FORTALEZA
Fortaleza ("Fortress"), at the extreme northeast of Brazil, capital of the Brazilian state of Ceara. It has excellent beaches, and is a great gateway to some of the earth’s most amazing and untouched beach places.
Fortaleza is one of the largest cities in Brazil and certainly one of the most vibrant. The warm climate, warm ocean waters and the sandy beaches attract tourists. Temperatures range from 23 till 31o C with rare exceptions.
The city keeps signs from the past in museums, churches, fortresses, squares, theatres and historic buildings. The city center is filled with those memories, such as the Fortress of Nossa Senhora de Assunção, built on the same place where the city originated.
There are handicraft shops all around the city, but the best places to go are the Feirinha da Beira-Mar (Beach Fair) and the Mercado Público (Public Market). These places have a large number of fairs, shops and many stands show embroidery and leather work, as well as jewelry and regional food or artisanal cachaça.
Fortaleza has about 25 km of urban beaches. From North to South, the urban beaches of Fortaleza are Iracema, Meireles, Mucuripe and Praia do Futuro. Each beach has its own peculiarities. "Iracema" is the bohemian beach, with bars and nightclubs. "Meireles" is where locals and tourists go to stroll, and it is also the area with the highest number of hotels in Fortaleza. “Praia do Futuro" is about 7 km long, and preferred one for bathing and surfing.
Attractions:
The Teatro Jose de Alencar is a magnificent iron structure in Art Nouveau style, built in 1910 and reopened after restoration in 1991. The gardens were designed by Burle Marx. The entrance lobby and foyer are separated from the auditorium by an inner courtyard opening on to a garden, bringing air and light into the interior. The boxes are named after works by Jose de Alencar, the famous Ceara-born novelist. There is a monument in his honor on the Praça Jose de Alencar.
The statue of Iracema refers to the legend of the Indian which was depicted in a novel by José de Alencar, a famous Brazilian author who originated from Fortaleza.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza started to be built in 1939, and took nearly 40 years to complete; was designed by a French architect George Mounier. The church, built in Gothic-Roman style, fits 5.000 people, and is the third largest in Brazil.
Outside Beaches
Jericoacoara, an Environmental Preserved Area seven hours drive from Fortaleza, is the most fashionable of the eco-beaches of Ceara. Onother beaches: Cumbuco and Iparana, are tranquil villages, with calm seas and impressive dunes, not very different from Jericoacoara; Prainha, Iguape, Morro Branco, are also beautiful isolated places, very preserved. Lagoinha, 100 km from Fortaleza has an amazing lagoon near the sand dunes and is one of the best beaches of the state, well away from the crowds. Also very interesting, is Canoa Quebrada, a major eco-destination, or Majorlândia and the Beach Park (with facilities and features such as surfboards and buggies, or an Aqua Park).
