The years of Count Mauricio de Nassau’s government have gone down into history as the golden age of Dutch colonial rule. The talented politician and strategist transferred the seat of government from Olinda in 1637. A new city, Mauricea, sprung up, with paved streets, bridges and a level of urbanization previously unknown in Brazil. Two palaces crowned the labours of the administrator: Shipping, on the confluence of the Rivers Capibaribe and Beberibe, facing the sea, and Summer, outside the centre. The Governor-General surrounded himself with intellectuals, the painters Frans Prost and Albert Eckout being prominent amongst them. Then on to visit the Golden Chapel, the Synagogue, the Fort of Five Points, Sol and Aurora Streets, Brum Fort, the patio of São Pedro and Princesses’ Field. We suggest catamaran trip in Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers.
Day 2 (Mon) – Recife / João Pessoa / Cabedelo
The third urban centre to be created in Brazil, João Pessoa registers in its history the presence of the French, Dutch and Portuguese. It is an important tourist centre in the Northeast, as besides having beautiful beaches, it is one of the cities with the most trees in the world. João Pessoa is the capital of the state of Paraíba. Ponta dos Seixas, next to White Cape, on Tambaú beach you will find the most easterly point of South America. Among its many baroque monuments, the Franciscan complex, which was started in 1589, stands out. Cabedelo owes its name to the fine-sand dunes which form on its beaches. From the colonial past, the church of Our guiding Lady (XVI Cent) and the Santa Catarina Fort stand out. We would suggest a swim from the The Island of Red Sand and the fantastic sunset from Jacaré.
Day 3 (Tues) João Pessoa / Pipa / Natal
Pipa is a fishing village discovered by surfers in the 70s, is one of the most frequented beaches in the state. The fishing village has incredible natural beauty with colourful half-submerged rocks, fine sands, and tepid transparent waters, not to mention the dolphins, which can be seen playing around the rocks. The spectacle starts while we are still on the road, near to neighbouring Tibau do Sul, with the unusual view of the lagoon emptying into the sea between the russet hillsides. The rectilinear splendour of Madeira Beach, the serene Bay of the Dolphins, where they can be seen at the end of the afternoon, and the tempestuous waves of Praia do Amor (Love Beach), the preference of lovers and surfers, are all unique. The Nature Reserve of Quarry Beach Marine Turtles is an ecological sanctuary.
Day 4 (Weds) – Natal / City Tour + Pirangi
Natal is situated on the banks of the River Potengi, close to its estuary on the Atlantic Ocean, a sandy area, with dunes and coves protected by a cordon of reefs along the beach which follow the coast. In 1597 a fleet commanded by Jerônimo de Albuquerque arrived in the estuary, with the mission of founding a town and building a fort to secure Portugal’s possession. The Three Kings Fort was started in 1598. A town, which in 1599 was baptized Natal (Christmas) in honour of its foundation day, was constructed one league from the fort. The Tourist Centre, in the old gaol, contains artisan shops and a stage for folkloric spectacles. Visit to the largest Cashew tree in the world and Pirangi beach with the possibility of diving among the coral reefs.
Day 5 (Thurs) – Natal / Dunas de Genipabu
After breakfast we recommend a buggy trip through the Genipabu dunes. We will cross the River Potengi – Natal-Redinha – by boat. The circuit will include stops to bathe in the waters of the lake and in the sea in natural pools, and a camel ride through the dunes. It’s pure emotional on the sands, not to mention the cinematographic scenery of the Genipabu beach. Take advantage of the best panoramic view in Natal from the top of the dunes. Taste the king prawns – in the Restaurant Camarões, in Ponta Negra, and stroll along the causeway. Enjoy one of the most beautiful coves in Brazil, adorned with rafts.
Day 6 (Fri) – Natal / Canoa Quebrada
Morning visit to Canoa Quebrada with its dunes of very fine sand, colorful faults extending like a wall facing the sea and warm waves.A place that surprises for the paradisiacal beauty. In 1650, the Portuguese navigator Francisco Ayres of Cunha stagnated in the coast of Canoa Quebrada. When it arrived in earth gave his broken arm to master Sebastião. It was then that the name Canoa Quebrada appeared. Canoa Quebrada is a beach located in the coast east of the State of Ceará to 166km of Fortaleza. Canoa offer a great variety of attractions among bars, restaurants and nightclubs. This is a beach for those seeking entertainment (Broadway Street). Lunch (optional) under canvas on the coast and after passing an unforgettable day on to Fortaleza and lodgings.
Day 7 (Sat) – Canoa Quebrada / Morro Branco / Praia das Fontes / Fortaleza
We awake and in harmony with the tide, a buggy-ride along the rising sun littoral, to enjoy the half-submerged rocks on the colourful sands, and the dense coconut groves which make up the beautiful land/seascape with its rivers which were important in the history of Ceará.
Day 8 (Sun) – Fortaleza / City Tour
Morning visit to the city including: the coast road with the Iracema Meireles and do Futuro beaches; the Art and Popular Culture Museum, Metropolitan Culture Centre, Fortaleza Nossa Senhora (XVII Century), the José de Alencar Theatre and the Tourism Centre, where it is not possible to resist the purchase of local artisan craft in wood, ceramic, and “fillet” and “labyrinth” lace work.
Day 9 (Mon) – Fortaleza / Cumbuco
The principal attraction of the Cumbuco beach is its dunes with fine white sand. There, everybody travels by buggy and does esquibunda, a type of sandboarding, the most popular sport in Ceará, where you “ski” down the dunes sat on a board the size of a skateboard. The buggy rides can be tranquil or “emotional” if you are prepared to face radical dunes up to 10 metres high. At night we suggest the folkloric show in the “Pirata”, where you mix with the artists and can participate in the various typical dances of the region.
Day 10 (Tues) – Fortaleza / Ponta do Mel
After breakfast we continue on to Ponta do Mel (Honey Point), a semi-deserted beach half-submerged rocks decorating the calm waters, where fishermen clean their fish and the light orientates the boats. From the veranda of the chalets we can gaze out over the turquoise-blue sea that is always calm with a constant breeze. Ponta do Mel is a wilderness at the sea’s edge. And in the neighbouring port of Mangue, the combination of white sand, red earth and the semblance of the rosy dunes is enough to impress even the most travelled tourist. The rounded dunes form into an unforgettable tableau. “It is a natural viewpoint over the immensity of the White Coast”. A jewel hidden in a corner of Brazil. The inhabitants cohabit with technology the extraction of petroleum and salt. Overnight lodgings.
Day 11 (Weds) – Ponta do Mel / Galinhos / Galo / Tourinhos / São Miguel do Gostoso
In harmony with the tides we continue our trip by buggy along the deserted beaches and through the coconut groves, coves cut into the dunes and fishing villages. Galinhos is only accessible from the sea or by buggy, becoming almost an island. It is well worth viewing the sea below from the heights, and, looking behind us, the immensity of the dunes. More to the front, the river cutting through the mangroves. One of the most beautiful stretches of this littoral is Tourinhos.
Day 12 (Thurs) – São Miguel do Gostoso / Maracajaú / Natal
Today, also, we follow the rhythm of the tides, continuing our journey with sun, sea, transparent and warm waters, and fine sands with immense coconut groves. On Perobas’ beach we go diving among the corals in a calm sea with crystalline waters. Try the Moqueca de Arraia (Ray simmered in oil and pepper), one of the local specialities. Passing the Rio do Fogo (River of Fire), we arrive in Maracajaú, the new star of Potiguan tourism. The beach is lovely, a cove lined on the right with coconut groves. Try the Cocorote, a biscuit made with flour and coconut, then on to our lodgings in Natal. Today is a day for “Forró with the tourist” at the Tourist. Centre.
Day 13 (Fri) – Natal / Tambaba
After breakfast we continue on to our lodgings in Tambaba, a naturism beach on the Northeastern littoral. There are three beaches, but only one of them is governed by the ethics of the Tambaba naturists: one is only allowed to use it in the nude. Sexual relations are prohibited, as are photography, filming, the use by unaccompanied persons and gay couples. We enter another dimension where clothes, so coveted by us, become terribly disliked. Enjoy the agitated greenish sea – the way we came into this world.
Day 14 (Sat) – Tambaba / Igarassu / Itamaracá
Established approximately in 1535 by the noble Duarte Coelho with the name Village of Santa Cruz and raised to the category of village in 1564, Igarassu preserves the fascinating church of the Saints Cosme and Damião, the oldest church in functioning (1535) and the third Franciscan Convent installed in Brazil, which keeps a fascinating set of panels spotted oil of century XVIII. Paintings tell us a little bit of the city’s history. People of Igarassu knew to keep its treasures of the past that today enthusiasm tourists, curious, historians and visitors from all the continents. Igarassu is located in the region where the first exploration during the Portuguese colonization took place. We will visit the famous Itamaracá Island and the Orange Fort, from where we can cross over to Coroa do Avião to enjoy bathing.
Day 15 (Sun) – Recife / Olinda
Olinda, the Capital of Pernambuco until 1937, possesses important colonial architecture and because of this, in 1982, UNESCO declared its historic centre a Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The foundation of Olinda dates from 1535. The original small town was constructed by Duarte Coelho Pereira, the donee of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, and became Capital. A walking tour of the historic centre, where the Heights and Church da Sé (1537), the old slave market, the steep street to and the convent of São Francisco (1585), the Episcopal Palace and the São Bento Monastery, which ran the first ever law course in Brazil, all stand out.
Av. Hélio
Falcão, 530 - Boa Viagem - Recife/PE - Brasil - 51021-070 | PABX: (55) 81-3328.6007 - rbm@rbmturismo.com.br
