Getting Around Campina Grande
Campina Grande is the second most populous city in Paraíba and the main urban centre of the northeastern subregion known as the agreste. For a visitor, the good news is that the city is compact enough that a stay in the centre puts most of what you want to see within walking distance, and the public transport system is straightforward to use once you understand that it runs on buses alone.
Walking
If you base yourself in the centre, most of the city's sights are walkable. The historic core grew up around the Matriz plaza and Avenida Marechal Floriano Peixoto, and several of the main squares, museums, theatres and cultural centres sit close together in this area. The Açude Velho, the old lake around which the settlement first formed, is also part of the central landscape. Outside the centre, distances stretch out and you will want a bus or a car.
Rail, Metro and Trams
There is no rail, metro or tram network for visitors to use in Campina Grande. Public transit in the city consists of buses only. The railroad that once arrived here was historically important — it helped transform a small village into a bustling city — but it is not part of the present-day passenger network you would rely on to get around.
Buses and Public Transport
The bus system is managed by the municipal transit authority, STTP (Superintendência de Trânsito e Transporte Público), through two consortiums: Consórcio Santa Maria and Consórcio Santa Verônica. Routes are numbered and named according to geography and direction, with categories such as Centro, Radial, Transversal, Circular, Interárea, Leste-Oeste and Norte-Sul, alongside lines labelled by their destination.
Useful things to know:
- Lines serving the centre are the ones you will use most; look for routes with "Centro" in the name or number.
- Some lines connect the centre to the universities — for example, the 500 runs between the centre and UFCG, and the 636 links UEPB with Chico Mendes.
- Other lines reach outlying districts and neighbourhoods such as Galante, São José da Mata, São Januário and Mutirão.
- To plan a trip, the Moovit app (iOS, Android and web) provides schedules, arrival times, service alerts, fares and ticket prices, route maps and step-by-step directions with get-off notifications. A Portuguese-language version is available.
Fares and schedules are not fixed in any single published list, so check the app or ask locally for current prices and timings before you set out.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are a practical option, particularly for short hops between the centre and the bus station or for trips when buses are infrequent. A taxi from the bus station to the centre is a short ride. Ride-hailing apps are also widely used in Brazilian cities of this size, though you should confirm availability locally when you arrive.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Campina Grande has an airport with regional flights. It is not a major international gateway, so most visitors arrive by air from elsewhere in Brazil or come in overland. From the airport, taxis and ride-hailing are the most direct way into the centre; public buses serve the city but are oriented around residential and commuter routes rather than airport transfers, so plan on a taxi or app-based car unless you have checked a specific bus connection in advance.
Arriving by Bus
The bus station sits on the southeastern outskirts of town, a few kilometres from the centre. From there you can take bus 500 or a taxi into the centre. The station is a blueprint of the one in João Pessoa.
Long-distance services include:
- João Pessoa, by Real Bus, at least once an hour from 5AM to 8PM.
- Sousa, by Guanabara, several times daily.
- Juazeiro do Norte, by Guanabara.
Practical Tips
- Stay central if you want to walk: the historic core, the main squares and the Açude Velho are all close together.
- For anything beyond the centre, use the bus app to identify the right line and get off at the correct stop.
- Keep a taxi or ride-hailing option in mind for evenings, for the bus station run, and for the airport.
- If you are in town for the São João festival in June — the largest in the world — expect the city to be busy and plan your transport accordingly.