Fortaleza

Two words define Fortaleza the capital of the state of Ceará State in Brazil: Sun and Party.

Climate

The sun is absolute on 25KM of the city urban of stunning beaches; Fortaleza is the Brazilian coastal city with most sunny days throughout the year. Fortaleza is a hot city with a refreshing coastal wind to make all so pleasant, it has little variation in temperature across the year; this happens because Fortaleza is located very near the Equatorial Line. There is a slight decrease from April to August, but the temperature still remains between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius. The rest of the year you will find 30 degrees Celsius being the most common. There can be a clear concentration of rain some days in the first half of the year, but from July to January, Fortaleza sees very little rain.

It’s Always Party Time in Fortaleza

Party is the permanent state of spirit of the people and the city. Forro is the typical musical style on the region of the northeast, is on the people's blood, on the beach, on the bars, on the restaurants, in the dance clubs, on the streets of Fortaleza. Most beach bars are open until very late into the night and in some of the beach towns like Cumbuco and Canao Quebrada, well often they don’t shut!

But for the serious night goers, nightclubs are plentiful, atmospheric and intense in Fortaleza. The nightlife starts to fully liven by midnight then well into the early hours to 6am – 7am. The main tourist hotspots for clubs is just of the beach of Iracema, with several nightclubs and bars based together, with clubs like Café del Mar and Mambo s being packed every night of the week playing popular dance tracks mixed perfectly to a Latin style, and the famous disco Piratas being filled on Monday nights for the Forro music lovers. Further into the city area of Iracema at Dragao do Mar which is the main social meeting place for Brazilians alike, we have the hugely popular Armazem disco, which fills to the thousands of dance happy Brazilians, especially on Wednesdays and Saturdays, also at the Centro square they are plentiful of other bars and of cause several packed out restaurants. I do need to mention the huge Mucuripe disco, busiest night normally being Fridays it carters for all type of music lovers with 5 different music theme areas.

Tourism in Fortaleza

If people's happiness and hospitality and the cultural animation that make people love Fortaleza (see some more stunning pictures of Fortaleza here) at the first sight, other elements also contribute to include the city, a modern capital, it has become one of the most preferred holiday destinations of Brazilian and Latin-American visitors due to the combination of a privileged nature with an excellent infra-structure, sophisticated tourist elements. Famous for the friendliness and hospitality of its people, for its animated lights and incredible cultural diversification, Fortaleza is a well developed city and possesses a modern infrastructure, harbours, international airport, and the best international hotel chains, shopping centres, theatres, bars, nightclubs, as well as ample green and leisure areas. It had been for decades being a popular destination for Brazilian tourists, but 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. 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. On top of that, it's worthy mentioning that Brazil is free from natural disasters, and is a country with low cost of living.

The seashore, running the length of the city, has a variety of attractions. The most important urban beaches of Fortaleza are Meireles, Volta da Jurema and Mucuripe, connected to each other by the Avenida Beira-Mar. Modern buildings, including first class hotels, and very many beach bars (barracas) and restaurants, which serve local cuisine and delicious seafood dishes, line this three-mile long avenue. By early evening it opens its market stalls for all its hand made goods, and is renowned for thousands of locals and tourist strolling along the stretch and watching the world go by. Praia do Futuro to the south east of the city is another very popular tourist beach due to its gorgeous white sands and relaxed atmosphere about 7 km long, is the preferred one for bathing and surfing. Praia do Futuro was made famous by its barracas (rustic restaurants built on the beach sand), which offer excellent food and local musical shows. Beach Park at Ponta das Dunas, (see some stunning photos here) just out of the city, has the largest water park in Brazil, and like always a fantastic beach, offering also one of the best hotel resorts in Brazil.

Cumbuco also need mentioning, it is the first stop in the Sunset Coastline, which heads west, and it holds some exciting experiences that only the beaches of Ceará can offer. Famous for its wind surf environment and facilities, local natural scenery beauty and miles of ever-changing sand dunes forms perfect for thrilling buggy rides. One of the other most famous attractions in Cumbuco is in the middle of the dunes, Banana do Lagoa, where visitors enjoy many water activities such as kayak, speedboat and banana-boat rides on the lagoon. Thanks to its attractiveness and the proximity with Fortaleza (30 minutes drive from the city), Cumbuco is one of the areas in Brazil with the greatest presence of foreigners looking for a residence. This has caused a boom in the real estate and construction sectors. Even though Cumbuco is still a small village, visitors can find a range of services in different categories and prices, among restaurants, hotels and inns. For more stunning pictures click here.

Back to the city, Fortaleza is celebrated also for its culture and it s retain of the architectural features from the turn of the century. Some big attractions are the Estoril buildings, which houses restaurants and an exhibition gallery, the Ponte dos Ingleses (Bridge of the Englishmen) from which beautiful sunsets can be observed, and the Cultural Centro Dragão do Mar, one of the most modern and complete cultural centres in Brazil, and the Statue of Iracema, one of the landmarks of the city, is at Volta da Jurema.

Safety

Just like anywhere no city is perfect, Fortaleza of cause has many poor areas including some favelas, and some other dangerous areas within the city. Some ‘service ladies’ can hang around some streets, beggars will be begging in the main tourist spots, and some petty theft can occur if your not careful. The course of action is simple and obvious enough; don’t wonder off the beaten track in the city any larger towns (many beach villages are generally crime free) until you are very familiar with the areas and don’t flash the cash about or the gold. With that aside, you will have a fantastic time.

If you would like to spare 7 minutes for a video photo clip of Ceara then click here: