Ceará: Coast, Nature Parks and Culture
Accommodation in Ceará
Ceará offers a wide variety of travel experiences: coastal landscapes with beaches and dunes sit alongside the cave and forest landscapes of Parque Nacional de Ubajara and historic towns. When choosing a holiday rental, it can help to decide first whether you want to focus on the coast, nature experiences or culture.
Fachada da Biblioteca Pública Estadual do Ceará (BECE), em Fortaleza.
Photo: Ruan Moreira Peixoto via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jericoacoara: Coast, Dunes and Water
On the coast of Ceará, Parque Nacional de Jericoacoara lies between the municipalities of Jijoca de Jericoacoara and Cruz. Established in 2002, the park covers approximately 8,800 hectares of protected coastal ecosystems. These include shifting dune fields, Restinga vegetation, mangroves and lagoons. These habitats provide refuge for sea turtles, seahorses and various migratory bird species.
The park’s beaches range from busy to secluded; some are suitable for water sports. Windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing and stand-up paddleboarding are practised there. Walks along the beaches and through the shifting dune fields are also among the possible activities. The west-facing beach of the bay, which encompasses Parque Nacional and Vila de Jericoacoara, is a place where visitors and locals watch the sun set over the sea each day.
From Vila de Jericoacoara, you can take trips to Serrote, Pedra Furada and Árvore da Preguiça. Canoe trips through the mangroves of the Rio Guriú offer the chance to spot seahorses. Aeroporto Regional de Jericoacoara (JJJ) is in the municipality of Cruz, around 30 kilometres from Vila de Jericoacoara. The final stretch to Parque Nacional must be travelled on sandy roads in a 4x4 vehicle.
Caves and Forest in Parque Nacional de Ubajara
Parque Nacional de Ubajara extends across areas of the municipalities of Ubajara, Tianguá and Frecheirinha. Covering 6,299 hectares, it protects a transition zone between the Caatinga and the Atlantic Rainforest. Gruta de Ubajara is 1,120 metres long in total; approximately 450 metres are open to visitors.
A guide accredited by Parque Nacional is required throughout the visit to Gruta de Ubajara. From the Centro de Visitantes, visitors can reach the cave only by cable car; both the outward and return journeys are made on the same cable car. The Bondinho de Ubajara offers a panoramic ride over the Atlantic Rainforest, with views of Ceará’s valleys, caves and natural landscapes. Reservations are mandatory, including for visitors to the Trilha Ubajara–Araticum. Food must be handed in.
Trilha da Samambaia passes through humid forest along a well-marked path with boardwalks, bridges, shelters and viewpoints. Circuito das Cachoeiras leads to Cachoeira do Cafundó: the waterfall is approximately 72 metres high and has a natural pool suitable for swimming. The centuries-old Trilha Ubajara–Araticum is of moderate to high difficulty. On Trilha Cara Suja – Bike, one section is reserved exclusively for cyclists; another is shared by hikers and cyclists.
Coastal Landscapes and Cultural Discoveries
On the Ceará side, Rota das Falésias covers eight towns and 215 kilometres along the east coast, the Costa do Sol Nascente. The route’s landscapes include colourful cliffs, white dunes and vast beaches with warm, greenish water. Morro Branco is home to a maze of cliffs designated a natural monument. Artisans use different-coloured sand from the cliffs to create landscapes in glass bottles; this craft is a defining feature of the route.
Praia de Canoa Quebrada is in the municipality of Aracati and is considered one of the world’s most famous beaches and the main attraction on the coast of Ceará. The town of Aracati preserves an urban layout dating back to the 18th century. It includes more than 2,500 buildings, among them mansions and churches built and decorated with Portuguese azulejos. In Barbalha, Festa do Pau da Bandeira de Santo Antônio is recognised as intangible cultural heritage of the state of Ceará. The tradition encompasses memory, identity and the social development of Brazil.
Fortaleza and Aquiraz also offer different options for planning your trip: Centro Dragão do Mar de Arte e Cultura in Fortaleza includes a planetarium and museums. Beach Park in Aquiraz offers attractions for all age groups.
When searching for a holiday rental, you can first decide which experiences matter most to you: beaches and water sports, caves and hiking trails, or culture in the towns. This makes it easier to choose a place to stay that matches the focus you want for your trip.
Discover More Destinations:
Cruz, Mauriti, Nova Russas, Trairi, São Gonçalo do Amarante, Itarema, Pedra Branca, Solonópole, Barroquinha, Graça, Fortaleza, Caucaia, Itapipoca, Caucaia, Cascavel, Fortim, Beberibe, Baleia, Boa Viagem, Aquiraz, Espinho, Fortaleza, Jijoca De Jericoacoara, Trairi, Aracati, Taíba, Icó, Amontada, Camocim, Maranguape, Flamengo, Juazeiro Do Norte, Crato, Itarema, Pacatuba, Icapuí, Mundaú, Quixadá, Sobral, Barbalha, Maracanaú, José Rodrigues, Paraipaba, Baixio, Brejo Santo, Paracuru, Ubajara, Baturité, Guaramiranga, Costas, Redonda, São Gonçalo Do Amarante, São Benedito, Pindoretama, Redenção, Uruburetama, Guaraciaba Do Norte, Guajiru, Aratuba, Preá, Santa Tereza, Barreira, Viçosa Do Ceará, Tianguá, Canindé, Ibicuitinga, Morada Nova, Icarai, Hidrolândia, Mulungu, Acarape, Amontada, Barroquinha, Aurora, Aracoiaba, Porteiras, Pacajus, Jaguaribe, Jaguaruana, Horizonte, Eusébio, Acaraú.
For the broader travel overview: Brazil.
