Spend a few days in São Miguel do Gostoso and you quickly learn that the tide sets the plan. Arrive at Cardeiro at high tide and the sea is right over the rocks, with no pools in sight. Two hours later, at low tide, the same beach turns into a set of shallow, warm pools between the rocks. Same trip, and the time of day changes everything.
That is why Vive Gostoso now has its own tide table, organized by beach.
How it works
You pick the beach and the day. The page shows:
- the time and height of each high and low tide;
- a curve for the day, with a marker for right now;
- the moon phase;
- what the tide changes on that beach and the best time to enjoy it.
The forecast covers today and the next seven days, and each beach has its own link, easy to send to your travel group.
Where the data comes from
The times come from the official Tide Tables of the Brazilian Navy, published by its Hydrography Center. Gostoso has no station of its own, so each beach uses the nearest one. For Gostoso and Pedra Grande, that is the Port of Guamaré. For Touros, it is the Port of Natal. On the sand, the tide can arrive a few minutes earlier or later, so leave with some time to spare. The page is not meant for navigation.
The beaches on the table
In São Miguel do Gostoso: Cardeiro, Xêpa, Maceió, Santo Cristo, Tourinhos, Minhoto, Praia do Amor, Zé Martins and Malhada.
In Touros: Perobas, Carnaubinha, Farol do Calcanhar and Cajueiro.
In Pedra Grande: Marco.
Where the tide matters most
Cardeiro pools. The pools show up at low tide. The page works out the window for the day, something like "best between 8:52 and 11:59", and shows it right on the card.
Perobas reefs. The parrachos, reef banks a few kilometers off the Touros coast, are only worth the trip at low tide, when you can walk on them and see the fish in the shallow water. Gostosense Turismo runs the buggy trip to Perobas and sets the departure by the tide, so check the table before you book a date.
Kiting at Santo Cristo. The water depth changes the spot through the day. Beginners usually prefer shallower water.
Tourinhos. At high tide, the water breaks between the petrified dunes.
Where to stay near the sea
If you are thinking of spending more time on the north coast, Caju Paradise, in Touros, is inside Cajueiro Boulevard, a few minutes from the Cajueiro and Perobas beaches. The Vive Gostoso map shows these beaches, Farol do Calcanhar and other spots in the region, each with a link to its tide.
Before you go
Open the table on your phone, pick the beach and check the day's window. If the trip depends on low tide, get there a little before it. And if you go with a guide, ask about the time: people who know this coast set the departure by the tide, not the clock.