Brazil - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 297

INFORMATION AND TOURS
Tourist information In line with its huge popularity as
a domestic holiday destination, Fortaleza boasts a multi-
tude of tourist information outlets including kiosks in the
airport (daily 6am-midnight; T 85 3392 1667), rodoviária
(daily 8am-6pm; T 85 3230 1111) and Centro do Turismo,
Rua Senador Pompeu 350 (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 8am-
3pm, Sun 8am-noon; T 85 3101 5508), as well as o ces
in the Mercado Central (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-
noon; T 85 3105 1475), on Praça do Ferreira (Mon-Fri
9am-5pm, Sat 8am-noon; T 85 3105 1444) and on
Av Beira Mar near the Anfiteatro Flávio Ponte (Mon-Sat
9am-9pm, Sun 9am-8.30pm; T 85 3105 2670).
Tour operators Lisatur, Av Monsenhor Tabosa 1067,
Praia de Iracema ( T 85 3219 5400, W lisatur.com.br), has
good day-trips to beaches and other attractions.

beach, Jericoacoara ( W jeri-brazil.org), with
fine white sands and high dunes, especially
popular with wind- and kite-surfers. The
second half of the trip up here is by 4WD,
and it can take up to seven hours to make
the 312km journey. Finally, in the
opposite direction is Morro Branco , 80km
to the south of Fortaleza and renowned for
its beaches backed by maze-like cliffs of
multicoloured sand.

Beach Park
About 16km from downtown Fortaleza
is Beach Park at Porto das Dunas (daily
11am-5pm, closed midweek out of
season; R$140; T 85 4012 3000,
W

3

beachpark.com.br), which claims to
be Latin America's biggest water park.
It certainly has some hair-raising rides
and makes for a fun day-trip from
Fortaleza. Most tour agencies make the
trip out here, or - if you're in a group -
a taxi (approx 20min; R$50-60) may
work out cheaper.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane Fortaleza's Aeroporto Internacional Pinto
Martins ( T 85 3392 1200) is about 8km from downtown.
Buses with the route card Aeroporto/Benfica/Rodoviária
(R$2) run regularly to Praça José de Alencar in the centre
via the rodoviária . Taxis cost about R$30.
Destinations Belém (5 daily; 1hr 50min-3hr 40min);
Recife (10 daily; 1hr 15min-1hr 35min); Rio (12-24 daily;
5hr 40min-8hr 15min); Salvador (7-9 daily; 1hr 40min-
4hr 20min).
By bus The bus station, Rodoviária Engenheiro João
Tomé, Av Borges de Melo 1630 ( T 85 3230 1111), is about
3km from the centre of town, and served by the same
Aeroporto/Benfica/Rodoviária bus (see above).
Destinations Guanabara Express ( W expressoguanabara
.com.br) serve Recife and Brasília, while São Geraldo
( W saogeraldo.com.br) and Itapemirim ( W itapemirim
.com.br) serve São Paulo, with the latter also serving Rio.
Brasília (2-3 daily; 18-19hr); Recife (4 daily; 12-13hr);
Rio (1 daily; 46hr); São Paulo (1-2 daily; 52hr).

ACCOMMODATION
The budget hotels, as ever, tend to be downtown, which
hums busily during the day but empties at night - it's
best to stay elsewhere. Close by is Praia de Iracema, with
a decent enough range of accommodation, while Praia
Meireles further south is home to more upmarket hotels.

CENTRO
Backpackers Ceará Av Dom Manoel 89 T 85 3091 8997,
W backpackersce.com.br. Somewhat camouflaged until
you notice the animated wall painting, this place buzzes
with travellers, though it can feel a little impenetrable,
with its barbed wire, CCTV and coded locks. Rooms are
comfortable, but be rea dy to batt le aga inst the worn-out
fans. Wi-fi. Dorms R$20 , doubles R$40
Pousada Toscana Rua Rufino de Alencar 272 T 85 3088
4011, W pousadatoscana.com.br. A pleasant, Italian-owned
pousada with a bright-blue exterior and imitation columns
in the entrance, as well as a patio-cum-g arden at the back.
Rooms are simple but rather nondescript. R$70
Hostel Terra da Luz Rua Rodrigues Junior 278 T 85
3082 2260, W hostelterradaluz.com. This hostel has a cosy

Ì TREAT YOURSELF
Pousada 0031 Av das Dunas 2249,
Cumbuco T 85 8617 9119, W 0031.com.
A little tropical paradise at this Dutch-run
pousada forty minutes from the centre of
Fortaleza. Management couldn't be
friendlier, the restaurant is the best in
town, the rooms - in individually styled
thatched-roof apartments - are spotless,
the pool refreshing, and the golden sand
dunes and pristine beaches only two
minutes' walk a way; “huge breakfast”
included.

GETTING AROUND
By bus Fortaleza has plenty of local buses (R$2). Useful
routes that take you to the main beaches and back to
the city centre are marked “Grande Circular I” and “Caça e
Pesca/Centro/Beira Mar”.
By taxi Expect to pay in the region of R$20-25 to get any-
where in town. For pre-booked taxis, try Cooperativa Rádio
Táxi ( T 85 3254 5744) or Disque Táxi ( T 85 3287 7222).

R$165