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Municipality in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Photo: Otávio Nogueira, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Baía Formosa is the easternmost city of the Brazilian state Rio Grande do Norte and is close to the border with neighbouring Paraíba. The name Baía Formosa literally means "Beautiful Bay" and refers to the particularly scenic location of the main village. Boasting not only great beaches and lakes but also an unspoiled rainforest and mangroves, this place is well worth a visit. Although the bay has become a popular destination for day trips from Natal and Praia da Pipa (in Tibau do Sul), it remains a fairly quiet place.
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Lagoa Araraquara
One of the most famous sights of the state, Lagoa da Coca-Cola is a lake with coke-like color, due to the soil rich in iodine and iron. With clean and warm waters, it is perfect for swimming and believed by the locals to have rejuvenating properties. To get to the lake, it is necessary to take a dirt road from a deserted beach between the Baía Formosa and Sagi villages, by buggy or a 4x4 vehicle.
The small but pretty church was founded with the Baía Formosa village in 1892.
Cachoeirinha is a seasonal waterfall that forms in the dunes, during rainy periods.
Picão
It's in the beautiful bay that gives the municipality its name. Various fishing boats can be seen. With strong waves but not a lot of rocks, it is good for beginner surfers.
Considered to be one of the best 7 surfing points of the country, and part of the national surfing circuit. Due to the amount of rocks, it is suited for intermediate and advance surfers.
A long beach with strong waves, hosting a small village but practically deserted on most of its extension. Only accessible by buggy.
The beaches of Barreirinha, Peroba, João dos Santos, Urubu and Cotia host no coastal communities and are practically deserted year-round. They are accessible by buggy.
By dune buggy
Those staying in Natal or Praia da Pipa (in Tibau do Sul) may consider charter a dune buggy or a 4x4 vehicle and enjoy the view of the coast instead of a boring road.
By bus
Since 2010 there are no more regular bus lines between Natal and Baía Formosa. The alternative is taking one of the bus tours provided by various tourism agencies.
The village of Baía Formosa is small and can easily be explored on foot.
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