Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Downtown Natal is the usual scrappy, bustling affair, centred on the Avenida Rio
Branco , which runs past the oldest (and far more sleepy) part of the city, Cidade Alta ,
and terminates just to the right of a scruffy square, Praça Augusto Severo, site of the
useful central bus station.
Forte dos Reis Magos
Av Presidente Café Filho • Daily 8am-4.30pm • R$3 • T 84 3202 2006 • Take a taxi (R$30 one-way from Cidade Alta) and ask it to wait
(no extra charge for the wait)
Natal's premier historical site is the distinctive, whitewashed Forte dos Reis Magos ,
which dominates the mouth of the Rio Potengi and dates back to 1598. The name
commemorates the date that construction began on January 6, the Christian feast of
the Epiphany that honours the biblical “Three Kings” of the “natal”. Inside the fort, the
old stone courtyard and low walls give the impression of great antiquity, with a small
Moorish-like chapel in the middle housing images of the Three Kings (you'll see their
images all over the city). Small exhibits on the history of the fort occupy the old, dank
rooms, and the views back towards the city, the river and the new Ponte Newton
Navarro suspension bridge from the battlements are spectacular.
Praça Sete de Setembro
Espaço Cultural Palácio Potengi • Tues-Sat 8am-6pm • Free • T 84 3211 4620
The oldest part of Natal is formed by the closely packed streets and small squares
of Cidade Alta , clustered around the administrative heart of the city, Praça Sete de
Setembro . The plaza is dominated by the Palacio Potengi , built in tropical Neoclassical
style in 1873 as the Provincial Assembly and now the Espaço Cultural Palácio Potengi ,
with changing art displays by mainly local artists in the austere, simply furnished
period rooms. Opposite lies the striking blue Prefeitura Municipal (aka Palácio Felipe
Camarão), completed in 1922, and the grimly Modernist Assembleia Legislativa do Rio
Grande do Norte .
4
BEACHES BY BUGGY: TRIPS FROM NATAL
Going to Natal without riding a beach buggy is a bit like going to Ireland and not drinking
Guinness - you may or may not enjoy it, but you might as well try it seeing as you're there.
After a period of explosive, unregulated growth, the scene today is much more subdued and
controlled - you won't see buggies on any of the city beaches, and you'll have to arrange a trip
with agents or hotels. Whichever operator you choose, make sure they are licensed by SETUR
(they should have o cial ID cards).
There are two basic kinds of buggy experience: a day- or half-day trip, which involves
riding either north or south down the coast, mainly along the beaches (the bugeiro will
perform a few stunts along the way, surfing the sand dunes, but it's mainly an opportunity
to explore the beautiful coastline around Natal); or pay by the ride or by the hour for
fairground-type stuff on specific beaches, especially at Genipabu , 10km to the north of
Natal. Here the bugeiros make full use of the spectacular sand dunes to push your heart
through your mouth. Trips cost R$75-100, plus a R$10 fee to enter the dunes area. Some
operators include Genipabu on longer tours along the coast: these cost around R$440
per buggy (or R$110 per person) and include visits to Lagoa de Jacumã and Praia Muriú.
It's possible to travel all the way from Natal to Fortaleza and even Jericoacoara - the
mother of all buggy trips takes three to four days and costs R$1800 and up (six days
to Jericoacoara).
BUGGY TOUR OPERATORS
Marazul Passeios de Buggy Rua Vereador Manoel
Sátiro 75, Ponta Negra T 84 3204 7910,
W
Top Buggy Av Moema Tinoco 1559, Genipabu
T 84 4141 6262, W topbuggy.com.br.
passeiodebuggy.com.br.
 
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