If you are thinking about your next vacation to the northeast, be sure to consider putting Fortaleza on your list of destinations. Fortaleza is the capital of the state of Ceará and combines everything that we Brazilians enjoy most… beaches with warm waters, dunes, cliffs, good food, good prices and folklore.
Not to mention, that close to Fortaleza are also two paradisiacal destinations, Canoa Quebrada and Jericoacoara, which are super worth entering the itinerary if you have more days on your schedule to enjoy.
My itinerary through Fortaleza lasted exactly 5 days and I found enough time to explore everything calmly and enjoy the city a lot. If I had more days available, I would have stayed overnight in Canoa Quebrada (the day trip is only valid if you really have no other option) and amended Jericoacoara, which is worth visiting if you have at least 3 more nights to spare.
Itinerary in Fortaleza: 5 days to discover everything calmly in the city.
DAY 1: Historic Center + Avenida Beira Mar
- Depending on the time you arrive, it might be worth leaving this first day to get to know Fortaleza outside the beaches… yes, I know it's difficult but the city has life beyond the beaches, lol.
- Start the day at the Central Market – there are several floors with boxes of products, one next to the other, of handicrafts, chestnuts, spices, Ceará fashion… it's a must see !!! It's all very confusing, crowded, but it's worth having a bargain to guarantee local products.
- Continuing with the shopping, visit Emcetur, which is another complex of regional products where a chain used to work. The architecture of the building is super beautiful and the shops are in the old cells, it's a super cool cultural tour too.
- Still in the Historic Center, get to know the José de Alencar Theater, built in the Art Nouveau style and offering daily guided tours.
- If you still have time, take a trip to Passeio Público, where the oldest square in the city is located, as well as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza.
- In the late afternoon, take a walk along Avenida Beira Mar and end the day at Feirinha Beira Mar (which starts in the late afternoon and goes until 11pm) – it’s practically an open-air mall and pretty cool to walk around and buy regional products .
- Dine at Moleskine – a super modern, young gastrobar with good music and different drinks.
PS. The best place to stay is on Av. Beira Mar between the beaches of Iracema, Meireles and Mucuripe – none of the three are good for swimming – but it is where there are several restaurants, the market and the best hotels. Meireles, is where the fair and most of the restaurants are. I stayed in Mucuripe, at the Grand Marquise Hotel (considered one of the best in the city) and I DO NOT recommend walking for very long distances anywhere on Av. Beira Mar for security reasons. Unfortunately Fortaleza is a city with a high rate of thefts and robberies at any time of the day or night.
DAY 2: Praia do Futuro + Dragão do Mar
- Spend the entire day at Praia do Futuro, considered the best beach in Fortaleza. It's where those beach huts are that look like beach clubs, they are so huge and with good infrastructure.
- If you have a family, choose CrocoBeach or Itapariká, the latter even has a playground for children. If you like good vibes, good music and djs, choose Órbita Blue, Guarderia Brasil or Santa Praia – all of them have concerts during the summer. Now, if you like peace, prefer the Vila Galé tent (and the hotel's tent, but open to the public).
- All these stalls have excellent lunch and drink options on the menu. Enjoy the day at the beach!!!
- In the late afternoon, take a walk around Dragão do Mar, a cultural complex with several bars with tables on the street and programming such as the Ceará Culture Museum, the Planetarium, the Contemporary Art Museum, among others.
- End the day with a happy hour at one of these street bars. If you enjoy a more alternative night, with reggae, rock and indie, Órbita Bar is the right place !! It's in a huge and super colorful shed in the middle of the Dragon of the Sea, impossible not to recognize it and it's always crowded.
DAY 3: Beach Park
- It is impossible to go to Fortaleza and not visit the Beach Park, so reserve the whole day to enjoy the park or at least Praia das Dunas, where the park is located.
- Beach Park is located in Aquiraz, about 40 minutes away from Fortaleza.
- I don't particularly like the water park, I found the structure of the Beach Park amazing but it's really not my thing, so I spent a good part of that day at the kiosks at Praia das Dunas, which is inside the complex but is open to the public and free of charge .
- In fact, I found the most beautiful beach in Fortaleza, soooo much better than Praia do Futuro.
- Go out to dinner at Cabana del Primo – one of the best places that serve Argentinian meat, I really liked this restaurant. If you're looking for a good caraguejada and a more informal place, dine at Crocobeach.
DAY 4: Canoa Quebrada
- It is practically impossible for you to go to Fortaleza and not extend the trip to Canoa Quebrada, where the cliffs, the raft rides and the postcard with the moon and star that everyone takes pictures of are located.
- Canoa Quebrada is 170 km away (about 2h30 trip) – it’s super possible to do a day trip – I did – but if you can, make at least an overnight stay to enjoy the full experience in the village. I really regretted not having known the night there, let alone being super charming.
- If you have a car, it is worth taking the 3 Beaches tour, if you leave Fortaleza VERY early. The 3 beaches are Morro Branco (the one with the labyrinth of cliffs), Praia das Fontes (beautiful, but I thought it was unnecessary) and Canoa Quebrada.
- If you hire a tour with a tourist agency, I DO NOT recommend taking this route of the 3 Beaches because it is very busy and you practically do not enjoy anything – unless your intention is just to look, photograph and leave.
- If you like a beach shack in the style of Praia do Futuro shacks, stay at Chega Mais Beach, it has a good structure, including for children. If you want more peace, walk about 10, 15 minutes until you reach the cliffs, there the sands are less crowded.
- Before lunch, take a raft ride, there are several on the beach and you can hire them on the spot – the ride takes an average of 30 minutes and costs around R$25 per person.
- In the middle to late afternoon, take a buggy ride to the postcard of Canoa Quebrada, which is the cliff with the design of a moon and star! The buggy ride also passes through the dunes and zipline for those who enjoy an adventure! I did this tour with Fábio Costa in the pink buggy and I highly recommend it (Contact: [email protected] and cel.: 88 99653 2623) – the car for 4 people costs R$240 on average.
- On the way back, have dinner at some of the restaurants on Avenida Beira Mar, as this day is very tiring, due to the long journey and activities, I suggest having dinner somewhere close to your hotel.
DAY 5: Lagoinha
- Spend the day at Praia da Lagoinha, considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Ceará.
- Lagoinha is 107 km from Fortaleza, almost 2 hours of travel.
- I recommend taking this car tour so you can enjoy the day more, the beach, the landscapes and the viewpoint that has a beautiful view of the beach and its coconut trees.
- In Lagoinha, you can also choose to take the 3×1 tour that includes an experience between the sertão, lagoons and dunes, as you get to know the entire region on a Jardineira, a Catamaran and, to close the trio, a buggy ride. From what I've read, this tour is totally expendable and it's better to spend the day enjoying the beach.
- If you prefer to stay in a tent with more structure, Manzari is an option.
- Before dinner, watch the Ceará Show – it's a folkloric show that tells stories about Ceará (I don't normally enjoy this type of program but I was VERY positively surprised by the Ceará Show, which is super well done, staged, fun and sensitive at different times – a must-see!!).
- To close the trip, go out to dinner at Giz, another cool and super cool restaurant in Fortaleza – it's right in front of Moleskine.
PS. I didn't take this tour to Lagoinha, instead of this tour I did the Coffee Route – which is a tour that is completely off the tourist circuit and is valid for those who enjoy more about culture, history and… coffee! Rota do Café is located in Serra de Baturité, about 100 km away from Fortaleza, with very winding roads. I thought it was cool masssss I would much rather have chosen Lagoinha, so I changed this part of the script for you !!!
All my tours in Fortaleza I did with Ernanitur – who is a receptive that does private or group tours, including them who picked me up at the airport !!
All the tours I did were private!!! I am totally terrified of group tours, and I only choose this option if there is no other more favorable one, lol, so I highly recommend this receptive place for you to schedule your tours, especially if they were private.