Kiteboarding Ceara Brazil
Wind, wind, and more wind.
The People
The one thing that makes Brazil so special for me is the people. The Brazilians are some of the most wonderful people on the planet. Warm, friendly, and welcoming.
When I originally wrote the above, it was strictly based on my personal experiences after spending a considerable amount of time in Ceara, Brasil. Fortaleza, Icarai, Cumbuco,
Paracuru, Lagoinha, and Flexeiras.
Since that time, I've had the opportunity to spend over a year in the State of Rio Grande de Norte, city of Natal. Natal is beautiful! Although I've met many wonderful people in Natal that are sure be become life long friends, I can say that Natal's people are NOT anywhere near as friendly as the people of Ceara. If you're a kiter planning to visit NE Brazil, "Ceara IS the place to be!"
The Wind
Wind and lots of it! If you're into wind driven sports, The 2nd half of the year is the best time to visit. July through December is super consistent. Very little rain. Mostly dry and windy!
The most popular kite size is a 9m. If I was only going to bring 1 kite, it would be a 9 for sure.
There are also times that a larger 11m to 13m would be great. On many days, if you ride
early ( before 10 am) or late afternoon ( after 3 pm ) you'll be glad you brought a a 2nd kite along for the trip.
There are also times when a small 7m is the call. It seems that the more you head up the coast, the windier it gets.
If in doubt, bring the full quiver! 7m, 9m, 13m
Temps
The temperature is Ceara is Perfect. No perfect, but PERFECT!!
Never too hot and never cold. A T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops are really all you will need.
After a day of kiting or windsurfing, some people, like me, sometimes feel a little chilled in the evening breeze. It's a good idea to bring along Jeans and sweatshirt.
Bring Jeans, a few decent shirts, and shoes if you plan to go out at night in Fortaleza.
Best Months to Visit
July thru December is the Best!
June and January are less consistent but can still be good.
Feb, March, April, and May: More rain than you imagine. . Not so good for kiting, but normally decent for surfing.
Current forecast
Cumbuco
Probably the most well know Kiter town in NE Brazil. Many of the kiteboarding websites like to call it a quiet little fishing village. They can call it wa ht they want. To me it a kiter town, and loaded with gringos.
If you're planning a kite trip to the area, I would stay the 1st day or 2 in Cumbuco where you'll meet many kiters from around the world. On the 2nd or 3rd day, head up the coast and checkout the wide variety of towns and conditions.
As far as the actual riding conditions... in the center of town. its mostly hell-chop!
Riding this spot I felt like I was going to lose your teeth. For smooth water or Waves, you'll want to go more Upwind, or Downwind of the City Center.
Rent a Car, Share a ride, or hop on a 1, 3, 7, or 10 day kite tour.
The town is a nice place to visit, and a good base camp for excursions,
But it's NOT the best kiting conditions available in Brazil.
The advantages of Cumbuco:
- Proximity to Fortaleza Airport ( FOR ) night life and big city conveniences.
- International Kiter meeting place. A great starting point for your adventure.
- Back Yard kiting: Many hotels and pousadas right on the beach.
- Flat water kiting at the nearby freshwater Cauipe Lagoon.
- Easy drive to other great riding spots.
- Friendly people
Debatable Disadvantages
- Very choppy water except at low tide in certain places. Disadvantage for you, but excellent for your dentist. : )
- Many Hookers. Its a sad fact, that when a large number of gringos gather in one area, the hookers begin to arrive, and many of the sweet ( nice girls ) keep their distance.
Go there, spend a day or 2, and make your own evaluation.
Paracuru
Anyone who has ever kited on Paracuru knows that it's one of the best places
on the planet.
If you are visiting NE Brazil, DO NOT MISS PARACURU!. Flat water on the inside, nice waves on the outside.
- Large wide Beach with lots of room to rig.
- Designated parking area behind the large beach front barrack ( restaurant )
- Public shower
- Grassy area
- Shade from the blazing sun
- Decent size town with everything you need close by.
Paracuru - Camboas - Lagoinha
Fun downwinder! Begin at the downwind side of Paracuru and then kite downwind
to camboas, and stop in Lagoinha for a break or spend the night.
The initial portion of the ride is epic!
The last part is challenging as you kite around the rocky upwind point of Lagoinha. Be sure to keep some distance to stay out of the large wind shadow created by the huge sand dune.
Lagoinha - Guajiru
Another fun downwinder. Clean wind, and fun waves which can get big depending on the swell, tide and wind strength. For kiting, Paracuru is my favorite. I also LOVE the town of Lagoinha.
For me its the nicest place to be between Fortaleza and Jeri. We liked the place so much that
we set up " Kitemare Brasil Limitada " and picked up some lots on top of the most sought after location on the coast. NO, sorry, we're not selling.
In Lagoinha be sure to visit The Plato hotel, Daniel's Grill, and also the restaurant that begins with the letter "X" (can't recall the name at the moment.).
Flexeiras
Another great little town. The riding is mostly flat and small chop due to the reefs protecting the beaching. If you ride there, you'll want to speak with the locals to find out where its ok and not ok to ride. At low tide some areas of the reef are high and dry! This means that when the tide is a bit higher, the reef can be only inches under the surface and deadly of you go big and land in the wrong place.
The town itself it really great. No idea how to explain it the feel of the place, just be sure to visit and you'll understand what I mean.
Tours
Do a tour and experiencing all of the nearby beaches.
The biggest mistake visitors make is staying the entire trip at only one location.
A NE Brazil Kite vacation is NOT complete unless you get out
experience the other towns up on down the coast. Each town has its own
special qualities.
There are many many great spots to explore. I recommend contacting Karen over at
Ozone Travel to get hooked up with a tour at a nice price and then experience it all!
Where to stay / Prices
There are sooooooo many pousadas there to choose from.
Here are 4 Great options that have people who speak english, and you
can contact them directly.
Tell them Jeff from Kitemare.com sent you.
Hotel Santa Fé - Cumbuco
http://www.santafe-cumbuco.com
Marcio (+55) 85 3318 7505
Kite Camp Cumbuco
http://www.kitecampcumbuco.com/contact2.html
Patrick and Auriele
Duro Beach
http://www.durobeach.com/
Chis or Damian
0031
http://www.0031.com/engels/info.html
Number of Days
Most visitors from Europe spend 3 week in Brazil. Very smart people!
Most Americans work too much and normally take shorter trips of 3-10 days. ( way to short!).
If you schedule only 1-2 weeks, its very likely that you'll be paying an extra $150 to your
airlines to postpone your flight! I originally scheduled 3 weeks, and extended it to 5 weeks!
After returning to Florida, I quickly scheduled another trip.... for 12 weeks!
Still wasn't enough! The following trip was 6 Months! Much better!
Exchange Rate
This Month (Oct) . The USD was 1 to 1.8 Brazilian Reais (R$)
The Euro is around 1 to 3
$1 Real ( Pronounced " Hey-AL " AL as in "Al Bundy" from the TV show)
$2 Reais ( Pronounced " Hey - Ice") The Letter "R" at the beginning of a work is pronounced like
the sound of "H"
Apartment and House Rentals Can be found for R$1,000. per month (for one month) and as low
as R$500 per month ( for multi months).
Excursions
Cauipe - Flatwater kite lagoon
Icarai - Surfing
Taiba - Surfing, Flatwater kite lagoon, and wave-kiting
Paracuru - bay and reef, the center beach is windless, the kite beach is South of town.
Lagoinha
Flexairas
Mundau
Balea
Prea
Icarai to Cumbuco downwinder
Cumbuco to Cawepe downwinder
Jeri: Pure magic, you'll have to experience the place to understand.
Canoa-Quebrada http://www.canoa-quebrada.com/ South of Fortaleza
Fortaleza: Beach park, Beira Mar, Praia Futuro
Buggy Rentals and Rides:
Buggy's are Huge fun to drive on beach but be warned...
The buggy's only "appear" to have a "roll bar". Fact, these are NOT roll bars
as they are only bolted onto the fiberglass, and not connected to the frame.
Translation: The metal is excellent for carrying kitegear, but If your buggy rolls over,
The metal can easily be separated from the fiber, and exposing you to the full weight of
the car. Now that you've been warned... I owned a buggy, took the risk and drove it everywhere.
If going on a buggy tour. Be sure to choose your driver carefully. They may have a licence but it does not mean they're safe drivers.
Kite Repair
Excellent repair by Marco, and by Carlinhos
Marco's kite Repair is located next to the Bus stop in the center of Cumbuco.
Phone: (+55 85) 9905-0067
2 Street behind Marcos, ( toward the dunes, and a 1/2 block downwind) you'll
find Carlinhos. Nice guy, excellent work, and the lowest prices in town.
He works along with his family.
Food and Drinks
Many good restaurants and bars here are a few
Sabor da Praia: Translation: "The taste of the beach" (On the corner just past Gauchos.).
Sabor is a great place. Very friendly owners and staff. They are known for their Grilled Fish and steaks.
Gaucho's: 2 story. Dinning on top. Known for there fine meats. Run by Brazilians Luiz and his wife.
Los Amigos: Nice place on the main street Icarai. The Best Shrimp (camerones) R$9 for 400 grams, and
the best pizza.
Laranja Mecanica: The most popular Bar in Cumbuco. New, comfortable, strong drinks.
Guys, if you meet girls there, they are "most likely" nice European girls, or local prostitutes.
Many local "nice girls" have told me that they don't like going there because the hookers see them as competition and don't want them them. True? who knows, but that's what they told me.
0031: The restaurant on the 2nd floor directly above the Laranja Mechanica
A very Non-typical menu. Really GREAT Food. The Thai curry chicken is my favorite.
Highly recommended! EXCELLENT!!!
ACL: Typical local food. Chicken ( Frango ) on the grill ( assada ) with very low prices.
Agents
If you like to keep life simple and let someone set everything up for you, these people handle
the details. More work for them = less work for you = more time to kite and party.
They can do it all: Hotels, flights, Car rentals, tours, etc. I booked my flight through
Karen at ozonetravel.com. Recently tried to book a flight from Brazil to Miami on Jan 4th.
All of the agents locally told me impossible, flights were 100% booked and that I would need to fly
on the 20th, or on the 1st! I called Karen, and she booked me on the Jan 4th flight that no one
else good get. Karen ... You rock!
Security
Condos and Hotels are safer than private houses.
Lock up your valuable. Only bring what you need. Keep a copy of your Identification with you
Trip Preparations
Buy your Ticket we'll in advance if possible.
Get the the vaccinations: (Yellow Fever, Tetanus, Diphtheria,
Hepatitis A & B)
Get an International Drivers license.
Brazilian Airlines
TAM is my favorite, 5 Flights with them and always a pleasure except for the time when I arrived one day, and my underwear arrived the next day.
Cellular Service:
Bring a GSM quad-band "UN-locked" world phone.
Purchase a Brazilian Sim Card upon arrival around R$15 from providers "Oi" or "Tim"
The Sim card comes with $ 10 R on the card.
Purchase additional minutes for the specific provider: "Oi" or "Tim" $20 R " Cartao Recarga do Cellular"
If email access is important to you throughout the day, then bring a "smart phone"
You'll be able to check email easily with the pre-paid "oi" sim chip.
This works everywhere up and down the coast from Fortaleza to Jeri
Passports and VISA's:
The normal limit you can stay in Brazil is 6 months with a tourist Visa.
www.PassportNation.com (USA)
Can assist you with both passports and Visas. The Owner, Dalton, and his staff are great.
Long Term Visas
Want to stay more than 6 months? No problem!
Here are 4 Options:
(1) Investor Visa
Invest $50,000. USD into a Brazilian company or open one of your own.
This is the Best method if you really want to spend unlimited time in Brazil.
Use a good Fortaleza attorney. I was happy with mine.
Costs Approx R$6,000 up to R$10,000
The total depends on the number of people needing visas ( 1 person, or a family )
and the attorney ( Advogado ) Your choice. My Visa was R$5,500.
This includes: Setting up a company, Company Bank account, getting registered
with CPF Number, CNPJ Number, RDE Number, and all paperwork, processing
from Beginning until end when you have the New Perm Visa in your Hands.
I used an attorney
named Flavia who works with her brother Carlos and was very happy with the service.
Note: The $50,000 does not go to the government. It just needs to be transferred "correctly" to your brazil
company, and then you can spend it any way you'd like. Land, House, Car, whatever.
Other options:
(2) Marriage. Get married to a Brazilian. Never Never get married "only" for a Visa.
A dumb idea, not worth the risk or hassles. Avoid this option. Dumb
Even if you really did meet that prefect someone, they'll always wonder if you
did it for love, or for the visa. Get the visa 1st, and then consider marriage if you meet that special someone. ( my opinion)
(3) Make a baby in Brazil. Not recommended until you complete number 3.
(4) Student Visa.
Enroll at UNIFOR or other School that meets the requirements of you countries Brazil consulate,
and apply for a Student Visa. I did it, and it works!
Schools, Colleges, Universities
UNIFOR: Universidade De Fortaleza. Excellent University, nice campus.
FIC
UFC
IBEU Instituto Brasil Estados Unidos
Learn to Speak Portuguese in Ceara Brazil
Currently there are several private instructors and a few small schools that offer Portuguese language classes to Foreigners.
In Brazil this class is commonly called: "Portuguese para Estrangerios"
Translation that's "Portuguese for foreigners"
The challenge is that the Brazilian consulate in your country may not recognize these smaller schools when issuing a student Visa.This happened to me with the Brazilian consulate in Miami, Florida, USA. They mandated that the they would only accept a "University".
For Miami, even the very popular IBEU (Instituto Brazil Estados Unidos) not acceptable because its an institute rather than a University.You'll want to check the requirements with your local Brazilian consulate in your country to be sure.
This Class ( Aula ) is designed for English speakers who want to learn
Portuguese as a second language.
Currently there is talk that The University of Fortaleza in ( UNIFOR ) may soon begin this needed class. As this time, nothing is official, although many people are anxiously awaiting a formal announcement.
In the past, another Fortaleza University, UFC, previously, but no longer offers the class
If you love Brazil as much as I do, and really want to learn the language, and culture while living (and kiting) in the almost always windy NE Brazil, A Portuguese class and a student Visa is a good option
Living and studyingin Brazil is guaranteed to be a life altering experience that you will cherish for years to come. I highly recommend it.
Normal Tourist Visa's only allow you to stay for 6 months. A Student Visa can be initially issued for up to 1 full year, and can easily be extended to allow you to stay longer to continue your studies.
Aside from this language class, UNIFOR also offers another class Dinamico de groupo
( Group dynamics ).
This class is taught 100% in Portuguese and ideal for people that have a decent understanding of the language. Its a wonderful class that will greatly help you to push your language skills to the next level while really getting to know local Brazilian university students. The class is all about communication skills within a group setting. As of today, I think I understand less than 20% of whats begin said, but also love the class, and feel like my language skills
are improving very quickly.
For more details, prices, schedules for the Group Dynamics class, and to help
persuade UNIFOR to begin the language classes....
Contact:
Maria Enedina Bezerra ( She goes by Neda)
Vice Reitoria De Extensao
Universidade De Fortaleza
Av. Washington Soares, 1321
Caixa Postal 1258. Bairro Edison
CEP 60811-905
Phone: +55 (85) 3477-3127
Country Code for Brazil 55, City code for Fortaleza: 85, local phone number 3477-3127
*** Tell her " Americano Jeff from Kitemare sent you "
