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The beaches south of Ponta Negra are more remote and consequently less crowded. The only problem is getting to them without a car, as there are usually only one or two buses a day to most of the villages from Natal's bus station. Check the times with the tourist office, but they usually leave early in the morning and you may not be able to get back to Natal the same day. The villages normally have a pousada or two, however, and it is easy to come to an arrangement about stringing up hammocks in bars and houses. An alternative way of reaching the beaches is to take a bus along the main BR-101 highway to Recife from the Rodoviaria, and get off at Nizia Floresta, from where there are pick-ups, lorries and a local bus service along the dirt road to the coastal fishing villages and beaches of BUZIOS and BARRA DE TABATINGA , 20km and 25km from Natal. More direct is to take the bus from the Natal Rodoviaria to PIRANGI DO NORTE , 30km out of town. Apart from the beach, the village's other famous attraction is the biggest caju tree in the world, centuries old and with branches that have spread and put down new roots. Although Brazilians know caju as a fruit, its seeds, once roasted, become the familiar cashew nut. It's difficult to believe this enormous (over 7000 square metres) expanse of green leaves and boughs could be a single tree; it looks more like a forest. It still bears over a ton of fruit annually, so it's not surprising that Pirangi is known for its caju -flavoured rum. To get away from people, you have to travel further south to the stunning Praia da Pipa , 80km away, and the Praia Sagi , which virtually lies on the border with Paraiba state some 120km from Natal. The latter is particularly inaccessible and can only be approached by four-wheel-drive or on foot, but the result is that it is virtually  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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untouched. The Praia da Pipa ("Kite Beach"), on the other hand, is set in idyllic surroundings with dolphins regularly swimming near the beach, and sports a decent selection of facilities: an increasing number of pousadas are springing up all over the place and there are also well-established bars like Yahoo! where all the nightlife takes place. Once again access is only realistically possible by car or on foot, although there are some irregular local bus services.
Your Tips For South of Ponta Negra
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