Pipa is a seaside village filled with beautiful beaches, excellent cuisine, tours, and lots of fun. In this post, discover what to do in Pipa, with surprising tips on tours, attractions, and the most unmissable places for you to visit in the surrounding area.
What to do in Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte?
Located in Rio Grande do Norte, Pipa is 82 kilometers (50.95 miles) from Natal and 145 kilometers (90.10 miles) from João Pessoa. This seaside destination offers plenty of fun for tourists, whether you’re looking for a beach with waves or a natural pool to relax in. However, Pipa is not limited to just beaches—it also offers stunning views and really fun tours.
At night, the lively village center comes alive on the bustling Baía dos Golfinhos Avenue, where you’ll find bars, restaurants, and super fun nightclubs to end your day.
HERE’S A TIP! To better enjoy Pipa’s beaches, especially its natural pools, it’s important to check the tide chart. Natural pools only form at low tide, and when the tide is high, some beaches disappear, such as Golfinhos Beach and Centro Beach. So, if you want to enjoy a good beach day, always keep an eye on the tide. If you plan to walk between beaches, it’s also crucial to watch the tide, since at high tide, some stretches of sand are covered by water.
Now check out our tips for the best things to do in Pipa.
Tours to enjoy and admire Pipa’s beaches
1. Ride the waves at Amor Beach
If you arrive at Amor Beach from above, you’ll definitely be amazed by the view (you can also reach it by walking along the sand from Centro Beach). Take the opportunity to snap some photos and admire the scenery. There are many excellent locations for photos.
Amor Beach is a favorite among surfers because it typically has waves. However, the beach also offers excellent infrastructure for those looking to enjoy the day, with beach shacks, clothing and massage tents, restaurants, and even places where you can book surfing lessons.
Most of Amor Beach is lined with beach umbrellas and chairs. However, if you’re not looking for this type of service, walk a bit toward Chapadão, where there are fewer beach shacks and more open sand.
Amor Beach has parking, and to get there, just follow Baía dos Golfinhos Avenue to Praia do Amor Street. From there, continue until you reach the parking lot. Access to the beach is via stairways.
2. Spend a day at Madeiro Beach
Looking for a place to relax and take a dip in the sea? Madeiro Beach is a very appealing option with its calmer waters (though there may be some waves at times) and stunning views. Madeiro Beach, which is 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) from Pipa’s center, has a good infrastructure, with numerous beach shacks, restaurants, street vendors, and tents for massage and clothing.
When you arrive at the beach, the persistence of some vendors trying to show you their beach shacks can be a bit annoying, but once you find a spot you like, just enjoy the day. The beach shacks provide a range of snacks and are reasonably priced.
Madeiro Beach can be accessed on foot, starting from Centro Beach and continuing to Golfinhos Beach. After a long walk, you’ll arrive at your destination. However, we didn’t find this route very appealing. Besides being quite a walk, there’s a section near the beach with many rocks, which can be a bit tricky to get through (though these rocks aren’t always present—it depends on the time of year).
You can also reach the beach via the main road. In this case, you can take a bus, van (R$ 3), taxi (R$ 30), or a ride-share service. Access to Madeiro Beach is via stairways.
3. Admire the stunning beach landscapes from Chapadão
Located 1.7 kilometers (1.06 miles) from the center of Pipa, Chapadão is the perfect spot to admire the landscape and relax a bit amid all the natural beauty. Chapadão is a cliff-top lookout and one of Pipa’s postcards.
From the top of Chapadão, you’ll enjoy views of Amor Beach, the sky, and the sea. It’s a breathtaking setting that becomes even more beautiful at sunrise and sunset. Tours like ATV and jeep rides pass through the area, but most of the time, they don’t stop during the best hours to truly appreciate the scenery.
To reach the attraction on your own, just follow Baía dos Golfinhos Avenue—Chapadão is located past Amor Beach. In fact, when you’re at Amor Beach, you can see the cliff with Chapadão on top.
4. Hike the trails at the Pipa Ecological Sanctuary
If you enjoy a good hike, be sure to include the Ecological Sanctuary on your list of things to do in Pipa. It’s located between Pipa’s center and Madeiro Beach, on the upper part of the Baía dos Golfinhos cliffs.
As you walk its trails, you’ll reach lookouts with views of Baía dos Golfinhos and Madeiro Beach—perfect spots for sightseeing. The sanctuary has 16 trails with different purposes, and on some of them, you might be lucky enough to spot dolphins or turtles.
You can reach the Ecological Sanctuary via Pipa’s main road, the same one that leads to Madeiro Beach. Transportation options include bus, van, taxi, or ride-share services. The sanctuary is open from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and the entrance fee is R$ 20.
Boat tours and gastronomic experiences in Pipa
5. Enjoy regional dishes at the best restaurants in Pipa
Of course, no visit to Pipa would be complete without trying the region’s typical dishes. As you walk along Baía dos Golfinhos Avenue, you’ll find many restaurants and bars offering different cuisines, but our focus is on regional dishes.
If you can’t decide where to eat while walking down Baía dos Golfinhos Avenue, explore the side streets like Rua do Céu and Rua dos Bem-te-vis, where you’ll find plenty of restaurants and bars. Most of them display their menus, so you can choose the restaurant based on the dishes that appeal to you the most.
In Pipa, you can enjoy delicious seafood, sun-dried meat, tapioca (a dish made from cassava starch that turns into a sort of crêpe when heated in a pan; it can be served with either sweet or savory fillings), and, of course, a delicious cuscuz (a dish made with corn flour that needs to be steamed; it’s served with various sides like egg, cheese, and salad).
Some of the restaurants we recommend are Aprecíe, Tapas, O tal do Escondidinho, and Aurora Tapiocaria. To check out our full list, see the post ‘Where to Eat in Pipa,’ where we’ve selected the best places to visit during your trip.
6. Explore a bit of the coastline on a boat tour and spot dolphins
For those who want to see Pipa from a different perspective, you can also take a boat tour. Most boat tours in Pipa don’t go very far—they’re limited to Baía dos Golfinhos and Madeiro Beach—but you’ll still get to enjoy beautiful scenery. And if you’re lucky, you might spot dolphins and turtles.
If you tend to get seasick, this tour might not be the best option. The boats stay close to the shore, where there are more waves, so they rock quite a bit, which can cause discomfort.
As you walk along Centro Beach toward Golfinhos Beach, you’ll find several people offering this tour, especially at low tide. The boats stay nearby and depart as soon as they gather a sufficient number of tourists. The tour costs from R$ 40 (this price may vary depending on whether it’s high or low season).
7. Take a tour of Guaraíras Lagoon
On the jeep tour, you’ll see the sunset at Guaraíras Lagoon, but we also highly recommend including the lagoon tour on your list of things to do in Pipa, as it allows you to explore this attraction in more depth.
The tour of Guaraíras Lagoon is done aboard a schooner and includes lunch. During the journey, the boat travels across the entire lagoon and ends the experience with an unforgettable sunset. The tour also includes transfer from your hotel to the departure point.
What to do in Pipa at night
8. Watch the sunset
One activity you absolutely can’t leave off your list of things to do in Pipa is watching the sunset—it’s simply spectacular. And the good news is that you can enjoy it from several spots, including Centro Beach itself.
We’ve selected some great places to enjoy the sunset, and most of them are also fantastic spots to visit in Pipa:
- Mirante Sunset Bar: this is the favorite spot to watch the sunset in Pipa. The lookout offers various seating areas surrounded by nature and a menu with drinks, snacks, wines, and beers. Most days, there’s live music. Entry is paid.
- Orishas Resto Bar: located on Centro Beach, this bar is a great place to catch a beautiful sunset. If the tide is low, you can sit at a table on the sand; otherwise, you’ll have to stay in the upper, open area. In the evening, many people gather here to enjoy a cold beer.
- Pipa Beach Club: a pleasant space with a sea view on Centro Beach. The venue has an extensive menu and live music, making it a perfect place to enjoy the sunset in Pipa.
- Chapadão: as we’ve already mentioned, this Pipa attraction is one of the best places to watch both sunrise and sunset.
- Pipa’s beaches: the destination’s beaches are also great spots to enjoy this moment—you can choose from Amor Beach, Centro Beach, Madeiro Beach, or the Cacimbinhas Dunes.
- Guaraíras Lagoon: you can watch the sunset over the lagoon on jeep or boat tours, but if you prefer, you can go on your own to witness this stunning show.
9. Enjoy Pipa’s nightlife
At nightfall, Baía dos Golfinhos Avenue turns into pure joy and entertainment. There, you’ll find plenty of bars and nightclubs. And for those who prefer something more laid-back, many restaurants feature live music.
Some spots to enjoy Pipa’s nightlife include Mirante Sunset Bar (closes at 8 PM), Bargunça de Vicente (a cool bar with great drinks), Ágora Lounge Bar (a bar/club with live music), Makai (hosts parties that go until 7 AM), Bakana Bar (a relaxed bar with live music or DJs), and Dudo (an alternative-style bar).
10. Take a nighttime stroll through Pipa’s village center
The village center is one of the best places to visit in Pipa. And while you’ll probably pass through it several times, we highly recommend visiting at night, when all the establishments are open and the lively atmosphere takes over.
Some of the places to check out in Pipa’s village center at night include Pescador Square, Beija Flor Street, and Grécia Street (Vila Mangueira). At night, when the village center looks its most charming, it’s also when it gets the most crowded—especially with people looking to take photos.
On weekends or holidays, it’s common to find a small market and even live music at Pescador Square.
HERE’S A TIP! Pipa’s village center is most charming at night, when everything is open and lively, but we also recommend taking a stroll through the area during the day. Some spots located on side or parallel streets to Baía dos Golfinhos Avenue can be visited during the day, such as Beco Beija Flor and even Grécia Street.
Top tours around Pipa
11. Visit Cacimbinhas Beach and go paragliding
If you’re driving along the RN-003, the road that connects Tibau do Sul to Pipa, don’t miss the chance to stop at the Cacimbinhas Beach lookout to enjoy the stunning scenery. It’s located between Madeiro Beach and Tibau do Sul and offers an impressive landscape of cliffs, dunes, and sea.
For those already in Pipa who want to enjoy the view from above, paragliding is available at Cacimbinhas Beach. The area is also ideal for kitesurfing and even sandboarding down the dunes. If you’re just looking to take in the scenery, the jeep tour includes a stop at this beach. There’s no shortage of fun, making it one of the best places to visit in Pipa.
12. Take the ATV tour in Pipa
The ATV tour is one of the best activities in Pipa, as it allows you to explore the surrounding areas. On this tour, the agency offers different routes and includes hotel pickup. When booking your tour, you can choose the 2-hour ride to Sibaúma or the 3-hour ride to Barra do Cunhaú. Both tours pass through several attractions in Pipa, including Chapadão.
13. Enjoy Pipa’s diverse landscapes on a buggy tour
In addition to the jeep and ATV tours, don’t miss out on the buggy tour. When booking this experience, you can choose from different routes, including Arituba Lagoon, Barra do Cunhaú, and Baía Formosa.
The route to Barra do Cunhaú is almost the same as the one taken by the jeep or ATV tours. It’s a relatively short ride and one of the most affordable options.
On the other hand, the route to Baía Formosa is one of the longest and goes all the way to Sagui Beach, near the border with Paraíba. On this tour, you’ll visit Sibaúma, Barra do Cunhaú, Baía Formosa, and Coca-Cola Lagoon.
Lastly, the Arituba Lagoon route heads in the opposite direction from Pipa. The buggy goes through the Cacimbinhas dunes and continues to Tibau do Sul. After crossing by ferry, you’ll ride through the Malembá dunes until reaching Arituba Lagoon, the final stop of the tour.
You’ll find several agencies along Baía dos Golfinhos Avenue offering this tour. When booking, pay close attention to the route so you can make the most of your trip.
14. Explore the surroundings of Pipa on a jeep tour
Among the best things to do in Pipa, the jeep tour stands out, taking you to some of the destination’s must-see spots. Just like the ATV tour, the jeep ride starts at Chapadão, but it’s more complete, taking you to other attractions around Pipa.
In addition to visiting Sibaúma and Barra do Cunhaú, the tour includes a lunch stop at Amor Beach, then continues to Cacimbinhas Beach and Guaraíras Lagoon in Tibau do Sul to enjoy the sunset.
15. Visit Tibau do Sul
If you have some extra time in your itinerary, make a visit to Tibau do Sul, located just 8 kilometers (4.97 miles) from Pipa’s village center. In the area, you’ll find several attractions to add to your list of things to do in Pipa.
In addition to visiting Guaraíras Lagoon and Cacimbinhas Beach, which were mentioned earlier, explore other spots in Tibau do Sul, such as Giz Beach and Tibau Beach, and be sure to try some of the local restaurants.
Now that you’ve checked out all our tips on what to do in Pipa, find out where to stay in Pipa and plan an unforgettable trip.
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO RIO GRANDE DO nORTE
Book your hotel in Rio Grande do Norte in advance
For all of our travels, we use reliable reservation websites like Booking.com or Hotels.com to guarantee the greatest stay in Rio Grande do Norte. You will find the ideal choice for your stay with a large selection of hotels and the best rates available, guaranteeing an amazing and affordable trip. Our favorite hotels in Rio Grande do Norte are:
- Sombra e Água Fresca Resort (Pipa)
- Bangalô Kauli Seadi Eco-Resort (São Miguel do Gostoso)
- Aquaria Natal Hotel (Natal)
For greater convenience, rent a car in Rio Grande do Norte
With its beautiful scenery and quaint cities, Rio Grande do Norte is a great place to travel by car. Renting a car is the best option if you want to travel to multiple cities and want to be as comfortable and independent as possible. The companies we recommend for car rentals are Discover Cars and Rental Cars.
Book your tours and experiences
Planning your tours in advance can save you a lot of time during your trip. Imagine being able to use your credit card to make payments and schedule all of your activities from the comfort of your home. The companies we use and recommend for booking tours and buying tickets are Viator, Civitatis, and Get Your Guide.