Jericoacoara

Ceará’s most famous beach, and arguably one of the world’s finest, Jericoacoara is a remote hangout 320km west of Fortaleza with huge dunes of fine white sand and turquoise lagoas. Possibly Brazil’s best beach for wind and surf activities, most tour agents in Fortaleza offer packages here. For the independent traveller, two buses a day from Fortaleza’s rodoviária (with Redençao t 85/3256-1973; R$32) cover the seven-hour journey. It’s still a primitive place, but there are plenty of spots to stay as well as several outfits renting out surfboards and windsurfing equipment. Kite-surfing (call t 88/3369-2288 and t 3669-2080 for local information on this sport) is very popular here, particularly at Praia do Prea, a small fishing village some 10km down the beach (43km by road).