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Brazil. Brazil
Tropical, eco, dancing paradise
Brazil
With so many travellers flocking to the south for the always meserising Rio de Janeiro and the beautiful sights of Florianopoli, Ilha Grande, not to mention the crazy Sao Paulo, wonder of Iguaca Falls and the Amazon, it's hard to believe it can have anymore natural beauty elsewhere. Oh but trust me....it does!
Jericocoara
Jericoacoara, known to its many friends simply as ‘Jeri,’ magnetizes travelers with its perfect combination of hard-to-reach location (access is only by unpaved tracks through the dunes), stunning coastal scenery, exciting activities, good-value pousadas and restaurants, and fun nightlife. The village’s sandy streets are wedged between a broad beach, a series of grassy hills and the majestic Pôr do Sol (Sunset) dune, a towering mountain of sand that affords one of South America’s most stunning sunsets. It is here each evening that Jeri’s allure climaxes: a crowd swells – drinks in hand from an enterprising local with a cocktail cart – to what is allegedly one of the earth's few locations where you can see the rare phenomenon known as the ‘Emerald Sunset,’ when the tip of the setting sun turns bright green for the final instant before it slides below the horizon. Bring your camera!
Jericoacoara's isolated position, inside a far-flung national park at the top edge of the country, is unique. Hopefully the new Jericoacoara airport, 30km away in Cruz municipality – possibly opening in 2014 – will not lead to a transformation that shatters its otherwordly allure. The airport is at least well outside the national park.
Jeri itself is closed to unauthorized vehicles, though there is still more traffic than there should be. The main streets (of sand) run parallel to each other, westward towards the beach. In the middle is Rua Principal. To the north are Rua do Forró (where buses arrive) and then Rua da Igreja (also called Rua da Matriz); to the south (the dune side) are Rua São Francisco and Rua das Dunas.
Fernando De Noronha
With its crystalline water, rich marine life and spectacular tropical landscapes, this archipelago is one of the most stunning places in Brazil. Guia Quatro Rodas Praias , Brazil's 'Beach Bible', awards five stars to just four beaches in the whole country – and three of them are right here.
The marine and coastal environment is well preserved, thanks largely to the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park and conservation projects based here.
Although Noronha used to be the domain of regulated package tours, it's now easy for independent travelers to visit. Give yourself plenty of time because Noronha is addictive. It's a wonderful place for doing things based both in water (diving, surfing, snorkeling) and on land (hiking, horseback riding, touring) and has a reputation as one of Brazil's top 'eco' destinations.
Prices here are high due to the cost of transporting goods from the mainland. But as a guaranteed highlight of any trip to Brazil, Fernando de Noronha is well worth the expense.
Praia de Pipa
Pipa is one of Brazil’s magical destinations – pristine beaches backed by tall cliffs, dreamy lagoons, decent surfing, dolphin- and turtle-filled waters, a great selection of pousadas, hostels, global restaurants and good nightlife. Just another small, roadless, fishing village when discovered by surfers in the 1970s, Pipa today rivals Jericoacoara as the Northeast’s hippest beach town, attracting partiers from Natal, João Pessoa, Recife and beyond at holidays and weekends, and a slew of international travelers year-round. Its laid-back, independent-traveler and ecological vibe still reigns and, with luck, Pipa may be just too small for that to change, despite the ranks of umbrella'ed tables along the main beaches catering to vanloads of day-trippers from Natal.
Take. Me. There.
Loving the sound of all this..
Well you'll be pleased to know that flights are quite reasonably priced. TAP Portugal flies to Fortaleza and at the time of writing soon flights will be direct to Natal from ?? so you can get there pretty comfortably with a wallet of cash ready to explore the wonders the north has to offer.
Stay: Casa Na Praia, Jericocoara for hippy trendy chic
Stay: Teju Acu, Fernando de Noronha, for eco luxury paradise
Stay: Mirante de Pipa, Praia de Pipa, for spectacular hillside views and lazy balmy days