lot going for an asking price of $71,400, and a building lot right on the beach for $26,000.
Among the high-end properties was a large, five-bedroom, five-bathroom home on a quiet lane, with a garage, swimming pool, sauna, tennis courts, and an ocean view, situated on four lots. The asking price was $152,000. This one came fully furnished.
For information on these and other properties on Itamaracá—or questions about life on the island in general—you can contact our tireless real estate contacts Peter and Debbie Zorab; e-mail: DebbieZorab@yahoo.com; website: www.property-brazil.co.uk.
We finished our visit to Itamaracá at an open-air seafood restaurant on a warm, sunny afternoon. We lingered with friends over large plates of succulent shrimp, steaks, Spanish rice, and salad. With five liters of beer and six soft drinks, the bill came to $62…for five of us.
Life in Itamaracá is simple and friendly. If you’re looking for shopping malls, large appliance dealers, or endless choices for fine dining, you won’t find them on the island; you’ll need to travel to nearby Recife. But for a small community with a homey feel and some English-speaking neighbors, Itamaracá will prove to be a good option.
A little-known treasure: João Pessoa
“There is just something special about this place. It invites you, it welcomes you, it soothes you and it wants you to stay.” Richard Conti, Brazil’s Best-Kept Secret
You’ll feel it when you arrive in João Pessoa—that unexplainable feeling of well-being and relaxation that settles over you in a genuinely laid-back environment. Just drive in from the highway on its wide, tree-lined boulevard and park your car at the beach, and you’ll begin to enjoy what really is “Brazil’s best-kept secret.” Located between Recife and Natal, João Pessoa is the easternmost city in the Western Hemisphere, and is often called “the city where the sun rises first.”
Frankly, I don’t know why it remains unknown, but it does…Frommer’s guidebook doesn’t even mention it. But this city of more than 600,000 has a lot to offer. João Pessoa is one of Brazil’s oldest cities and the world’s second greenest, thanks to almost 1,300 acres of Atlantic Rainforest within the city limits, as well as numerous parks and tree-lined streets. It’s also the safest capital city in Brazil, in reference to crime.
The oceanfront boardwalk along the palm-lined beach is alive and energetic, with the ever-present coconut stands and juice bars, as well as an artisan market and a number of waterfront restaurants. There are always people jogging, biking, or just walking along chatting. The beachfront road even closes each day between 5:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. to make room for everyone. And unlike many Brazilian boardwalks, you won’t normally be hounded by annoying vendors…we weren’t approached by a single vendor during our stay.
Across the street from the beach, you’ll find a number of great restaurants, varying from casual open-air dining to more formal fine dining. And the diverse selection continues as you go inland, where you’ll find everything from steakhouses to a French café and boulangerie. At the waterfront restaurant of Canoa dos Camarãoes, we had the house special coconut shrimp dinner for two, two appetizers, a bottle of good Brazilian Chardonnay, and two mineral waters for $38, including the tip.
Despite the quality of the surroundings, the property prices in João Pessoa are reasonable, even in the exclusive beachfront areas of Cabo Branco and Tambaú.
I saw a furnished apartment a half-block from the beach—and adjacent to the rainforest—in a quiet neighborhood. It had three bedrooms (two suites) and a limited ocean view, for $71,500. It rents for $866 per month. In Cabo Branco, we came across a four-bedroom, four-bathroom apartment just 30 yards from the beach. It’s adjacent to a rainforest park, and has a nice veranda. The asking price is $129,900…fully decorated and furnished. A fifth-floor apartment with an ocean view had four bedrooms and three bathrooms for $78,800.
João Pessoa has a “homier” ambiance than nearby Natal or Recife, and it’s also more “undiscovered” by the international community…even though prices are starting to climb sharply (30% in some sectors last year). About 80% of the buyers are still from southern Brazil. If you’re willing to forgo the sizzling nightlife for a gentler, laid-back lifestyle—in one of Brazil’s real gems—then you should pay João Pessoa a visit.
Heading south of João Pessoa
The rolling hills along the highway are lush, green, and studded with palms. Not far from town, you’ll see Ponta do Seixas, the most eastern point in the Western Hemisphere…Senegal, Africa is actually closer than southern Brazil. As you follow the coast, you’ll pass a treasure-trove of beautiful beach towns, any one of which would be worth the trip. Towns such as Jacumã, Carapibús, Tabatinga, Praia Bela, and Tambaba (northern Brazil’s only official nudist beach).
But the village I fell in love with was Pitimbú, for two reasons. One is that Pitimbú began as a fishing village, not a weekend retreat for folks from the big city. That gives it the feel of a real town—a community—that some of the nearby locations don’t have. The smell of fresh-baked bread greeted us as we drove down its clean and orderly cobblestone streets for the first time. Complete with a town library and hospital, there’s even a downtown fish market selling lobster for just $2 per pound…and it’s even less when you buy directly from the fishermen on the beach as they haul them in. In Pitimbú, everything costs less than it does in João Pessoa, from drinks in the bar to staples in the grocery store.
The second thing that grabbed my attention was the cost of properties.
The best-value house was a real “outlier”; that is, it has a price that was well below similar homes in the Pitimbú area. The home offers 3,142 square feet of living space, six bedrooms, and four bathrooms. The spacious wrap-around porch alone is more than 1,300 square feet. The house is right on the beach and just a five-minute walk from the village center. The asking price is $108,200. The land deal I like the best was a group of five palm-fringed beachfront lots for sale, for an asking price of $22,000 each.
Pitimbú won’t be for everyone. The population is less than 20,000, so you won’t find the big-city attractions. But for a small-town home away from home, Pitimbú may be perfect.
Brazil’s eastern point has a lot to offer the second-home buyer, retiree, or investor, from small coastal villages to clean, modern cities. Property prices are on the rise, and the cost of living is still low enough that your dollars stretch a long way. Next time you grow tired of the cold North American winter, come to where the sun rises first, and see all it has to offer.
For more information, go to: www.internationalliving.com/brazilnow.
NEED TO KNOW
Getting there:
Getting to Brazil’s eastern point is becoming easier all the time, as American Airlines (www.aa.com) and Delta (www.delta.com) both now have service to Recife. Delta’s roundtrip flight from Atlanta costs just over $1,000 at this time, while American’s from Miami is $675. Various airlines offer a connecting service.
Tourist visas:
U.S. and Canadian citizens need a visa to enter Brazil, and you must enter Brazil within 90 days of obtaining the visa. You can make multiple entries totaling 90 days in any 12-month period, and they permit an extension to 180 days. Visas are typically good for five years. If you don’t live near a consulate, ask your travel agent for help, or use one of the many agencies specializing in obtaining Brazilian visas.
Where to stay
In Itamaracá: Orange Praia Hotel, tel. +55(81)3544-1170. The hotel is comfortable, and has a good restaurant.
In João Pessoa: Try the newly restored Tropical Tambaú. Tel. +55(83)2107-1000. Staying in this oasis will be a special treat.
Don’t forget your phrase book
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, although you’ll find a fair amount of English spoken in hotels, restaurants, and tourism-related businesses. Nonetheless, it will be hard to get by without a good Portuguese phrase book. I also carry an electronic English-Portuguese dictionary, of the type sold by Franklin Electronics (www.franklin.com). When buying language products, remember that Brazilian Portuguese is different from European Portuguese, so be sure to get the Brazilian version where available. Try: www.amazon.com.