Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Baobab
Rua Dragâo do Mar 1998
T
88 9948 4715.
Excellent Mediterranean-inspired menu, potent cocktails
and live music on the main stretch of “Broadway”.
Mon,
Wed & Sun 5pm-2am.
Barraca Antônio Coco
(on the beach)
T
88 3421 7000,
W
antoniococo.com.br.
Superb seafood (fresh fish,
prawns, lobster) and regional dishes served in one of the
best barracas on the beach, equally appealing for a
laidback beer or
caipirinha
. Tables on the beach or on the
shady balcony. Free showers and buggy rides back to your
hotel.
Daily 9am-10pm.
Costa Brava
Rua Dragão do Mar 2022
T
88 3421 7088.
Spanish restaurant cooking up great pans of delicious
paella crammed with fresh seafood, grilled prawns and
(mains R$26-50).
Daily 5pm-midnight.
Jericoacoara
Ceará's most enticing beach, and arguably one of the world's finest,
JERICOACOARA
lies
315km northwest of Fortaleza with huge dunes of fine white sand and turquoise
lagoas
.
Arguably Brazil's best location for wind and surf activities, most tour agents in Fortaleza
offer packages here (see p.303). It's no longer off the beaten track or a budget destination,
but development has so far not spoiled the languid atmosphere of the place, and there are
plenty of spots to stay as well as several outfits renting out surfboards and windsurfing
equipment.
Kitesurfing
is also very popular here, particularly at Praia do Prea, a small
fishing village some 10km down the beach (43km by road).
The village lies within a small but protected national park (Parque Nacional de
Jericoacoara), with vehicle access highly restricted (for now at least) and the main
“streets” little more than sandy trails. The main drag is Rua Principal, with Rua do
Forró (where buses arrive) to the north and Rua São Francisco and Rua das Dunas to
the south near the dunes. Watching the mesmerizing sunsets atop the
Pôr do Sol
dune
is one of the highlights of Brazil.
4
Tatajuba
A small village in the dunes 25km west of Jericoacoara,
Tatajuba
is a popular excursion
by buggy or 4WD (around R$250 for four). The primary draw is the idyllic freshwater
THE LITORAL OESTE
Northwest of Fortaleza the
Litoral Oeste
is lined with massive dunes and beaches almost the
whole way to Jericoacoara - indeed, it's possible to travel around by beach buggy (see box,
p.291). Travelling by bus is time-consuming but possible (most places are connected to
Fortaleza); the main operator is Fretcar (
W
fretcar.com.br). In addition to just lazing on vast
wedges of sand,
kitesurfing
and
windsurfing
are major pursuits in these parts, with
Cumbuco and Paracuru fun places to learn. For a quieter, more laidback experience, aim for the
village of Icaraí. These are the east-coast highlights (listed in km north of central Fortaleza):
•
Cumbuco
(30km). Best known as the kitesurfing centre of the Northeast, best June to
January. Beginner courses (10hr) start at around R$800. See
W
cumbuco.com.
•
Paracuru
(88km). Party town that gets crowded during weekends, but is less frenetic during
the week when surfing and kitesurfing on the beaches are popular. See
W
paracuru.tur.br.
Hourly buses from Fortaleza (2hr; R$8.70), and one daily to Paraipaba (5pm; 1hr; R$3).
•
Lagoinha
(105km). Gorgeous strip of sand, with as yet minimal development (though
day-trips from the city are popular). The closest bus is Paraipaba, from where taxis run to
Lagoinha. Hourly buses from Fortaleza (2hr; R$9.20).
•
Trairi
(125km). Several idyllic, untrammelled beaches are accessible from this small town:
Mundaú
(17km) protected by a 100m reef, and
Fleicheiras
(11km) more deserted still.
Fretcar buses go direct to both places via Paraipaba: Fleicheiras (6 daily; 3hr 20min; R$13.85);
Mundaú (3 daily; 3hr 45min; R$14.15).
•
Icaraí
(196km). End-of-the-road-type fishing village, barely touched by tourism, with a lovely
beach and a handful of places to stay. Fretcar runs one bus daily from Fortaleza (2.30pm; 4hr
20min; R$21.20). Moving on, you'll have to get a bus to Amontada (5.50am; 1hr; R$5), and
change there for buses to Jijoca for Jericoacoara (4 daily; 2hr 25min).
