João Pessoa is the capital of Paraíba, a state in the north-east region of Brazil. It is sometimes called "The City where the Sun comes First". It is also considered to be the second greenest city in the world. The city has more than 7 square kilometres of forested land, losing only to Paris. João Pessoa is full of preserved natural forests, squares and gardens. More attractions of the city are the Ponta do Seixas, the easternmost point of South America, which can be seen from the majestic Farol do Cabo Branco (Cabo Branco Lighthouse) and the natural pools of Picãozinho on the island of Areia Vermelha. João Pessoa has approximately 40 km of beaches (both residential and wild) and it has a large number of small natural islands.

Tourist Offices
The PBTUR tourist office is at the Centro Tourístico, Av. Almirante Tamandaré, 100, Tambaú. There are also information booths at the bus station and the airport and the hotline number is 1516.

Around and closeby
The world famous Tambaba naturist beach is 40 km to the south on Highway PB-008. It is a public beach and without any admission fee. Single men are not permitted on the main part of the beach -- they must be accompanied by a female, and all clothing (except sunglasses and sandals) is prohibited. In the summer you can catch a boat out to Ilha de Areia Vermelha and party there until the tide comes in.

Sightseeing
Vem Viver a Paraíba (Come and Experience Paraiba) is a tourism fair and folklore performance event held in January and February. Prévia Carnavalesca is a street carnival a few days prior to the official carnival days in February. Vaquejada do Cowboy is another festival that has rodeo like events with cowboys and is held in November.

Getting there
João Pessoa has an airport located nearby in the small city of Bayeux. The airport is some 25km out of town and is only served by taxis. João Pessoa's long-distance bus station is in the middle of the old city, with buses going to and from other capitals like São Paulo, Salvador, Natal and Fortaleza.

Getting around
The layout of the central city is very simple; at the centre is the circular Lagoa (lagoon), which is more like a large pond with a shady park around it. Just to the west is Praça João Pessoa. The beaches are several kilometres to the east. In the city, public transportation is mostly based on a private bus system, taxis and railways. When using the bus system, a single passenger ticket can be used to travel around town and to make connections. There's a major terminal where passengers can change buses.