Chimu Blog Jericoacoara, known locally as Jeri is a small beach town that lies in the north east of Brazil. Fortaleza is the closest gateway city so most people arrive from there with a journey that can take anything from 4 to 6 hours. As the roads leading in to Jericoacoara are all sand and pass through the dunes, passengers travelling by bus must switch to a 4×4 vehicle in Jericoa for the final leg of the journey making it a bit of an adventure in itself to get there.
The beach of Jericoacoara. Photo credit: Simon Evans
Jericoacoara, a step away from the outside world
Upon arrival it becomes apparent that any stresses from said journey or from the daily grind in general are quickly forgotten as the pace of life slows and you slip in to ‘Jeri’ mode! Although the town has grown over recent years it still only really consists of 3 ‘main’ sand roads all running parralel to each other with a variety of shops, restaurants and accomodations to service the mix of tourists, backpackers, water sport enthusiasts and locals alike. With the majority of vehicles around being sand buggies and 4×4’s it definitely feels a step away from the outside world and I guess that’s what makes it such a special place.
What to do in Jericoacoara?
With some of the most consistent wind in the world, Jericoacoara is one of the best spots you can find for kitesurfing and wind surfing and this combined with the good waves, means surfers also head here to take advantage too. For those who aren’t so keen on water sports, there’s also plenty of other activities on offer. The main beach provides a great spot to spend a day or two relaxing and with a large sand dune sitting next to it you have to join to daily pilgrimage to the top to watch the sun fall out of the sky and disappear in to the sea – quite stunning!
A sand dune in Jericoacoara. Photo credit: Simon Evans
Paradisical lakes, stunning panorama’s and freshly caught fish
Lagoa Paradiso or ‘Paradise Lake’ certainly lives up to its name and so its worth travelling the 30 minute ride to spend a day there too. With a white sand beach, crystal clear waters and hammocks pearched in the water, life doesn’t get much better than this!
Relaxing in the Hammock in Lagoa Paradiso. Photo credit: Simon Evans
It’s also possible to take day trips to other places close to Jericoacoa such as Tatajuba with a stop at a few panoramic points and dunes along the way. When we sat down for lunch at one of the small beach side restaurants at Lake Tatajuba and asked for the menu and were subsequently brought a plate of 4 whole freshly caught fish it summed up the informal way of life there! The subsequent feast that followed wasn’t bad either!
As the evening dawns…
Once the sun had set each day, there was just as much on offer in the evenings with a selection of restaurants catering for all budgets offering some great seafood along with usual traditional Brazilian favourites. On our first evening, dinner was followed by a few caipirinhas and ended at the weekly reggae night where a live band of the local rasta’s played some upbeat raggae to an engaging crowd.
Brazilians love to dance and although not so well known as samba or capeiro, Forro is the best known in the northern region of the country and so on many nights of the week you can find a dance with live band playing. While the Brazilian pairs dance locked together in perfect rhythm and harmony, the tourists stuck out like sore thumbs and stumble thier way through each number!
Leaving the Jeri ‘bubble’
And so after an action packed few days it was sadly time to leave the Jeri ‘bubble’ and head back to Fortaleza for my onward flight. With so much on offer it was clear to see why so many Brazilian and international visitors of all ages and backgrounds came to visit and why so many landed up staying so much longer than planned. Certain places in the world just have that special something that lures people in and it’s fair to say Jericoacoara is definitely one of those places!
The beach at Lagoa Paradiso. Photo credit: Simon Evans.
Do you want to experience the Jeri ‘bubble’ yourself? Ask our one of our travel specialists for more information on trips to Brazil or visit Jericoacoara and other stunning beaches on our beach hopping trip through Brazil.
