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Where it is and how long it takes
Bananeiras is 136 kilometres from João Pessoa, in the Brejo Paraibano, and 70 kilometres from Campina Grande. By car it is about two and a half hours from the coast.
The town sits at 552 metres and averages 16 degrees in winter. For someone staying at the beach, where lows are 22, the difference hits the moment you step out of the car.
O que diferencia de Areia
The two sit in the same highland area and people often mix them up, but they offer different things.
Areia is a town of old townhouses, museums and cachaça distilleries — history and guided visits. Bananeiras leans outdoors: waterfalls, trails and hills. Anyone wanting both does them on separate days, or stays a night in the area.
If you only have one day and can't decide: Areia if you like history and cachaça; Bananeiras if you'd rather walk and swim under a waterfall.
What there is to do
- Waterfalls and trails. This is the main draw, and what sustains the town's adventure circuit outside the festival calendar.
- A century-old sugar mill, open to visitors.
- O túnel histórico, remanescente da antiga ferrovia que cortava o brejo.
- A listed church and a preserved town centre.
- Restaurants set in historic buildings, with cooking that mixes traditional Paraíba dishes and local highland produce — cheese, coffee and sugarcane products.
For trails and waterfalls, closed shoes and clothes you don't mind getting wet. It sounds obvious, but plenty of people drive up in flip-flops thinking it is a seaside outing.
Caminhos do Frio
Bananeiras is one of the towns on the Caminhos do Frio cultural route, which runs from July to September. The route covers nine highland towns, each in a different week, with music, performing arts, food and trails.
In the route's week the town fills up. If you want the full programme, that is the best time; if you'd rather have the trails quiet, pick another week.
Is it worth it if you are staying at the beach?
Two and a half hours each way is a lot for a day trip. It works if you have a week or more in João Pessoa, enjoy walking and want a day away from the beach.
If you can, pair it with Areia and spend a night in the highlands. The two are close together, and the long drive pays off better across two days than one.
If your trip is short, our honest advice is to stay on the coast. Cabedelo, Conde and Lucena deliver a full day out with thirty to seventy kilometres of driving.
