Along with Fortaleza, Natal is one of the main tourist destinations in Brazil, both for the national and the foreign market. The city in itself is not fascinating, and can be visited in one day. The fun is located north, in the dunes of Genipabu.

WE LIKE THE MOST: the sea, the food, the dunes

WE LIKE THE LEAST: the exploitation of the reefs in Maracajau; the seedy nightlife of the Ponta Negra

HOW TO GET THERE: Natal is well connected by plane to the main Brazilian airports. By road, you can arrive from João Pessoa in the south, or Fortaleza in the north. Natal is the nearest city in the continent to Fernando de Noronha.

CAREFUL WITH: the sun; as the wind blows all year round in Natal, one has the feeling that your skin is not getting burnt – nowhere else in Brazil we saw so many tourists with sunburns; careful at night time in Ponta Negra and the city centre; the trip to Maracajau and the snorkelling there is a total rip-off

FAVOURITE PLACES: the castle of the Three Kings, the Morro do Careca, the Genipabú dunes, Camurupim, the barra do Punaú

PIECE OF ADVICE:

• the big hotels are scattered along the Vía Costeira, an endless road far from the rest of the city
• in spite of Natal being one of the safest capitals in Brazil, don’t be caught off guard
• you can buy cheap and good crafts at the local shopping do artesanato
• food is excellent in Natal. Two unmissable restaurants: Camarões and Tábua de Carne.

ACCOMMODATION: full listing of hotels and pousadas in Natal.

LINKS: RNtur.com, Portal de Turismo, Natal online

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

GOOGLE MAPS: Natal

PHOTOS: Natal

ACCOMMODATION IN NATAL: search for Natal hotels on our search engine (results open on a new window)

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