Canoa Quebrada
Former Fishing Village On Red Cliffs East Of Fortaleza, Known For Dunes, Buggies And Its Crescent Moon And Star Emblem · Aracati, Ceará
Canoa Quebrada is a beach village on the coast of Ceará, about three hours east of Fortaleza, set on top of red and ochre cliffs above a long beach. It was a remote fishing village discovered by hippies and travellers in the 1970s, who left behind a symbol that is still carved into the cliffs: a crescent moon and star. Today its main street, the Broadway, is lined with pousadas, restaurants and bars, and the village is a popular stop on the Ceará coast. By day, buggies race along the beach and over the dunes to lagoons and the cliffs of Ponta Grossa, paragliders launch from the clifftops, and kitesurfers use the steady wind. At the foot of the cliffs, beach restaurants serve lobster and fish, and jangada rafts take visitors out to sea. The cliffs are soft and eroding, and paths down to the beach need care. It is lively in high season and at Carnival, and much quieter the rest of the year. Many visitors see it on a day trip from Fortaleza; a night or two is better.
Canoa Quebrada, Aracati, CE, Aracati, Ceará, Brazil
A village, always open, with a daily rhythm set by the sun, the wind and the tide. Buggy tours usually leave in the morning and again in the afternoon, timed to reach sunset on the dunes; tours along the beach to Ponta Grossa depend on the tide, since buggies need firm sand at low water, so the departure time changes from day to day. Paragliding runs when the wind is right, often late afternoon, and is cancelled in gusty or dead conditions. The windy season, best for kitesurfing and paragliding, runs roughly July to December. Beach restaurants at the cliff foot open for lunch and afternoon and close around sunset; the Broadway comes alive in the evening, and is busiest on weekends, at New Year and at Carnival, when every room is booked and prices rise. Out of season some restaurants and pousadas close or cut hours. Day trips from Fortaleza usually leave early and return after dark. Confirm tides and tour times locally.