Orla de Atalaia beach is the place to be in Aracaju

10/24/2013 - 08h57

Choppy seas, calm seas. Firm sand, soft sand. Food and drink, cold coconut water. Nightclubs and kids activities. Sport and culture. Tourists will find all of this and more at Orla de Atalaia, a beach of nearly six kilometers at the town of Aracaju, in the state of Sergipe.

The promenade provides a pleasant space where people exercise and stroll along the seafront peacefully, while the beach has a large area of vegetation and soft sand before one arrives at the firm sand along the seashore.

Kiosks along the seafront sell snacks and cold coconut water. Those who prefer something a little more sophisticated can choose from a number of restaurants. Service is good, and in low season, prices are affordable.

O Pitu com Pirão da Eliane (pitudaeliane.com.br) is one of the area's most charming establishments. It's a simple place, with colorful decoration, and offers a range of dishes. As well as the crayfish from which the restaurant takes its name, there is a delicious moqueca de rabalo (a kind of spicy fish stew).

A little more elegant and upmarket, the Cantina D'Itália (cantinaditalia.com.br), located right on the seafront, serves good traditional pasta dishes at reasonable prices during low season. Another option is Maria Flor (restaurantemariaflor.com.br) which serves pizza and pasta.

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Just beyond the Passarela de Caranguejo, where most of the bars are to be found, is the restaurant O Miguel (restauranteomiguel.com.br), a traditional restaurant of high repute. If you have trouble choosing from the enormous menu, the carne de sol de filé (salted meat roasted and served with rice, manioc flour and a kind of broth made from milk and manioc flour) is highly recommended.

For those with a sweet tooth, there is some bad news. In none of the restaurants visited did we find a truly mouthwatering dessert. There were plenty of good options, but nothing special enough to make you quit your diet.

Also on the seafront there is the Oceanarium, with room for 300 people. Managed by the Talmar Project, it is the first of its kind in the northeast region and only the fifth in Brazil.

There are also a number of small squares, each with its own little peculiarities. One of them pays tribute to notable people from Sergipe.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ARACAJU

WHEN TO GO
Until December, when high season starts, is the calmest time to be there. It also doesn't rain much.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
In October 26°C (78.8°F); in November, 27°C (80.6°F).

WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE
aracaju.se.gov.br (official town website)
turismosergipe.net
viagem-caniondoxingo.blogspot