Pipa is a beach village, and most of what there is to do takes you to the sand. Four main beaches sit within walking distance of the village centre, each with a different character: the central Praia do Centro is the all-purpose town beach; Praia do Amor, reached down a steep set of wooden stairs, is the surf beach; Baía dos Golfinhos is famous for resident dolphins; and Praia das Minas stretches empty and red-cliffed to the south. Surfing, swimming, body-boarding, and long walks at low tide along the base of the cliffs are the main pastimes.
Inland from the village, the protected Mata Atlântica rainforest at the Santuário Ecológico has trails through the last patches of coastal forest. A boat trip out to swim with the dolphins is a near-compulsory ritual; sea-kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding are easy to arrange on the central beach.