Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

 

Fortaleza, the capital city of the State of Ceará, has been for decades one of the most popular destinations of Brazilian tourists. In recent years, the fame of Fortaleza has been gaining the world, and the number of Europeans, North and South Americans travellers coming to Ceará has grown fast.

 

Beaches. Despite being one of smallest States in Brazil, Ceará has one of the longest coastlines in the country. Fortaleza has some of the nicest urban beaches in Brazil, while Ceará has well preserved, nearly wild, unexplored beaches.

Fortaleza Brasil Beaches are amongst some of the most spectacular in the world and with the ten hours of sunlight that they receive each day, they prove to be an extremely popular destination for tourists. Due to Fortaleza's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, there are many different resorts and beaches for every form of sun and sea seeking tourist.

Places like Praia de Iracema not only have beautiful warm, clear waters but the Fortaleza beach also holds a whole host of restaurants and bars to choose from, so whilst soaking up the rays, you will never be short of places to grab a refreshing drink.  After enjoying a day of sun and relaxation, you can be certain that the nearby restaurants will provide you with fine cuisine to commence the evening.  There is also a pier close by named Ponte dos Ingleses which many enjoy sitting by to watch for dolphins.

If you are looking for a more active break away, the Fortaleza Brasil beaches of Iguape and Porto das Dunas contain water parks where you will find plenty of activities for the children to enljoy.  You also have the opportunity of participating in windsurfing and jet sking.   Whilst visiting Fortaleza Brazil beaches, you will also learn more about the local lifestyle as from the shore you can watch the Ceará's fishermen catching seafood in their jangadas for the local cuisine.

Urban Beaches. There are two nice city beaches, Praia de Iracema and Meireles. Some people discourage bathing here, although they are mostly rated green by authorities. The whole stretch from the Ponte Metálica (aka Ponte Inglesa) pier to the fish market is paralleled by the Avenida Beira Mar, very nice for an evening stroll. A string of shacks line the beachfront, mostly good for drinking and people watching. Some of these, particularly when serving in the sand, have up to three different menus with varying prices. Sunbeds can be charged up to R$ 30 a day, although the real price is R$ 3-5. Unless otherwise stated, cross the street for food. The busiest strip (with the most expensive beer), including the bulk of beggars, prostitutes and vendors, is right in front of McDonald's, to avoid these go east of the market.

 

 

Climate. 

The dry and hot Fortaleza climate in northeastern Brazil makes the city one of the popular tourist destinations in Latin America. That is because sunny weather result warm waters and an ideal beach swimming and outdoor activities location. However, it is recommended that prior to going to the city; it would be helpful if you would know more about Fortaleza weather.

Because the city is located near the earth's equator, or the direct pathway of the sun, it is logical to expect that Fortaleza climate is typically hot. Thus, Fortaleza weather can be classified into two major and obvious groups: sunny or dry and wet or rainy. Now, it would be important to know when Fortaleza climate is dry and when it is wet.

Generally, Fortaleza is characterized by its hotness. The city is a very hot one, making it perfect for tanning sessions at the beach. The breeze during hot days is truly refreshing because wind speed in the city is generally typical of sea-side cities. The wind direction is from the sea towards the land, or from west towards east. This wind direction accompanied by ideal wind speed makes different wind activities like surfing and kite flying ideal activities in Fortaleza.

Fortaleza weather is unique in that there is usually rain during the first six months of the year, or from January to June. Expect that during this period, relative humidity is high, making Fortaleza climate extremely uncomfortable during several periods of the day. Relative humidity refers to the condition when water vapor is very much present in the air molecules. This is typical when the day is hot and there is too much moisture in the air from a short or sudden rain pour.

Fortaleza climate is usually very dry like summer during the months of August to December, when it is winter in other parts of the world, especially those in the northern hemisphere. Thus, experts advise tourists to schedule their visits to Fortaleza during these hot and dry months.

 

What to see and what to do. 
Besides enjoying the beaches, visitors can enjoy the nightlife, take city tours, go shopping, take short trips to neighbour beaches, and more.

 

Hotels. With the recent boom in the tourism trade, Fortaleza saw a spike in the number of hotels. Massive investments, both by Brazilian and international groups, have built in the city one of the most modern infrastructure of hotels in the country.

 

Food, Drinks and Restaurants. Try the Brazilian cuisine: feijoada, churrasco, rice and beans. But don't forget that there are some dishes that are typical of the Northeast of Brazil, such as macaxeira, tapioca, carne de sol.

 

Ceará. Located in the northeastern corner of Brazil, Ceará is the Brazilian State nearest Europe and North America. With more than 3 million people, Fortaleza is the fifth largest metropolitan area in Brazil.

 

Get in.

By air. Fortaleza has a modern terminal building of the international Airport Pinto Martins (Telephone +55 85 3392 1200). Services here include federal police, post office, health authorities, internet cafe, tourist information, travel agencies, rental cars and currency exchange. Airlines fly to almost every major city in Brazil and also other capitals of South America, mostly via São Paulo. 

 

Direct flights to Europe:

• Daily from Lisboa by TAP

• Weekly from Amsterdam by ArkeFly

• Weekly from Rome and Milan by Air Italy.

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Other international flights:

• From Cape Verde, Africa by TACV.

• From any US, Canadian and European destinatios via Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro or Brasilia.

• From any Latin American capitals via Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Manaus or Recife.

 

Fortaleza airport has direct connections to all major cities in Brazil by TAM, Gol or Azul airlines.

 

There is an urban bus 404 Aeroporto/Benfica which runs frequently between the airport and the center, where you can find buses to virtually anywhere in Fortaleza. This bus also stops at the main bus station. Going to the urban beaches can either be done this way, or by crossing the parking lot (keep slightly to the right) and the highway (somewhat on your left) and catch the 027 Siqueira Papicu/Aeroporto, which will take you pretty straight to Praça Portugal/Shopping Aldeota in 25 minutes, traffic allowing. From here you can either walk some 7 blocks along Avenida Desembargador Moreira to the beach of Meireles, or you can wait for Circular 1 which passes within a block of most hotels in Meireles and Praia Iracema. Reverse this process (Start with Circular 2) to get to the airport, which is slightly easier as the bus then stops right in front of the terminal, and not on the highway.

There are two types of taxis, follow the signs: Airport taxis are more expensive, and have fixed prices. Most tourist areas fall within the most expensive zone, charging R$ 32,40 (R$ 48,60 on rate 2). Regular taxis offer just about the same comfort, and run on the meter, stopping at about R$ 25 (R$ 40 rate 2) to Praia de Iracema or Meireles. Bargaining is tough out here, but fairly easy in the opposite direction.