Pontal de Maceió at night:
craft fair, bars and dinner

When the sun goes down, the whole of Fortim heads to one place: the village of Pontal de Maceió, with its lit-up chapel square, the craft fair and the restaurant tables.

The evening starts on the chapel square

By day, Pontal de Maceió is the fishing village of colourful houses, jangada boats on the sand and rock pools that appear at low tide. After dark, life moves to the small square around the chapel: stalls and crafts arrive and, on many nights, live music.

It is a small-town evening, where locals and visitors share the same park bench. There is no bar street and no nightclub: the plan is to stroll around the square, browse the stalls, pick a place for dinner and finish with a drink nearby. Almost everything is a short walk from the chapel, so you can park once and do the rest on foot.

The bougainvillea over the pergola and the blue façade of the lit chapel are, without exaggeration, one of the prettiest sights in Fortim at night. Arrive a little early to watch the village switch its lights on.

Feirinha do Pontal: clothes, crochet and crafts

Near the square, the Feirinha do Pontal sets up in the evening, with stalls of clothes, crochet and handicrafts under strings of lights. Around it, stalls and small shops display macramé, bags, hats and woven clothes, many of them made in the region.

It is the best place in Fortim to buy a handmade souvenir, and a nice walk for anyone who just wants to wander after dinner. Like almost everything in Pontal, the size of the fair follows the season: in the busier months more stalls are open.

Where to have dinner in Pontal de Maceió

Pontal has most of Fortim’s restaurants. The variety is surprising for a village this size, largely thanks to the foreigners that kitesurfing brought here. A few places to keep in mind:

• Café das Artes: chef-driven cooking with a cultural touch, at Rua Isidoro Isídio, 65. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 6 pm to 11 pm; bookings and menu on Instagram.
• La Paella: a tapas place with an upstairs terrace, something different for the evening. Check opening days and hours before you go.
• Praia Pub Pontal: pizza, burgers and wine, good for groups and for something simple.
• Pausa Hotel restaurant: the upscale option in Pontal, in a hotel with a rooftop bar overlooking the Jaguaribe River.

A drink before or after dinner

Late afternoon is the best time for a bar in Fortim. The Café Pontal rooftop, facing the sea, combines a restaurant, snack bar and café with drinks and music, and it is the most popular spot to watch the sky change colour.

After dinner, Bar Show de Bola serves tartines in many flavours, mini burgers, drinks and snacks, and also has pétanque and games. The smaller bars around the square change their opening days with the season, so check each one’s Instagram before heading out. The full list is on the bars in Fortim page.

Evenings in Pontal are short and change with the season

Fortim has no late nightlife outside the high season. Things happen around the square and finish early, and many kitchens close sooner than you would expect in a big city. In the high season and the windy months, when Pontal fills with kitesurfers, almost everything opens and evenings get livelier. The big exception of the year is New Year’s Eve.

If you are staying in Barra do Fortim, Pontal is about 3 km away, around 6 minutes by car. Guesthouses in Barra, such as Barra Beach House, are close to the river and the beach by day and a few minutes from the square at night, so you can enjoy both sides of Fortim without changing where you stay.

Frequently asked questions

Want to see every option for the evening?

The dinner guide lists every place in Fortim with opening hours, WhatsApp and Instagram.