Best Time to Visit Maceio

Dry months: September to December

This is the sweet spot. Skies are mostly clear, and November is the driest month, with rain on only about six days. Days are warm but not heavy, and the sea is calm and clear. September is still a little cooler, with a few showers.

These months suit nearly every trip. Take a jangada (a small sailing raft) from Pajuçara beach to the natural pools at low tide. Then drive north to Praia do Gunga or the Rota Ecológica, a coastal route with quiet palm-lined beaches. Hiking is not the draw here. Beach days and boat trips are.

December to March: hot and busy

Christmas, New Year and the school holidays from late December to February are high season. Expect full beaches along Ponta Verde and Jatiúca, and hotels at their most expensive. Nights are warm and sticky, with a low of 25°C. Rain falls on 13 days a month in January and February, but showers are usually short.

If you want lively evenings, this is your time. Locals fill the beachfront kiosks for grilled fish and tapioca, a chewy cassava pancake. March gets wetter and a bit muggier, and it's the last easy month before the big rains.

Travelling with kids? January is easy and fun, since the reef pools are shallow and calm. Just skip the middle of the day on the sand.

April to August: rain and quiet

April to July is the rainy season. May is the wettest month at 194 mm, and both June and July see rain on 26 days. That doesn't mean all-day storms, but grey skies and sudden downpours are common. The sea can be cloudy, and boat trips are sometimes cancelled.

There's an upside. Prices drop, beaches empty out, and you'll often have a stretch of sand to yourself. June brings the festas juninas, the São João festivals. Expect bonfires, quadrilha folk dancing, and sweet corn treats like canjica and pamonha. The whole Northeast celebrates, and it's a good reason to come in the wet.

August is the gentle way in. It's still showery, but rain falls on fewer days and the sun returns. If you hate crowds but want some sunshine, try late August or early September.