If you are thinking about going to Maceió but don´t have time to do a deep internet research, don´t worry! This short guide from our Portuguese teacher Kátia will help you to get an idea about the city.
- The most beautiful beaches of Brazil are located around Maceió
Maceió is at the top list when it comes to Brazil’s most beautiful beaches: blue-green warm and translucent water, coconut trees and white sand are qualities you will find in all of them. There are many beautiful and clean beaches for all kinds of preferences: some are calm and desert, others are perfect for surfing, and there are also those filled with people and fun activities, like paragliding, jet skis, fly board, among others. Stay away from the beaches close to downtown, though; They are not very clean. - Transport – You need to know how to get to places, right?
If you don’t have a car, you’ll have to go around by bus or taxi. The best option for your pocket is the bus, of course. Although, you need to know that there is no timetable for the buses, so you need to go to the bus stop 30 minutes ahead (depending on where you’re going to, it can be more or less than that). On the other hand, there are now a few apps to help you predict the arrival of the bus you want. - Security – How dangerous is Maceió?
Unfortunately, Maceió is not famous for being the most secure city of Brazil. It is not advisable to take a bus carrying expensive phones, iphones, ipads, laptops, and/or a lot of money. However, if you take the basic care that’s advisable when you’re new in a city (like not walking alone in a dark street, or not leaving home with valuable belongings or a diamond necklace), you’ll be ok. - People – Maceioenses are legen… wait for it… dary!!!!!!!!
One of the best compliments Maceió receives is about the welcoming nature of the Maceioenses (that’s how people born in Maceió are called). Maceioenses like to greet strangers, to chat in a bank line (or supermarket line, or while waiting for the doctor, you got the idea), to help foreigners in distress and to smile more often than people from other parts of Brazil, like São Paulo. - Food – Every place has its specialties! Maceió is not different!
If you’re coming to Brazil, you should definitely try coxinha, paçoca, guaraná, bombom, brigadeiro and doce de leite. But when it comes to Maceió, there are also some local food you should try:- Cuzcuz (couscous) – corn based food, often eaten with milk, butter, or eggs. But you can find a lot of combinations with cuscuz, once people go very creative with it).
- Tapioca – manioc based food. It has the presentation similar to tacos, and normally it’s stuffed with salty options, like cheese, chicken, shrimp, or meat. But there are sweet stuff options, like brigadeiro (chocolate with condensed milk), doce de leite, etc.
- Cocada – coconut based sweet. What can I say… if you like coconut and sweets, you’ll like this)
The list goes on, but let’s leave it to a future post.
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