How to move from Fortaleza to the most beautiful seaside destinations in Brazil, such as Jericoacoara, obviously low cost. Advice on which buses to take and which destinations to visit.
Fortaleza is a tropical city that boasts a perfect climate, according to most it is even the best climate in Brazil. A constant temperature of 30 degrees all year round with 300 days of sunshine make this metropolis, all year round, the ideal starting point for numerous possible excursions.
The many beaches outside the city, which can be divided between the east coast and the west coast, are in fact splendid but not easy to reach with the DIY. Particularly difficult, and for this reason I do not recommend them to the less practical, are the destinations in the hinterland such as the "serras", the green mountains where the temperature can drop up to 15 degrees (polar temperatures for the Cearensis) or fascinating cities such as QuixadĂ , the land of megaliths that attracts trekking enthusiasts, paragliding and even fanatical ufologists attracted by the numerous sightings that occurred in the past.
At this point you will have to evaluate what you would like to see and decide your budget. In the very central Beira Mar of Fortaleza you will find numerous agencies that will offer you standard one-day packages for many beaches on the east coast, such as Canoa Quebrada, Morro Branco and Praia das Fontes, or Cumbuco and Jericoacoara as for the west coast. This last resort, the most beautiful in my opinion, is very distant and you will therefore find expensive packages with overnight accommodation in pousada included. However, low cost tourists like us save money with DIY! In fact, there is an alternative to agencies that can guarantee flexibility and greater choice, and it is called public transport.
Estimate possible inconveniences and delays .. but the savings will be substantial. You will also have more flexibility in schedules and programs as well as being able to stop in the chosen destination to sleep (in fact, the organized trips last a maximum of one day) avoiding losing nights of fun on the beach.
The number one place for fun is definitely Broken Canoe, which deserves at least a good night. Here for a few pennies you will drink spectacular cocktails with fresh tropical fruit, and to dance and have fun it is not even necessary to enter a club.
Arm yourself with a backpack with only the essentials and go early in the morning, possibly on a weekday, to the nearest rodoviaria, i.e. Bus Station. The largest, with more routes and closest to the tourist center of Fortaleza is that of Joao Thome. If you are 4 or 5 people consider reaching the station by taxi, which has all in all affordable prices except on Sundays and during the night. Alternatively, use the bus line, which is always crowded but costs only the equivalent of 70 euro cents. On the bus, and in general in all the streets of the city, hide the money and keep only the bare essentials in your pocket. I myself was once robbed without realizing it.
I recommend asking your hotelier which bus to take to get to the station: urban transport in Brazilian cities is indeed a chaos, with many changes in the routes of the lines. Once you reach the rodoviaria, a safe place where you will also find a point to withdraw money and economic refreshment areas, go directly to the information desk, open from 6 to 22.
Getting through the numerous transport companies is indeed very difficult! In fact, there are as many as 35!
Then ask which is the best company to go to the place you want, and go to the company counter. At this point arm yourself with a lot of patience and don't be afraid of being rude. Ask well for the prices, let them write them clearly together with the timetables. Ask for a ticket "ida and time”, That is to say there and back, and be told which platform to go to. Only Portuguese is spoken here, but the tickets that will be printed there are clear. If you do not understand a price or a time, have it written down, gesticulating you will understand .. the Northeast from that point of view are like the Italians.
Prices vary according to departure times, and there are also very cheap standing places available but avoid! I did it once from Beberibe in Fortaleza after a day in the sun celebrating the carnival .. devastating. The company with the best service in my opinion is there Fretcar, equipped with means with air conditioning and bathroom. If in doubt, then choose for this company, which also allows clear consultation of timetables and prices on the internet. Other good companies are Guanabara e St. Benedict. The latter is the only one that reaches Canoa Quebrada directly, the other companies in fact stop at nearby Aracatì, for a cost of 17 reais, or just over 5 euros.
The advantage of choosing unorganized buses is also that you can visit beaches and places not served by the tour packages. For example, recently the Fretcar also reaches heaven Praia de Flecheiras, 140 km from Fortaleza. The price per way? Only 14 reais, less than 5 euros.
