Jericoacoara
Beach Village Inside Jericoacoara National Park (Created 2002), One Of The World'S Best Known Kitesurfing And Windsurfing Destinations · Jijoca de Jericoacoara, Ceará
Jericoacoara, Jeri to everyone, is a village of sand streets on the far north-east coast of Brazil, set between the ocean and a range of dunes inside a national park. Thirty years ago it was a remote fishing settlement reached only by dune buggy; now it is one of the most famous beach villages in South America and a world centre for kitesurfing and windsurfing, thanks to strong, steady trade winds for half the year. The streets are still sand, lit softly at night by the rule of the park. Every evening the whole village climbs the big dune at the west end, the Duna do Pôr do Sol, to watch the sun set into the sea, then goes back down to capoeira on the beach and caipirinha stalls. Pedra Furada, a natural rock arch on the shore, is the other icon, best reached at low tide. Day trips by buggy go to freshwater lagoons with hammocks strung in the water, like Lagoa do Paraíso. Getting there is part of it: the final stretch is by 4x4 across sand. Jeri is no longer undiscovered, and prices show it.
Vila de Jericoacoara, Jijoca de Jericoacoara, CE, Jijoca de Jericoacoara, Ceará, Brazil
A village, always open, but with rules that catch people out. Visitors pay a municipal tourism fee charged per day of stay, which can be paid online before arrival or at a checkpoint, and pousadas or drivers may ask to see proof - confirm the current amount and method. Private cars cannot drive into the village; you leave them in Jijoca or at Preá and take a licensed 4x4 across the sand, so arriving late at night is awkward. Pedra Furada can be reached along the beach only around low tide, so the tide table, not the clock, sets that walk. Sunset on the big dune is the daily fixture and the dune may be partly roped off to protect it. The windy season, best for kitesurfing, runs roughly July to January; lagoons are fullest after the rains. Buggy tours run by day. New Year, Carnival and July fill the village and push prices sharply up.