Beach tennis and footvolley: the sand sports on the rise along the waterfront

National and international beach tennis and footvolley tournaments have turned João Pessoa's waterfront into a year-round beach sports arena.

Besides surfing, two sand sports have been gaining momentum in João Pessoa: beach tennis and footvolley. In October 2025, the waterfront hosted the Campeonato Brasileiro Interclubes and the 1st stage of the Circuito Paraibano de Beach Tennis, both held in the arena set up at the Busto de Tamandaré, between the beaches of Tambaú and Manaíra, according to Jornal da Paraíba. The competitions are part of the calendar organized by the Paraíba Beach Tennis Federation (FPbT), which also promotes regular stages of the state circuit throughout the year.

Footvolley also has a prominent place: in February 2026, the city hosted the Team Águia Footvolley Cup (TAFC), one of the sport's leading international tournaments, opening in the same arena between Tambaú and Manaíra, as reported by Agência Paraíba. The event was part of the Paraíba World Beach Games program, a cycle of beach sports competitions the city has been hosting regularly in recent years.

For those who just want to play, informally marked sand courts can commonly be found along the beach stretch between Tambaú and Cabo Branco, in addition to fixed structures set up by gyms and private sports clubs offering beach tennis and footvolley lessons for all levels.

Anyone arriving in João Pessoa who already plays one of these sports tends to find a community quickly: pickup groups form on the beaches at set times, mainly in the late afternoon, when the heat eases and activity on the waterfront picks up.