Cabedelo - Docking
Once inside the harbor, keep close to the quay, after which, move to the center of the river Paraiba. There is a shoal in front of the fishing village and anchoring near here is not recommended.
Jacare:
What was once a fishing village has now become a busy resort. Jacare is popular with the Brazilian jet-set and notorious for its all-night music. Everywhere in Jacare noise can be a problem. As Joao Pessoa’s popularity as a tourist destination has increased, so has policing improved in and around the city.
Marina Jacare Village and its surrounds have changed dramatically in recent years. The present owners have put in an enormous amount of time and effort into improving the amenities, with particular emphasis on security. They have a modern travelift and plenty of hard standing for storing boats.
There are three different possibilities for yachts to dock and access the marina’s facilities and services: on the pontoon, on a marina-owned swing mooring, or at anchor. There are different tariffs attached to each, and for longer stays in combination with pre-payment the marina offers discounts in the region of 20-30%. Their pontoons can accommodate yachts with a draft up to 2m and have potable water and electricity.
Call the marina on approach on VHF Ch. 68 and they will help you with mooring. A full list of services can be found in the marina listing.
SV Saoirse arrived in Cabedelo in 2022 from South Africa and stayed at this marina. See this useful video about the facilities at the marina and surrounding area.
Last updated: June 2022
Ribeira:
A quieter alternative is Ribeira, nothing more than a collection of adobe cottages strung out along a rutted track. Hidden from Jacare by an island of mangroves, it is a peaceful spot, however, there are no food shops here. To get to the supermarkets and other amenities one must cross the river to Jacare. The city is just a 20-minute train ride.
Ex-cruiser Luciano opened the small marina Ribeira Adventure Club in March 2010 on the other side of Stuart Island, intended for low-budget cruisers. Prices are reported to be 40% cheaper than those in Jacare and facilities basic. Care should be taken as there are sandbanks on the way to Ribeira.
Last updated: August 2017
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Related to following destinations: Brazil, Cabedelo, Eastern coast (north of Rio de Janeiro)
Port Navigation
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Policia Federal now have an immigration office in the port near to customs. Still need to go downtown for the Port Captain tho.
We are in the Marina Jacaré Village right now. This place is a perfect sheltered anchorage and a very sympatic marina. Very helpful in all means. Safe, all close, Marina staff very kind, good cooking ;)! Feel comfortable here and will leave our boat here for the next months!
We stayed in Jacare Marina from Feb 19 to Mar 1, 2018. Wonderful friendly marina. We toured around visiting other towns leaving our boat for a few nights. Loved the marina, very friendly. Francis and his staff looked after us. Food with Nicolas in the comfortable restaurant was super! We felt very safe here. Extremely enjoyable stay.
Hello! My name is Rodrigo. My wife and I stayed this whole year in the Cabedelo area, Jacare and Ribeira with our sailing boat. We stayed almost half of this period at Ribeira, on the other side of Stuart Island, at the Ribeira Adventure Club and Marina, organized by Lucianio Zinn. The area is beautiful, Jacare some 25 years ago. If you are looking for a calm spot, nature, and good company, I really recommend it.
Also, a very good spot for trails and a good start to check the river islands out. Our boat ‘draft is 1,95, and we had no problem at all. To cross from Jacare to Ribeira, Luciano is available to help and guide throught the way. The facilities are simple, but the place is very cozy and with an excellent atmosphere. They are very helpful if you need anything related to your boat, or to the bureaucracies you might have to do. Really gonna miss this stop, Luciano, Cazumi, the gentle people of Ribeira, big hug from us! For me the best stop of the area!
Posting on SY Revelations Blog (who spent 5 months in Brazil) – (http://www.svrevelations.com/)
Since 1995, a local musician has been going out on a riverboat every single day, playing the beautiful “Bolero” song on his saxophone here in Cabedelo, Brazil. The entire local tourist industry has developed as a result of him going out playing the same soundtrack every day for the past twenty years.
About 40 minutes before sunset, a number of boats carrying tourists would congregate in front of the riverside restaurants. This is the situation every single day with a couple of thousands of tourists gathering at these restaurants and riverside to listen, photograph and video record the daily ritual. Besides the local restaurants, there are many kiosks and shops open for the tourist congregating for the event. These shops are highly dependent on the tourists the musician attracts and only trade from about 16h00 to around 20H00 each day.
Shortly before sunset, all the blaring music will quiet down and the place will become silent. The musician then starts playing his saxophone through a joint sound system shared by all the restaurants. He would slowly make his way through the restaurant to a mooring and then climb inside the riverboat to be paddled around the waiting boats full of tourists.
The boatman skilfully paddles the boat in the fast flowing river visiting each tourist boat circling as he makes his way. After visiting each boat, the man then paddles back to the adjoining restaurant from where he started and the song ends as the last light of the sun disappears behind the distant horizon.