Northeast Brazil. 3 weeks. 2 sun-loving travellers. No big plans. Truly, we had no clue where we are even going exactly until the day we left, we made no major previous reservations (except the hotel for the first few nights), we had no guidebooks with us and we understood just very basic Portuguese. Oh yeah and we don´t do kitesurfing, which is normally the main reason international tourists come here in the first place. But we did have good mood, a couple of books, bikinis and a credit card. And that was enough for this relaxed adventure.

This part of Brazil is somewhat special. It is definitely not a place where you can tick off some known attractions, there are no Unesco heritage sites and similar, but we did find national parks though. Most of all here is lots of sand dunes, the ocean, palm trees, crazy colourful cliffs, tasty fruits, wind, sunny days and more. Apart from the kitesurfers, there are really almost no tourists. Mostly the coastal towns get full during the weekends when locals visit from bigger towns like Fortaleza. It was our first time in South America and even though we heard and read many things about this part of the world (mostly concerning safety issues) we felt comfortable the whole way. In this post you can read more about what we saw and did and some general information about transport, costs, accommodation, food and other.

OUR ROUTE AND TRANSPORT IN BRAZIL

We flew to FORTALEZA via AMSTERDAM from Germany with KLM and took a taxi to URUAU, about 90km east from Fortaleza. We spent 3 days here getting used to the warm weather and the time change, before heading to the more lively coastal town called CANOA QUEBRADA. We really liked this town, we met up with our French friends here and travelled together the next 10 days. Here, as well as everywhere else during our trip, we rented quads and beach buggys for day trips. After 5 days we moved to PONTAL DE MACEIO, where we spent another 5 days. Later on we visited CUMBUCO, on the Western side of Fortaleza. Our friends flew to Rio afterwards, and we took off to JERICOACOARA – here the atmosphere was rather unique so we ended up staying a bit longer. On the way back to Frotaleza, we spend our last days between PARACURU and LAGOINHA. We were travelling very slow this time, spending a minimum of 3 days at each place. We had enough time and we didn´t want to hurry, but in a much faster pace one could do the same route in 10-14 days.

This time we avoided PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION and used TAXIS and CARS between towns. On specific routes, for instance between Fortaleza airport and Jericoacoara there are 4×4 CARS with fixed prices. TAXI is a good choice especially if there is more of you travelling in a group. We saw some RAILWAYS, but I don´t think taking a train is a good choice. BUSES on the other hand are great. They are cheap and look comfortable, they just take much longer as they have stops everywhere. If you are looking for bus connections check out FRETCAR. In almost all towns we rented BEACH BUGGYS and QUADBIKES which are perfect for driving on beaches and sand dunes. If you end up RENTING A CAR be prepared for ROAD CHECKS, there are lots of holes in the asphalt sometimes, I would not suggest driving in the night.

BRAZILIAN CUISINE

It didn´t take us long before we noticed that Brazilian people love food. And they love to eat. Meal portions are huge and main courses often come with potato as well as rice as sides. At the same time. There is lots of fried food, but we did find some less fatty meals and snacks too. Not so unusual is also to find fish & meat meals for 2 persons. There are quick yummy street snacks which are cheaper, prices in restaurants are similar to the ones back home in Europe. So what did we eat?

For BREAKFASTS we usually ate FRESH FRUITS, salty TAPIOCA PANCAKE (made from cassava flour), EGGS, Brazilian COUSCOUS with grated cheese and typical WHITE BREAD BUNS. Between meals we usually snacked on the street – our absolute favourite being the ACAI BOWL, a cold mixture made out of healthy acai berries, topped with different fruits, nuts and powders. Usually we paid by grams. Another great street snack is fried fish / meat / cheese filled dough called PASTEL. For LUNCH and DINNER we mostly had sea food. From yummy SHRIMPS to CALAMARI, CEVICHE, FISH to LOBSTERS. More simple style restaurants alongside roads and on the beach are called BARRACA. We also tried the more traditional bean stew FEIJOADA, fried meat / fish / cheese filled balls called BOLINHAS, but also SALADS, BURGERS, fried cassava MACAXEIRA and here and there we also had a good GRILLED STEAK. Food is oftern served with a smaller bowl of fried manioc flour called FAROFA. It makes sense to learn a few words in Portuguese because English menus are not still a rarity. Besides delicious FRESH JUICES, we mostly drank local BEER (often served in 600ml bottles) and CAIPIRINHAS & CAIPIROSKAS.

ACCOMMODATION IN BRAZIL

The most typical types of accommodation in Brazil are called POUSADA and they are basically something like a guest house is in Asia. Usually there is a homey feel to them, they might come with a POOL and serve BREAKFAST. You can of course sleep in bigger HOTELS in major towns like Fortaleza. We also noticed a few CAMPSITES, but they are not at the same level as back home so expect more simplicity.

IN AVERAGE, we spent around 50€ PER NIGHT for a double room with breakfast. The MOST EXPENSIVE NIGHT was in Jericoacoara, 88€ PER NIGHT, but that was due to a national holiday when all the prices went up in the sky. The CHEAPEST NIGHT was funnily also in Jericoacoara, a lovely pousada with a pool and breakfast for 30€ PER NIGHT. In Pontal de Maceio we spent 5 days in a fancy BEACH VILLA for 12 persons for 80€ a night per couple. Except the first accommodation (which we booked from home in Germany) and the glamping tent we found on spot in Jeri, we booked our rooms a few days in advance over the internet.

SAFETY IN BRAZIL

I admit it, we read all sorts of things online before we left. Since this was our first time visiting a country in South America, we wanted to be at least a bit prepared for what is coming. And the current political situation down there is also a bit tricky so you never know. In all the 3 weeks we were there we never felt uncomfortable but because there is more to write about this topic I´m preparing a separate post about safety in Brazil. We found local people friendly and welcoming and we have no bad experiences whatsoever, but we did stick to some of the golden rules. As said, more about that is coming up soon.

FORTALEZA | one of the largest cities in the north and also statistically one of the most dangerous cities in the world

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Fortaleza is the biggest town in this region and it will probably be your landing point if arriving by plane from abroad. We decided against staying a night or two in the city since we preferred more quiet places with less crowded beaches. Otherwise, you can apparently do lots of shopping and partying here, if this is what you are here for.

The city is otherwise notorious for being one of THE MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN THE WORLD, according to murder numbers, currently on place 7. Besides crime there is also a big drug scene, but surely there are safe areas in the city downtown at the city beach.

URUAU | peaceful seaside village 100km from Fortaleza

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So we chose to spend our first days in a QUIET LAID BACK VILLAGE by the name of URUAU, which is located around 90km east of Fortaleza. There is practically nothing happening there. Besides the 2 restaurants on the beach, a few pousadas (one of which is more for KITESURFERS), a long sandy beach and a couple of small shops there is not much. Perfect spot for relaxing and getting used to the new environment, climate, language and food.

We found this peaceful place more or less accidentally – while searching for a place to stay, we fell in love with a great looking BOUTIQUE HOTEL which happened to be located here. Seriously, it was the perfect start of the trip. I usually don´t write reviews or recommendations, but this one deserves a shout out. Highly recommend CASTELO PINK BOUTIQUE HOTEL to anyone coming to this part of Brazil, we felt like kings – thank you again Attila for a wonderful stay!

Of course we were not just hanging around the hotel all the time, we did a little trip the first day already. Rented a BEACH BUGGY with a driver and drove first to a lovely refreshing lake LAGOA DO URUAU. Enjoying a fresh coconut while relaxing in a WATER HAMMOCK is the thing to do here.

BEBERIBE & MORRO BRANCO | amazing red – white cliffs andendless white sandy beaches

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We also didn´t miss the most known part of the coast around here, so we drove further in the direction of BEBERIBE. Here, we met quite a lot of Brazilian tourists doing a similar beach buggy tour. No wonder, the landscape was truly surreal and at times it looked like from another planet. Constant sunshine and wind were our loyal companions as we reached the beaches around PRAIA DAS FONTES, where you can take showers under NATURAL WATER SPRINGS coming from the lakes behind the cliffs and stop to see one of the caves. The most known is called THE CAVE OF MOTHER WATER.

From BEBERIBE town we walked around the so-called LABIRINTO DE FALESIAS, which is an amazing area of RED & WHITE CLIFFS more known under the name MORRO BRANCO. Walking on the top of the cliffs is great for amazing views, but the way back down to the beach through narrow sandy passages was also interesting on its own.

CANOA QUEBRADA | lively touristic seaside hub

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After these relaxed first days we were ready for more action so we moved to a lively fun town an hour drive to the east, called CANOA QUEBRADA. This place used to be a known spot for the HIPPIE TRAVELLERS and there is still a bit of that feeling left. Besides, here we found lots of nice little SHOPS, RESTAURANTS and BARS (some with loud dancing music too), bigger markets, a shopping mall, lots of POUSADAS, a few fancy hotels and of course the BEACH. The major walking zone in the center of the town, called BROADWAY, is packed with Fortaleza residents which flee the city on the weekends. Arriving on a weekend it might be a good idea to reserve accommodation upfront.

Like in so many other places in this area, we found these magnificent CLIFFS, SAND DUNES and long SANDY BEACHES here as well. But there was something new – besides KITESURFING, here were loads of PARAGLIDERS jumping off the cliffs and gliding above water every day. Just before sunset seemed to be the best time to do it, the sky was full of them and we enjoyed watching.

There seemed to be a big party on the beach on a Saturday evening, with loud music and I assume lots of caipirinhas, considering the trash mess on a Sunday morning. Anyhow, there are lots of BEACH BARS & RESTAURANTS built on wooden piles, which opened also during the week. The towns beach is a great place for an evening walk, lunch or a refreshing drink.

First we thought of staying just 3 nights, but in the end we decided to make it 5. This extra time was great for a couple of more trips in the area but it also meant more time relaxing at our big pool. A nice mix of doing nothing and being active I would say.

DUNAS DE CANOA QUEBRADA SAND DUNES

Here in Canoa Quebrada it was even more fun because we caught up with our friends from France and did a few trips together. First one with rented QUADBIKES across the beach over to the sand dunes. We did have a guide though, which was quite convenient sometimes, because he knew exactly where to go. but it also meant less freedom at the same time.

After a few kilometres on the BEACH, we turned onto soft sand and hit the SAND DUNES. After just minutes of driving we felt more like being somewhere in an African desert than in Brazil. We passed a few smaller LAKES and made our first stop at this funny attraction. A somekind of SAND DUNES ZIPLINE from the top of one dune. Bring your swimmers if you want to do it, as you will get wet. No need to walk back up though, you can take a little wagon.

OUR SECOND STOP was at a LAKE with a nice BAR & RESTAURANT and of course the obligatory WATER HAMMOCKS, which we found in many lakes in this part of the country.

After a short break we continued towards the top of one higher sand dune (btw we are very close to the Equator so the sun sets shortly after 5pm already) in order to have the best view when the sun goes down. Always loved SUNSETS in the deserts because the colors of the sand really change from minute to minute.

PONTA GROSSA & PRAIA REDONDA | day trip with quad bikes on the wild coastline south-east of Canoa Quebrada

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New day, new trip. This time we DROVE ON THE BEACH around 40km towards east from Canoa Quebrada, with rented QUADBIKES and a guide riding a motorbike in front of us. It was one of the best day trips we made during the whole 3 weeks, watching the landscape change every few kilometres from yellowish cliffs to red sand dunes and huge termite-like rocks. On the way back we were driving through water here and there because the sea level was rising again and we also drove up a large sand dune for a great view over the area. Let the pictures tell the rest.

FORTIM & PONTAL DE MACEIO | kite surfing paradise and relaxing in a stunning beach side villa

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Since we were slightly more active in Canoa Qebrada, it was time to fully relax once again. In Pontal de Maceio we didn´t do much apart from eating good, swimming, reading books, sleeping and walking on the beach. Since we don´t do kitesurfing, there was not much else to do anyway. Funnily it has been ages since I´ve travelled so slow and did “nothing” for days. Felt a bit strange at first but then we got used to it haha.

And we had the most perfect place to do all that – a fancy villa for 12 people, with a pool, a rooftop terrace, huge rooms and a big garden & outside terrace. And fast internet. In a place where we even found a French bakery and where lots of French have properties, for some reason. The main reason why we came here in the first place was a wedding which our friends were part of and there was still space in the villa for 2 more. Lucky us.

Besides finishing reading all the books I had with, extensively walking on the beach and eating even more than usual, we also drove a bit around. One of the best spots was surely this ABANDONED LIGHTHOUSE, which is also a famous KITESURFING spot.

CUMBUCO | world known kite surfing spot and touristic town close to Fortaleza

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Last days before we parted ways with our friends, we spent in Cumbuco, a well-known KITESURFING PARADISE just about 30km west of Fortaleza. Later on we continued our journey to Jericoacoara and our friends flew off to Rio. Therefore, it made sense we find a place not too far from the airport.

Despite its nice beach, we were not quite convinced by Cumbuco. It definitely looked like a good place for KITESURFERS, but other than that we found it to be less appealing if you are just visiting like we were. There were quite some shops, bars and restaurants in the town, which gave us the impression this might be more of a party place – if this is what you are after, it might be a good choice. It is also very close to Fortaleza, easy to get to from the airport and there were more European tourists then anywhere else so far.

JERICOACOARA | chill oasis in the north and one of my favourite spots in northern Brazil

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A peaceful place surrounded by the ocean on one side, a national park and sand dunes on the other side, disconnected from the main roads, a place where you can roam the city “streets” barefoot on sand all day long, a place where you can swim, kitesurf, surf, windsurf, ride horses and reflect while watching the sun set from a sand dune. Does such a place really still exist somewhere in this busy world? Oh yes, and it´s called Jericoacoara.

Beloved amongst the HIPPIE COMMUNITY back in the days, it still preserved some of its charm from that time. Despite its remoteness and laid back atmosphere it is a very popular place to visit and there are little signs of modernisation, but noting to worry about, it is still a great spot for anyone who dislikes big hotels, busy streets and so on. It is only reachable with a 4×4 VEHICLE though, and you need to pay a TOURIST TAX at the city entrance, they will scan your passport too and hand you the papers which you need to show on your way out.

Besides KITESURFING which is possible almost anywhere in this part of Brazil, you can also try SURFING or WINDSURFING over here. The bay has perfect waves for that, even if you are a complete beginner – there are a few WATER SPORTS SCHOOLS, where you can get instructors or simply hire the equipment and pay by the hour.

Late in the afternoon masses of people start to ascend the mighty sand dune at the edge of the bay in order to watch the SUNSET. Of course we joined them, as it was really a thing to do here in Brazil. People also often APPLAUSE with CLAPPING HANDS at the moment the sun goes down, it is their way of saying thank you for this day. I found that a beautiful thing to do actually. I might also add at this occasion, there is always a police car present at such moments, we also saw police cars patrolling down the beaches basically in every place we visited in the 3 weeks.

The view from the top of this sand dune was really spectacular. And one evening we had a local kitesurfer showing off his skills just in front of us.

If you get tired of staying just in the town, you can, like us, do a day trip. Usually it is either to the east side or to the west side. We went to check out JERICOACOARA NATIONAL PARK and its surroundings with a rented QUADBIKE and a guide on a motorbike driving in front of us.

We drove off towards the town of PREIA and made our first stop at this famous tree, shaped by the strong winds, called TREE SLOTH. One of the things we also noticed about Brazilians (and it was once again confirmed here) is that they love to take pictures. In every possible pose, hats off, sunglasses on, this way, that way, all together, one by one… And so, at this tree there was a long line for the picture. But since we prefer to have a picture of just the tree and don´t necessarily need our faces on it, I waited for a moment when people swapped positions and bingo. Got at least one.

After PREIA and the national park area we spend the majority of the day visiting various spots around a big lake LAGOA DE JIJOCA. The most famous two being LAGOA AZUL and LAGOA PARAISO, with water hammocks, cocktails, beach clubs, white sand, music, food and calm turquoise water.

One of the best sections on this trip was without a doubt the last part of the journey back to Jericoacoara. After a couple of rather loud hours at the lagoons, this peace and quiet in between sand dunes was just perfect.

PARACURU | wonderful and pristine smaller beach side town and a great base for day trips in the area

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Just like many places on this trip, we visited Paracuru more or less by coincidence. As our departure was slowly approaching, we were searching for a new place, somewhere half way between Jeri and Fortaleza and we came across this fine looking pousada – more about it later on. Paracuru turned out to be a good choice for our LAST 3 NIGHTS, since there was a little bit of everything – a nice beach, perfect for surfing and kitesurfing, restaurants, some shops and markets, the vicinity of other nice coastal towns & natural areas, but most of all we will remember it by the people we met.

While strolling around this deserted magnificent beach, PRAIA BARRA DO RIO CURU, close to Paracuru town we´ve watched one of the nicest sunsets of the whole trip. Here, the waters of river Curu mix with the ocean and there is a great MANGROVE and FOREST AREA close by.

And if we started this trip by staying at that great boutique hotel, we surely ended it by staying at yet another exquisit location. At POUSADA CHILL MANGO, which opened its doors not so long ago, we enjoyed our big room with a cosy terrace, a large salt water pool, one of the best breakfasts, the amazing lush tropical garden and most of all the hospitality and friendliness of our French hosts. If you are coming to this part of Brazil, make sure you stop by. Yann and Capucine, thank you again for a great time in your little peace of paradise!

Click here for more information chillmango

LAGOINHA | amazing cliffs, sandy beach and sand dunes

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We couldn´t leave Paracuru without doing that one last day trip. So we took a taxi to a nearby town of LAGOINHA, had lunch and rented a QUADBIKE. This time we were allowed to go on our own, without a guide and it felt great to have this freedom of being able to drive wherever we wanted. It made us miss our Defender a bit haha. The landscape around here inspired us once again. Even after seeing so many cliffs, rocks and sand dunes, we still found it interesting and couldn´t get enough of this unexploited, wild coastline.

To sum it up shortly, 3 weeks went by pretty fast in the end, even though we travelled really slowly. This is definitely the place to go to if you a keen kitesurfer or are searching for unknown, non-touristy places which are not featured in every brochure and not listed in every guidebook. We liked it precisely because of that and it was probably the first trip since Vanuatu 2 years ago that felt a lot more off the radar than most places around the world. If we would have prepared ourselves better and planned everything sooner, I would have loved to visit SAO LUIS and LENCOIS MARANHENSES NATIONAL PARK.

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