Travelling in Northeast Brazil in 2022- Part 2 (Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte)

 

By Thashwini Rajandran

 

Thank you for staying tuned to Part 2 of my travel made in August 2022! This part will cover my travels in Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte, in the Northeast region of Brazil.

As previously mentioned, Brazil is made up of five different regions namely the North, Northeast, Center-West, Southeast and South. 

I was excited about my trip to the cities of Fortaleza (Ceará) and Natal (Rio Grande do Norte), while also covering Pirangi do Norte and Tibau do Sul, for good reasons.

I will explain more in my 7-day-6-night itinerary below in Part 2 of this article and how I managed to keep my total expenditure (including flight ticket) at ~RM 1200. 

 

Day 1 (20 August 2022)

We (my husband and I) arrived in Fortaleza first thing in the morning by bus. There was only one stall in the bus station that was open and we had our breakfast there. I had the famous Mineiro (originating from the state of Minas Gerais) breakfast, pão de queijo.

We then bought our bus tickets to Natal and hailed a 99-car ride to our hostel (Hostel Fortaleza IG Nomad Space Pf) that was pre-booked via Booking.com.

The host was present at the time of our arrival and we talked for hours about his hostel business, life and basically everything in between! This is what I love the most about Brazil, the friendliness and warmth of its people. There was a guest from Manaus from the state of Amazonia who travelled all the way to Fortaleza to watch his football team, Corinthians play against Fortaleza. We were so tempted by his enthusiasm and eventually decided to buy two tickets online to the match scheduled for tomorrow.

We had a satisfying lunch at a nearby petite restaurant and bought an ice cream. Just across the road was the beach, lined with many resorts. We headed to a nearby bus stop instead across the road to start our city tour. 

Centro Dragão do Mar (Arts and Cultural Center).

We arrived after numerous stops and walked around the huge complex, designed to cater to the arts and cultural aspects of the state. Our main intention though was to head to the free planetarium show at the Rubens de Azevedo Planetarium slated to start at 8pm. 

It was a mesmerising show with glimmers of stars and tales about our planets and the solar system played in 180° vista (full dome projection). 

Music and entertainment commence at night.

By the time it ended, it was almost nightfall. We walked to the nearby main road, in search of a restaurant. While scanning through the area, I spotted a small stall selling books and snacks.

Dragão do Mar ablaze with red lights.

I bought some Cordel Literature, from the street vendor at Avenida Monsenhor Tabosa. The Cordel Literature is printed in small booklets, normally covering folk tales and poems. They are easy to read and are mostly full of dynamic accounts (useful if you are learning the Portuguese language). We then dropped by a catholic church next door to marvel at its interior.

The signages indicate different avenidas or roads.

We had BBQ meat at a nearby restaurant with seating on the sidewalk. At around 8.30pm, we called it a day and took a car ride back to the hostel, as taking the bus at night in a new city did not seem to be a good idea due to safety concerns.

 

Day 2 (21 August 2022)

We went to the Cocó State Park and walked the long trail lined up with beautiful waterways, mangrove forests, flocks of birds and dense vegetation. We had our all-inclusive breakfast at the hostel and an early lunch beforehand at a restaurant.

Mangrove forest with scrawny trees.

A congregation of egrets is visible in the swamp.

Then we hailed a car ride to Castelão Stadium. We left quite early for the stadium as we knew how congested it could get when it comes to match days in Brazil.

The football scene in Brazil has never ceased to amaze me with the sense of unity of the supporters and the team spirit that the players possess. We bought some drinks inside the stadium which were a bit pricey.

I had one of the best moments of my life watching Fortaleza go against Corinthians. The atmosphere was so lively with drummers, dancers and supporters showing their non-stop utmost love for their beloved club. With more goals scored, the celebration ramped up and the unwavering support of the fans grew stronger. Despite being the underdogs, Fortaleza went on to win the match 3-1.

Supporters warm up while having a drink and BBQ meat or churrasco meat, with some arriving a bit later. 

The green and red stripes of the jerseys starting to show.

We didn’t stay for the after-party in case it turned rowdy, so hailed a car ride back to the hostel. We had a quick dinner at a nearby restaurant before ending the night.

 

Day 3 (22 August 2022)

We woke up quite late after a tired day yesterday to do another city tour today. We left the hostel after breakfast and made our way to the bus stop across the road.

There were promoters lined up in front of the resorts, promoting their latest packages to rent holiday apartments throughout Brazil. We accepted the offer to listen to their presentation and were then given the option to either start the payment right away or to give it a thought. We decided to give it a thought and were given a free 100 R$ voucher to have lunch at the resort. We had the mouth-watering prawn smothered in coconut milk with sticky rice. The prawns were fresh and went so well with the creamy coconut milk.

The long stretched-out beach, in addition to clear waters.

With a now happy tummy, we took the bus to our first stop, the Central Market. There was a great array of artisanal products and locally made merchandise like hammocks, keychains and tote bags for sale that would be perfect souvenirs. I bought earrings. We then stopped by a stall to have one of the world-famous superfoods made from berries, açaí.

Then we took off to the Metropolitan Cathedral. It is an old catholic church built according to the Gothic-Roman style.

The Metropolitan Cathedral has a typical gothic architecture. 

We strolled to the nearby José de Alencar Square to take a breather while watching some kids skateboard. As dinnertime was approaching, we hailed a car ride to Iracema Beach.

Praça José de Alencar, named after one of Brazil’s famous novelists.

The beach was named after one of José de Alencar’s famous novels that revolves around the indigenous community. We had a fulfilling dinner at a nearby restaurant and walked along the pavement next to the beach to Feirinha da Beira Mar or the Waterfront Fair and the Japanese Garden. The fair had many makeshift stalls that sold artisanal items, from beachwear to paintings. The pavement meanwhile was bustling with activities, with street vendors, cyclists, joggers and street performers all having an enjoyable time in the company of others. I was entertained by a group of capoeira performers with their martial arts skills and musical beats.

We hailed a car ride after walking for more than an hour to have a good night’s rest. 

 

Day 4 (23 August 2022)

We left first thing in the morning to Natal. We took a car ride to the bus station and had breakfast there. I bought a postcard and some sweets. Around 8 and a half hours later, we safely arrived in Natal.

We took a car ride to the hostel (Pousada Lampião e Maria Bonita), pre-booked via Booking.com. Upon check-in, we went to the nearest supermarket to grab a quick lunch. We also bought some biscuits and bread for breakfast the next day.

We rested the whole evening before heading out to the nearest restaurant for a big dinner.

 

Day 5 (24 August 2022)

The next day, we had breakfast and hailed a car ride to the bus stop that would then take us to Pirangi do Norte. It is a well-known tourist destination where you can view the biggest cashew nut tree in the world! The entrance fee was quite cheap. The Pirangi Cashew Tree or Cajueiro de Pirangi looked like a park on its own with its dense coverage. It was truly a sight to behold for me. We roamed around for quite some time before ascending some stairs to get a bird’s eye view of the tree coverage.

We then left by bus to Tibau do Sul as we headed to the famous Pipa Beach. Why is it famous, you may wonder. Pipa Beach, besides its great beach, offers visitors the unique experience of dolphin watching! And no, there is no need to even get into a boat or swim in the sea. You can just be comfortably seated under your umbrella on the beach and dolphins will either leap or pass by very close to the beach for you to spot their fins! I had a great time entering the water and watching the playful dolphins.

As it got closer to noon time, we bought empanadas (meat in fried dough) and took the bus back to Pirangi do Norte.  

We bought açaí here before deciding to hail a car ride back to Natal as the bus tickets were priced at a similar rate.

At night, we had crab and a full meal for dinner. 

 

Day 6 (25 August 2022)

Since our accommodation was close to Ponta Negra Beach, we decided to walk along the beach during sunrise. This beach is also popular among locals and tourists alike due to the famous large sand dune that is clearly visible from any point on the beach. We had breakfast and took a car ride to the city centre.

Ponta Negra beach.

The famous Morro do Careca.

We passed by the city hall painted in baby blue and white. And the Church of Convento Santo Antônio, this time painted in sky blue and white. The Palace of Culture had a nice interior and information on the history of the building. 

Church of Convento Santo Antônio.

The interiors of the Palace of Culture are based on neoclassical style.

We didn’t stay long as we left to grab lunch. This was the cheapest full-meal lunch that I have managed to find so far during our trip, inclusive of a tasty cup of fresh juice. It was is a small family-run restaurant.

Next, we walked to the Metropolitan Cathedral or Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora da Apresentação for a brief visit before hailing a car ride to the Fort of the Magi or Forte dos Reis Magos. We bought coconuts from the street vendors as the piercing sun was too much for us to handle. There were also stalls selling beautiful souvenirs.

The crosses at the Metropolitan Cathedral.

(a)Summary of our self-curated city walking tour.

(b)Summary of our self-curated city walking tour.

The Fort of the Magi is located around 15 minutes from the city center, with a reasonable entrance fee. Its building was started by the Portuguese in the 16^th century. There were exhibits from hundreds of years ago on display, apart from the sturdy fortress that will make your visit worthwhile. The powerful waves and the blue sea were wonderful to look at. 

Newton Navarro Bridge.

Nicely made walkway to the fortress, right next to a rich mangrove habitat.

The city visible from the fortress.

Sea breaker with the waves crashing against it.

Next, we took a car ride to our last stop of the day, the Valentine’s Forest or Parque das Dunas. 

The walkways are well maintained with plenty of benches.

A plethora of flora and fauna (birds mostly) is a sight for sore eyes. 

We paid the cheap entrance fee and followed the free tour guide in the museum located inside with a reservoir of information on the different flora and fauna that exist in the locality. I loved the tour to bits. There is also the option to hike all the way to the sand dunes. You need to email the park beforehand to book a place as there are three different trails to choose from. 

Walking through a residential area to get to the main road.

We left the park before sunset and ate dinner in a quaint café next to the busy main road selling tapioca flour-made pancake or beiju. We then hailed a car ride to head back to the hostel.

 

Day 7 (26 August 2022)

Our flight to Belo Horizonte was scheduled at 11am. We took a car ride and then a bus ride to the airport. We bought some snacks during our journey to fill up our tummies. It was a sad day for us to leave this tropical and beach-laden part of Brazil. But there are so many interesting places in Brazil that I was keen to set my foot on, so stay tuned for that! 

Expenses (~RM 1200 per pax):

Details	Cost (Brazilian Real)
Breakfast	6
Bus (Fortaleza-Natal)	164.50
Car ride to hostel	9.75
Hostel (Hostel IG Nomad Space Pf)	243 (price for 2 pax in a private room)
Football match ticket	52.50
Lunch	14
Ice cream	7.50
Bus to Dragão do Mar	3.90
Souvenir	5
Dinner	20.50
Car ride to hostel	10
Bus to the Cocó State Park	4
Lunch	18
Car ride to Castelão Stadium	10
Drinks	10
Car ride to hostel	16.50
Dinner	18
Lunch	10.29
Bus ride to the Central Market	4
Souvenir	10
Açaí	8.03
Car ride to Iracema beach	4.65
Dinner	47.25
Car ride to hostel	7.50
Car ride to the bus station	9.50
Breakfast	14
Souvenir	2.50
Snacks	1
Car ride to hotel	14
Hostel (Pousada Lampião e Maria Bonita)	159.30 (price for 2 pax in a private room)
Lunch	10.99
Dinner	41.74
Breakfast	10.99
Car ride to bus stop	9.75
Bus to Pirangi do Norte	12
Entrance fee	8
Bus to Tibau do Sul	12
Beach umbrella rental	10
Lunch	14
Bus to Pirangi do Norte	12
Açaí	6
Car ride to hostel	14
Dinner	39
Breakfast	9
Car ride to city center	8.50
Lunch	10
Car ride to the Fort of the Magi (Forte dos Reis Magos)	7
Entrance fee	5
Drinks	6
Car ride to Parque das Dunas (Valentine’s Forest)	14
Entrance fee	1
Dinner	15
Car ride to hostel	9.50
Car ride to bus stop	15
Snack	4
Bus to Greater Natal International Airport	4
One way flight with GOL Airlines (Natal-Belo Horizonte)	374.25
Bus from Confins- Tancredo Neves International Airport to Belo Horizonte Bus Terminal	22.50
Total cost	1590.39