São José da Coroa Grande from Porto de Galinhas

Distance from Porto

68 to 70 km

Driving time

just over 1 hour

State

PE

São José da Coroa Grande is the last municipality on the southern coast of Pernambuco before Alagoas and borders Maragogi. The Pernambuco Legislative Assembly gave the town the title of Pernambuco Capital of Natural Pools, which appear at low tide between the beach and the reefs.

Getting there

From Porto de Galinhas it is 68 to 70 km, a little over 1 hour by car. If you do not want to drive, there is a full-day tour: in October 2026, one agency charged R$ 160 per person until December 18, 2026, with departures on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, a guide and use of the facilities of a beachfront restaurant. The catamaran to the pools is paid separately. There is no confirmed direct bus from Porto.

How much time to allow

Set aside the whole day. Tours leave early, sometimes before hotel breakfast, and one of them states a return at around 17:30, with about 9 hours of touring.

What to do

The main activity is the boat trip to the natural pools. The visiting points designated on the town's reefs include the Piscina do Gravatá, the Piscina da Baliza, also called Lagoa Azul, and the Prainha. Gravatá Beach is the base for the tours from Porto, with optional catamaran, kayak and quad bike rides; in October 2026, they cost R$ 60, R$ 15 and R$ 75. The reefs are part of the APA Costa dos Corais, a federal conservation unit managed by ICMBio.

Before you go

Check the tide table. Without low tide, the catamaran does not go out and the pools do not form. On the tours, the base restaurant does not allow outside food, drinks or coolers.