Maceió

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Maceio, Brazil.
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Maceio, Brazil.
The title of this article contains the character ó. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Maceio.

Maceió (Mah-say-aw) is the capital and the largest city of the coastal state Alagoas in Brazil. It stands out as an attractive Brazilian tourist destination visited by many Brazilian and foreign tourists.

The capital of Alagoas enjoys a privileged location between Mundaú Lake and the Atlantic Ocean. The city proper has a total population of 884,320 inhabitants (year 2000) living under a tropical climate with average temperature of 25°C. IBGE estimates 922,458 people for 2006. Around 1,180,000 people live in its metropolitan area (year 2005).

Its sunny weather, calm and blue sea, palm trees around the beaches, beautiful lagoons and natural swimming pools in the Atlantic Ocean sand banks have made the city to become an important tourist destination in the last decades. The new Zumbi dos Palmares International Airport connects Maceió with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights.

Maceió is also a port city and due to its port development about 200 years ago it changed from a village into a city which would become the capital of Alagoas state in 1839.

The city is home to the Federal University of Alagoas.

Contents

[edit] Main neighborhoods

[edit] Pajuçara (or Pajussara)

Located on the city coast, its beach is one of the most frequented in Maceió. Pajussara has modern streets and avenues, diverse shops, clubs and hotels, hostels and lodgings occupied by tourists all the year round. The place has inspired many Brazilian composers and singers, one such is Djavan (a famous Brazilian singer born in the city), who composed several songs inspired by the moments in which he walked along its beach. One of the best attractions in Pajussara beach is its natural swimming pool, located on an ocean sandbank just about 1.500 meters of the coast and that is available when tide is low. The only way to get there is by jangada, a typical boat of Brazilian northeast region. Unfortunately, nowadays, the beach has been spoiled by pollution and an unsightly gas-duct that has impacted on the area.

[edit] Ponta Verde

Considered by many natives and tourists as the most beautiful urban beach of Maceió, Ponta Verde (Green Point) is a neighborhood with intense traffic and movement of people. In earlier days the place was just a beach surrounded by very greenish coconut trees. Its name comes from an old plantation named Ponta Verde whose area was as wide as the beach was long, indeed a wilderness! Nowadays, it is impossible to feel isolated in Ponta Verde as most famous city events and shows take place there. The neighbourhood serves as base for good hotels and restaurants and its seacoast has plenty of “barracas”, typical beach bars found on all Maceió's urban beaches.

[edit] Farol

Farol means lighthouse in Portuguese. Farol is an urban highland just a short distance away from the sea in which the former lighthouse aided navigation along the coast and guided ships coming up to the port of Jaraguá, as the port of Maceió is known. Its privileged altitude allows one to see all along the sea and Mundaú Lake. The place was of great military importance during the Colonial period.

[edit] Jatiúca

Like to Ponta Verde, the settlement in Jatiúca started from an old coconut plantation whose space is still preserved by its owners. Today it is one of the most valuable city areas in the ranking of the real state agents. It is home to excellent hotels, resorts and restaurants that have become more attractive due to their location in front of the sea or nearby that region. Its coastline is served by a lot of ”barracas” such as those in Ponta Verde.

[edit] Jaraguá

Jaraguá is the historic centre of the city and it could be appropriately named The Old Town. Once it was the central metting and commercial point where in the 19th century the village of Maceió transformed into a city which grew up around the port that takes pride of place, the port of Jaraguá. Old port warehouses have now been converted into bars, night clubs and restaurants which makes for a lively and colourful leisure spot at the weekends. The history of Maceió has been preserved to some extent in the classical colonial buildings, churches, warehouses and houses of Jaraguá.

[edit] Pontal da Barra

In earlier days this district was known as a place of dunes, high sand mountains between the Atlantic Ocean and Mundaú Lake that urbanization eroded away. Nowadays, Pontal da Barra (or simply Pontal) is a village inhabited by fishermen and artisans. It has lost its dunes but still preserves the friendliness of the people and the marvelous handcrafts made by the artisans. Pontal welcomes lot of tourists delighted with the artisans’ works and incredible taste of its typical seafood dishes, made with fish, crabs and shrimps abundantly present in the lake portion and sea.

Ponta Verde at night, Maceió, Alagoas (Brazil).
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Ponta Verde at night, Maceió, Alagoas (Brazil).

Hello

[edit] Surrounding highlights

  • Praia do Francês (Frances Beach)
  • Barra Nova
  • Dunas de Marapé
  • Nove Ilhas
  • Massagüera
  • Barra de São Miguel

(San Miguel Waterway)

(Santo Antonio Waterway)

[edit] Notable people

[edit] External links


Capitals of Brazilian States
Aracaju | Belo Horizonte | Belém | Boa Vista | Brasília | Campo Grande | Cuiabá | Curitiba | Florianópolis | Fortaleza | Goiânia | João Pessoa | Macapá | Maceió | Manaus | Natal | Palmas | Porto Alegre | Porto Velho | Recife | Rio Branco | Rio de Janeiro | Salvador | São Paulo | São Luís | Teresina | Vitória
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