Aracaju
Brazil · Americas
About Aracaju
Aracaju is the capital of the state of Sergipe, in northeastern Brazil, about 350 km (217 mi) north of Salvador. According to the 2020 estimate, the city has 664,908 inhabitants, which represents approximately 33% of the state population. Adding to the populations of the municipalities forming the Metropolitan area: Barra dos Coqueiros, Nossa Senhora do Socorro and São Cristóvão. Its Metropolitan Cathedral Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao, dedicated to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, is the archiepiscopal see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Aracaju.
The land of present-day Aracaju was located in a sesmaria given to Pero Gonçalves by the Portuguese crown around 1602. The land consisted of 160 kilometres (99 mi) of coastline with small fishing villages. A village called Santo Antônio de Aracaju was recorded in 1699. It was located at the mouth of the Sergipe River at the Atlantic Ocean, and was founded by João Mulato, an indigenous Brazilian. The settlement saw little growth in the 18th century, and was part of the parish of Nossa Senhora do Perpétuo Socorro do Tomar do Cotinguiba. The capital of São Cristóvão...
Aracaju travel guide
Getting there
Bus and airplane connects with the whole country by São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and other cities.
Getting around
Use the app Moovit for local buses. The bus connections in Google Maps are outdated (March 2021). The fare is R$4 (March 2021) and can be paid in the bus resp. at a rodoviaria. Changing a bus at one of the rodoviarias/terminals is for free. Use Uber for taxis.
See
Aracaju Aquarium (Oceanário de Aracaju), Atalaia. 5 fresh water tanks and 11 salt water tanks with fish from the coast of Sergipe. Shark feeding at 4:30PM. Aracaju Zoological Park. Atalaia Shoreline (Orla de Atalaia) (9 kilometers from the city center). Aracaju's most famous beach area, 6 kilometers long, has the best concentration of hotels and restaurants. Igreja de Santo Antônio. Olímpio Campos Palace (Palácio Olímpio Campos).
Museums Anthropology Museum (Museu de Antropologia). Handcrafts Museum, Museu do Artesanato. Museum of the Sergipana People (Museu da Gente Sergipana). Museum of the Sergipano Man (Museu do Homem Sergipano). Museum of the Sergipe Historical and Geographical Institute (Museu do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico de Sergipe). Rosa Faria Art and History Museum (Museu de Arte e História Rosa Faria). Sergipe Memorial Museum, Museu Memorial de Sergipe. War Art Museum of the Sergipe Military Police (Museu de Arte Bélica da Polícia Militar de Sergipe).
Do
The Atalaia beach was never highly rated for its natural beauty, but for an urban Brazilian beach it does the trick. Plastic chairs in the sand for having beer and coconut are near Avenida Rotary. A major refurbishing of the beachfront avenue, including its pavement, has made it a delightful walk at nighttime. Apart from bars and restaurants by the dozens, there are a couple of clusters of bronze statues, a go-kart track, a large playground and an aquarium. http://www.tamar.org.br/centros_visitantes.php?cod=10
Buy
There are no Bradesco banks where Google Maps shows them in Atalaia. The nearest one is in Av.Min.Geraldo B.Sobral,1700 near Shopping Jardins. You can buy contact lenses for a good price in the Oftclin shop in the Jardins shopping center. One package with six standard monthly Air Optix Aqua contact lenses for R$ 150 (March 2021). Avoid the numerous opticians in the city center. They charge almost double the price.
Eat
Crabs are the typical dish, often eaten with a good and cold beer. You also have good fishes, fried or cooked as moqueca.
Budget
Atalaia 1 Bar do Caldinho Santa Rita, Av. Santos Dumont, 340. (updated Aug 2022) 2 Britto's Restaurante, R. Napoleão Dórea, 388 - Casa 03. (updated Aug 2022) 3 Restaurante Beach, Av. Santos Dumont, 372. (updated Feb 2022)
Centro The first three restaurants are right next to each other:
4 O Papai, R. Santo Amaro, 307. (updated Aug 2022) 5 Ki Delícia Restaurante, R. Santo Amaro, 321. (updated Aug 2022) 6 Tony's Restaurante, R. Santo Amaro, 333. (updated Aug 2022) 7 Sesc - Comércio, Av. Otoniel Dória, 464. (updated Aug 2022) 8 Ruan, R. Laranjeiras, 349. (updated Aug 2022) 9 Restaurante Real Sabor, R. Laranjeiras, 401. (updated Aug 2022)
Mid-range 10 Casa Aho, R. Francisco Rabêlo Leite Neto, 320, Atalaia. (updated Aug 2022) 11 Terra Tupi, Av. Santos Dumont, 610, Atalaia. (updated Aug 2022) 12 Porto Madero, Av. Santos Dumont, 650 - Atalaia. (updated Aug 2022) 13 República dos Camarões, Av. Santos Dumont, 1750 - Coroa do Meio. (updated Aug 2022)
Splurge 14 Carro de Bois, R. Niceu Dantas, 1040 - Atalaia. (updated Aug 2022) 15 Sal e Brasa Steakhouse, Av. Santos Dumont, s/n - Coroa do Meio. (updated Aug 2022)
Sleep
Most tourists will choose the beach at Atalaia, some 5 km from the center. The most convenient spot for transport is the intersection between Avenida Rotary (leading to the airport and downtown, with an urban bus terminal 500 metres from the beach) and the beachfront Avenida Santos Dumont. Plenty of options within a couple of blocks here. For more upscale sleeping, head north along the beach.
Go next
To the south, at the border with the state of Bahia, is Mangue Seco, an easy day trip. Inland is the artificial lake of the river Xingo. Maceió Salvador
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.