PT
EN
ES
Between the beach and the Cariri
The Agreste is the transition belt between the coastal Zona da Mata and the semi-arid interior. Driving up from João Pessoa to Campina Grande you cross the Paraíba river valley and pass small towns with stories of poets, presidents and rock paintings — where almost nobody stops.
- Itabaiana: 76 km, about 1h15
- Lagoa Seca: 139 km, about 2 hours
- Queimadas: 145 km, about 2h10
- Esperança: 156 km, about 2h20
- Umbuzeiro: 161 km, about 2h40
- Cuité: 225 km, about 3h30
Itabaiana, Queen of the Valley
Itabaiana is known as the Queen of the Paraíba Valley and is home to two great names of north-eastern culture: the accordionist Sivuca and the poet Zé da Luz (1904–1965), master of country-style verse. The town honours both with a monument, a cultural café and the Sivuca and Zé da Luz Cultural Week.
Besides the main church, see the Guarita bridge, the old townhouses in the centre and the market. The Paraíba river runs beside the town, and Ingá, with its famous carved rock, is about 30 minutes away — you can combine both in a day.
Queimadas and the Pedra do Touro
Queimadas, about 15 minutes from Campina Grande, is the town of rocks. The Pedra do Touro complex sits beside the BR-104 on one of the highest points of the Serra do Bodopitá, with trails, abseiling and more than a dozen archaeological sites with rock paintings and carvings.
The best time is late afternoon: from the top, the sunset spreads over the caatinga and Campina Grande appears on the horizon. Wear trainers, bring water and a torch for the way back, and hire a local guide for the longer trails.
Lagoa Seca and Esperança
Lagoa Seca, next to Campina Grande, joined Brazil's official Tourism Map in 2022 and focuses on rural and religious tourism, forró venues and waterfalls such as the Pinga, on the border with Matinhas. In the rainy season the landscape turns green and the reservoirs fill up.
Esperança, a little further on, is the Green Lily of the Borborema: a town with a mild climate, lacework and a lively São João. It lies between Campina Grande and the Brejo, near Areia and Alagoa Nova.
Umbuzeiro, a president's birthplace
Umbuzeiro sits in the hills right on the border with Pernambuco, a small town with an outsized history: it is the birthplace of Epitácio Pessoa, president of Brazil from 1919 to 1922 and uncle of the João Pessoa after whom the capital is named, and of Assis Chateaubriand, founder of the Diários Associados media group and of MASP, the São Paulo Museum of Art. The centre has old townhouses, a square and a church, and it is cooler than the coast.
Cuité and the Curimataú
Further north, in the Curimataú, Cuité has the Olho d’Água da Bica forest park, run by the Federal University of Campina Grande: preserved caatinga, rock paintings on the stone walls and the old structures of the spring that once supplied the town. It hosts Cuité's Passion of Christ, staged in Paraíba's largest open-air theatre, and in 2026 the town joined the state's list of experience-tourism routes.
Cuité pairs well with Araruna and the Pedra da Boca, an hour and a half away.
How to plan the trip
- Day trip: Itabaiana and Ingá, leaving João Pessoa early.
- Two or three days based in Campina Grande: Queimadas in the late afternoon, Lagoa Seca, Esperança and a hop to the Brejo.
- Umbuzeiro is off the main route: worth it if you like history and small towns.
- June is the busiest month because of Campina's São João; book early.
Back in the capital, MAREVI manages serviced flats and apartments on the João Pessoa seafront, from Cabo Branco to Bessa, with a full kitchen and our own team. Book directly on WhatsApp and you skip the platforms' fee.
