Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VISITORS' CHECKLIST
Ceará.
THE STORY OF IRACEMA
Written by José de Alencar in 1865,
the story of Iracema tells of the love
that a Tabajara princess bore for
Martim, a white Portuguese settler.
Iracema uses magic to make Martim
fall in love with her, and is ostracized
by her community. Away from her
people, she loses her magical powers
and her lover. A statue of Iracema
on Meireles beach is located where,
according to legend, she stood
awaiting the return of her beloved.
k
4 miles (6 km) S of town.
*
2.3 million.
@
(085) 3256 2100.
Casa do
Turista, Av Beira Mar at Rua Frei
Mansueto, (085) 3105 2670.
n
(
daily craft market at Meireles
beach.
Fortal (Jul), Regata
de Jangadas (Jul), Semana do
Folclore (Aug).
www
.fortaleza.
ce.gov.br/turismo
_
Statue of Iracema
waiting for her lover
shopping, sun-bathing,
or people-watching while
sipping on fresh cashew juice.
Home to what has become
the city's prime residential
and hotel neighborhood in
Fortaleza, Meireles' pedestrian
boulevard, running beside
the beach, becomes a night
market every evening.
L
Praia de Iracema
Just east of the city center lies
the Praia de Iracema. Though
called a beach, it is actually
the very urban former port,
now renovated and trans-
formed into the city's most
popular nightlife and restau-
rant area. The centerpiece of
the area is a long ocean pier
called Ponte dos Ingleses
(Englishman's Pier), first built
in 1920, and modeled on the
piers of Brighton. Many restau-
rants occupy other original
turn-of-the-19th-century
buildings in the area. Locally
famous nightlife spots include
Piratas (open Mondays), and
Lupus Bier, known for its
Wednesday-evening folk-
lore and variety show.
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Praia de Meireles
The city's prettiest urban
beach is lined with thick
groves of coconut palms and
waterside cafés, although the
water is not considered good
for swimming. Meireles is a
great place for strolling,
Praia do Futuro
Praia do Futuro
is one of the best
beaches in the city
for swimming, and
a bustling nightlife
destination in its
own right. The
7-mile (11-km) long
beach southeast of
the center is lined
with restaurants and
beach shacks that
serve local cuisine. There are
several discos on the beach
that are popular on week-
ends. On Thursday nights,
Fortalezans head to Barraca
Chico do Caranguejo to
feast on fresh crab and listen
to popular live
forró
(see
p236)
music.
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Visitors at a waterside café, Praia de Meireles
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Praia de Cumbuco
21 miles (33 km) W of town.
Cumbuco is the city's favorite
beach playground. The Lagoa
da Banana offers a wide vari-
ety of watersports, including
jet-skiing, boating, banana
boating, and kayaking. Lagoa
do Parnamirim, just south of
Cumbuco, is surrounded by
tall dunes, making it the
perfect spot for “ski-bunda”
(bum-skiing), where skiers
sit on a wooden board and
slide down the side of the
dune into the lagoon. Other
sport activities on offer here
include horseback riding
and sailing on
jangadas
,
or single-sail rafts.
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