JOAO PESSOA is one of the
oldest and one of the poorest cities
in Brazil. In recent years, there's
been massive new development along
the city's two main beaches, but an
air of dilapidated elegance remains
around the old part of town. Of all
the Northeast's city centers, this
is the one least scarred by modern
developers. Just a few kilometers
away, the town beaches of
Cabo
Branco and
Tambaú are
well on the way to becoming much the
same as most others in the
Northeast, with towering skyscrapers
stretching back towards the old
town. There aren't enough of them
yet, though, to detract from the
stunning beauty of the vast white
sandy beach, and out of season,
tourists are still few and far
between.
The City
The center of Joao Pessoa is dotted
with colonial churches , monasteries
and convents , some of which are
extremely beautiful. Until 1992 they
were all being allowed to fall into
ruin but, not a moment too soon, the
state...
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