Jericoacoara: a pearl from the north of Brazil for beach lovers
Famous for its dunes and its beaches, Jericoacoara, in Ceará, Brazil, is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the Northeast. How to get there, what to do and where to stay.
Jericoacoara, Brazil, is a small municipality located in the northeast of the country, in the state of Ceará, 300 km west of Fortaleza. It is one of the most visited tourist beaches in the region, and they have become very popular among nature and sports lovers.
Surrounded by incredible dunes, Jericoacoara is a beautiful place, with postcard beaches, where travelers can enjoy 365 days a year. Everything is beautiful: its nature, its rivers, its dunes, its lagoons and its beaches.
Jericoacoara, Brazil: where the beach falls in love
Currently, Jijoca de Jericoacoara, as it is called, is an important tourist destination in the state of Ceará and throughout Brazil. It is a small fishing village, which receives windsurfing and kitesurfing lovers every year.
How do you get to Jericoacoara? You can only get to this place with authorized 4-wheel vehicles, or by Buggys that can walk through the sandy streets and climb the great dunes.
It is known as "the northeastern paradise" for keeping its natural beauty intact. So much so, that this place can only be reached by authorized vehicles, which can walk through the sandy streets and climb the large dunes without stopping in the attempt.
For several centuries, a large part of these lands were not occupied. This helped the entire region to still maintain its virgin state and exuberant nature. In 1923, the town of Jericoacoara was built and, in 1984, the Jericoacoara Environmental Protection Area was created to conserve and protect its wonderful natural environment.
Since then, the small fishing village, with just 2,000 inhabitants, began to grow. This is how the current city of Jijoca de Jericoacoara was founded on March 6, 1991. Tourism is one of its main economic activities.
Until about 20 years ago, Jericoacoara was still a fishing village, isolated from the city. There were no roads, no electricity, no telephone, and money was rarely used. That changed and today you can see a great tourist activity and more diversity.
The main streets of Jericoacoara are sandy. They run parallel to each other and all have the beach as their final destination.
In the center is the Rua Principal. To the north are Rua do Forró (where the 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.
Weather in Jericoacoara
The climate of Jericoacoara, Brazil, is warm tropical and semi-arid, with concentrated rainfall from January to April. It is humid, with temperatures that oscillate between 35 and 22 °C.
What is the best time to go to Jericoacoara? It is hot all year round, but it has a rainy season, which, as we said, is in January, when the temperature tends to be cooler and the vegetation becomes vibrant and flowery.
Due to its immense beauty, the lands of Jericoacoara were the first in the state of Ceará to be colonized by the Portuguese. In the year 1614 a military expedition conquered the entire area inhabited by indigenous tribes, who were dedicated to hunting and fishing.
How to get to Jericoacoara
There are two options to get to Jericoacoara: from Fortaleza and from Cruz, which is the city with the closest airport. It is barely 30 kilometers from the town and there are transfers that take you without major complexities. The trip lasts one hour because of the type of landscape and the dunes. Private costs around 70/80 dollars. Shared, you can find between 20 and 30.
The tickets to this airport are usually a little more expensive than those going to Fortaleza, but it is more comfortable and faster. There are three airlines that go there: LATAM, GOL and AZUL.
Cruz airport is approximately 30 km from the villa. There are transfers that take you from the airport to the Villa de Jericoacoara. The journey to reach Jeri takes almost 1 hour.
The other option is to arrive at the Fortaleza airport and travel to Jericoacoara, which is 300 kilometers away. You can go by bus and transfer. Expresso Guanabara, the best known, charges about $20 per person. You can also ask about buggies and that kind of experience.
Tourist sites: what to do in Jericoacoara
- How is the sea in Jericoacoara? Divine, warm, transparent. That is why Jericoacoara is a paradise for lovers of the sea and infinite sand. In fact, Jericoacoara beach, located within the 'Jericoacoara National Park', is where one of its main natural symbols is located, the Sunset Dune.
- Another classic is the Pedra furada or Pierced Stone, a fifty foot high rock with a large hole excavated by the action of nature. The ideal month to see it is July, which is when you can see the sunset "in" the hole in the stone.
- Laguna del ParaÃso: frequented by lovers of water sports, it is formed by the waters of the Paraguay and Mourao rivers, which is due to the migration of dunes in the coastal plain. It is the source of income for many residents and a highly visited natural attraction.
