Campina Grande
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Campina Grande

Campina Grande

Interior Paraíba city famous for Festa Junina, forró dancing, and northeast Brazil's cotton-country culture.

Campina Grande is the second-largest city in Paraíba state, sitting on a plateau in the dry interior of northeast Brazil. It is best known for its Festa Junina — the Maior São João do Mundo — held throughout June, which draws over a million visitors with forró dancing, bonfires, fireworks, and quadrilha processions. It is one of the largest folk festivals in Brazil and rivals Salvador's Carnival in sheer energy.

Outside festival season, the city is a university town and commercial hub with a lively student population. The climate is milder than the sweltering coast thanks to the altitude. The Museum of Popular Arts of Paraíba and the Historical and Geographic Museum tell the story of the cotton trade and folk traditions that shaped the region. The Açude Velho reservoir in the centre is a pleasant spot for an evening walk. Campina Grande also serves as a gateway to the dramatic rock formations and canyons of the Borborema plateau.

Guide

Eating Out

Campina Grande has good northeastern Brazilian food — grilled meats, bean stews (feijão tropeiro), baião-de-dois (rice and beans cooked together with bacon and dried meat), and carne de sol (sun-dried salted beef). The university population has also brought a lively café and bar scene to the centre. During the Festa Junina, street food takes over the entire city.

Guide

Getting There

Campina Grande has its own airport (Presidente João Suassuna Airport, formerly called Aeroporto de Campina Grande) with flights to Recife, São Paulo, and other Brazilian cities. From Recife, the closest major hub, the drive takes about 2–2.5 hours on the BR-104.

By bus, Campina Grande is well-connected to Recife, João Pessoa (the state capital, about 1.5 hours), Natal, and other northeastern cities. The rodoviária (bus station) is on the edge of the centre. Regular buses also connect the city with Fortaleza (about 8 hours).

Guide

Things to Do

Campina Grande's biggest attraction is its calendar rather than its monuments — the city explodes in June for the Festa Junina, one of the largest folk festivals in Brazil. The rest of the year it functions as a lively university city with a few good museums and easy access to the dramatic Borborema plateau landscape around it.