I know its not a soccer venue, but we have a few days planned in Maceio and would welcome any local knowledge about where to eat, drink, day trips, best beaches etc etc Cheers
I think this is one of the best places in Brasil to visit. I lived there for a while, but it was a few years ago so I could not give you any specifics on where to eat, drink, etc. since things have undoubtedly changed since then. As far as beaches, even the beaches in the city area are nice (except the one near the port used to be quite dirty). The beaches on the north side of the centro were always the nicer ones, with lots of nice beachside restaurants, etc. As far as day trips, I went to Praia do Frances (south of Maceio) and Praia de Carro Quebrado (north of Maceio). Both are really nice tropical beaches, with Praia do Frances being more popular and Carro Quebrado being more isolated and hard to reach (Again, this may have changed, but I doubt it). Praia do Frances is closer to Maceio. Maceio has a great climate, it just seems slightly cooler than the other places I have lived/spent considerable time in the northeast (Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, Salvador). Maceio has a great relaxed "vibe," for lack of a better term. Enjoy! (And please keep the secret so that it stays slightly off the gringo trail!)