Brazil Travel Blog

The sands of Jericoacoara are magical. Windswept, the sands form mesmerizing patterns that extend as far as the eye can see.

NAME: pousada Vila Kalango

WHERE: Jericoacoara, Ceará

WEBSITE: www.vilakalango.com.br

IN ENGLISH: though there’s been an option for English on the home page for quite a long time, it is not active (why bother, then?)

PRICES ON THE WEBSITE: yes

LOCATION: on one end of Jericoacoara, right next to the sunset dune, with the beach in front.

THE BUILDING: the pousada occupies a garden of 5,000 m2 with palm trees and cashew nut trees.

THE ROOMS: there are several types of rooms: we stayed at an apartamento standard, 30m2, built with materials from the region. The walls are made of clay bricks, the roof uses carnaúba palm leaves, and the floor is made of wood. They have a fan, a king-size bed, a mosquito net, and a hammock on the outside. Charming decor. There are more luxurious accommodations, rooms built on the top of stilt houses (see photo above). No telephone or television on the rooms (a plus, we think).

PRICES IN OCTOBER 2004: R$120 per room per night. Prices have risen quite a lot since we were there.

BREAKFAST: included in the price. Excellent. Including hot dishes (crêpes, tapioca) prepared while you wait, and bread baked on the premises. Breakfast is served on a wonderful dining room, with open views to the dune and the sea.

MEALS: we didn’t have any meals at the restaurant, but from what we saw on the menu, the food looked really enticing.

FRONT DESK: correct.

OTHER FACILITIES: the pousada now has a swimming pool and (paid) Internet access.

CONTACT BY E-MAIL: can’t evaluate this item as we booked the pousada through a travel agent.

OUR JUDGEMENT: at 2004 prices, incredible value for money. Prices have risen a lot since then, and from what other travellers have told us, the pousada is even nicer today. Though not cheap, if you want to give yourselves a treat in Brazil, this could be the place. The beautiful pictures of the pousada on its website do justice to the place.

GOOGLE MAPS [MY MAPS!]: Pousada Vila Kalango

brazil, travel, jericoacoara, fortaleza

The water park Beach Park is located on the outskirts of Fortaleza - an excellent alternative for a warm summer day, just make sure you avoid the high season with its endless queues.

From the top of the 41-meter high Insano slide (speed going down: 105 km/h) there is a wonderful view of the coastline south of Fortaleza.

How many days should I allow for Jericoacoara?

The advice we give from this blog is to stay a minimum of three nights in Jericoacoara, so you have two entire days in the village (one to go to Tatajuba, and the other one to go to the Lagoa Azul and the Lagoa do Paraíso). Bear in mind you will spend an entire day going to Jericoacoara and another day coming back. And you will still need to allow time to visit the Pedra Furada.

[Don't forget there is a list of all the questions & answers published in the blog here]

rio, brazil, fortaleza, jericoacoara

Jericoacoara is a destination with a mythical status among tourists. Its success lies on the difficult access and the achievements of its habitants in defending the village from the attacks of unsustainable tourism.

WE LIKE THE MOST: the isolation, the dunes, the unprententious character of the village, the Pousada Vila Kalango

WE LIKE THE LEAST: the trip (popular with foreign tourists) run by some reckless delinquents to catch seahorses (a protected species); the bar at the Lagoa da Torta where minute lobsters are sold; a travel agency (with the name of an Australian animal) that runs awful trips in Jericoacora

HOW TO GET THERE: the road is the form used by 99% of the visitors to Jericoacora. Leaving from Fortaleza, there’s a five-hour trip on the road followed by an additional hour through the sand dunes. The company Redençao goes to Jericoacoara (prices and timetables)

CAREFUL WITH: the combination of sand and wind, deadly for photographic equipment; the two-day trip to Jericoacora sold in Fortaleza, you are likely to spend more time on the road than on Jericoacoara itself; to enjoy Jeri you need to spend at least three nights in the village – bear in mind you will waste one day going and another one coming back; under no circumnstances attempt to get to Jericoacoara by car, your chances of ending up stuck in the sand are extremely high, and your insurance will not cover any expenses resulting from the accident.

FAVOURITE PLACES: the sunset dune, the Lagoa Azul (Blue Lagoon), the Lagoa do Paraiso (Paradise Lagoon), the dried mangrove on the way to Tatajuba, the Pedra Furada

PIECE OF ADVICE:

• climb the sand dune at the end of the day to see the sunset over the sea
• the streets are not paved, walk barefoot or with flip-flops
• in Jerí there are few shops: bring from Fortaleza medicines, batteries, sunblock, money and other basic stuff
• there is absolutely no need to buy trips from any agency. What you can’t do on your own in Jericoacoara, you can do hiring a buggy to take you to different places
• Jericoacoara is one of the top destinations in Brazil for kitesurfing and windsurfing

LINKS: Jericoacoara .com, Jericoacoara .tur

WEATHER FORECAST: The weather in Jericoacora for the next 10 days

GOOGLE MAPS: Jericoacoara

PHOTOS: Jericoacoara

[Don’t forget to check out the list of other destinations already covered in this blog, here]

fortaleza, jericoacoara, brazil, travel

Along with Natal, Fortaleza is one of the main tourist destinations in Brazil, both for the national and the foreign market. The city has underwent an uncontrolled urban explosion in the last couple of decades, with skyscrappers now competing for the ever scarcier space between the city and the sea. In spite of this, it’s a city worth visiting, if only for a short period of time.

WE LIKE THE MOST: the sea, the food

WE LIKE THE LEAST: child prostitution aimed at foreign tourists; the sense of lack of security in all the beaches

HOW TO GET THERE: Fortaleza is well connected by plane to the main Brazilian airports. By road, you can arrive from Natal in the south, or from the west. Fortaleza is the starting point of trips going to Jericoacoara.

CAREFUL WITH: the port area near the Ponte dos Ingleses, quite dangerous; the day trips to Morro Branco, find out how long you will stay at Morro Branco to avoid ending up stranded at an expensive hotel elsewhere for hours on end.

FAVOURITE PLACES: the Central Market, the Cultural Centre Dragão do Mar, the ice-cream parlours at the Meireles beach.

PIECE OF ADVICE:

• at the Central Market you will find a wider variety of crafts and at a better price than at the Craft Fair at the Meireles beach
• when we were there, the José de Alencar theater only opened for visitation once a week.
• the Beach Park, on the outskirts of Fortaleza, is the biggest waterpark in Brazil. Good fun if you are into that kind of thing

LINKS: Portal de Turismo del Estado do Ceará, Fortaleza com.br

WEATHER FORECAST: The weather in Fortaleza for the next 10 days

GOOGLE MAPS: Fortaleza

PHOTOS: Fortaleza

[Don’t forget to check out the list of other destinations already covered in this blog, here]

fortaleza, jericoacoara, brazil, travel