North-East Brazil 4x4 Adventure

On arrival in Fortaleza, the state capital of Ceara on the north-facing coast of Brazil, you will be met at the airport for your journey along the spectacular coastline of Brazil's Sunshine State. The first part of the journey takes you past the kite-surfing beaches of Cumbuco, Pecém, Taíba, Paracurú, Lagoinha, Guajirú and Flexeiras, passing along the beaches and crossing over the small rivers that meet the ocean here. There are chances to cool off in the tropical waters along the way, and after lunch in one of the villages, you can relax for the late afternoon and enjoy the sunset of Ceara. Sun is guaranteed on every day of the year in Ceara as are starry skies at night! Staying in Cumbuco on the first night is also an option to shorten the journey.

You continue along the beaches and through the dunes and lagoons to Jericoacoara, one of Brazil's finest little beach towns. After checking in to your hotel you can head out and enjoy some Jeri activities. Sand-boarding is one of the most popular and also one of the most fun - especially watching somebody else trying it for the first time. Surfing and kite-surfing are especially popular too, while horse-rides through the dunes and along the beach appeal to many. Snorkelling and diving are easy to arrange when in the town, or just a simple walk on an empty beach and a swim in the tropical ocean. Sunset and sunrise are always enjoyed from the top of the dune outside town, with full moon period being the most spectacular.

Your day in Jeri begins on a quadbike, passing through town and behind the rocky headland to the long stretch of sand that is Praia do Prea. The first stop is at the postcard Pedra Furada, the holed rock that sits on the edge of the ocean below the lighthouse. A fun 12km on the sand, with various photo opportunities takes you to the village, where you head inland. The waters of Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Paraiso give ample opportunity for you to relax in the photogenic hammocks placed over the lagoon waters. Lunch can be eaten here, with the final part being the spectacular passage through the white sand dunes of the national park back to Jeri.

Your final day in Jericoacoara can be spent in any way that you like. You are guaranteed sun in Ceara if you want to spend the day relaxing around the village. Ceara promises its visitors that there will be sun on 365 days of the year. The state government even offers refunds for those who don't see at least something of the sun every day! The waters of Jericoacoara heat up on the shallow sands as the tide comes in, making them absolute bliss to laze on the edge of the sea and appreciate one of the finest beaches in Brazil. An afternoon caipirinha or two might be an idea, but be careful! Don't forget that you have to climb that dune one final time to appreciate your final Jeri Sunset!

In the morning you head further west, along the coastline to Mangue Seco, taking a boat around the mangroves of Guriú and the ruins of of Tatajuba. The village was buried by the encroaching dunes and abandoned to nature. The Lonely Palm and Beach of Love come next before you cross the Rio Coreaú to Camocim. The tarmac roads take you into Piaui State and the Parnaíba Delta for a lunch break. The Port of Aramadillos on Santa Isabel Island is the first stop in the delta. Here you take a launch along the creeks, rivers and estuaries, with monkeys, iguanas, snakes and scarlet ibis amongst many other animals. After a delta sunset, you can settle into your pousada.

The day begins with the journey to Paulino Neves, a small town in the protected ambiental area of Rio Novo. The adventurous journey through the dunes of North-East Brazil is an eye-opener. By midday you arrive in Cabure, a village built on a disappearing spit of sand that guards the Lazy River from the open ocean. It has already been moved at least once! After arriving, you cross the river to Atins, the small town on the edge of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Late afternoon brings a sunset trip through the dunes by horse or vehicle as the shadows move and make the scenery even more photogenic.

After breakfast a boat trip takes you up the Lazy River past the Mandacaru Lighthouse, with 360º views of Mandacaru, Atins and the smaller dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses. A stop in the fishing community of Vassouras, with its friendly monkeys, comes before you reach Barreirinhas. In the afternoon you take another trip into the dunes of Lençois Maranhenses, the only desert on the planet with its own freshwater lakes. The wind-carved dunes curve into the distance, with the clearest water in the lakes between them. You can leave footprints in empty miles of soft white sands, refreshing in the blue lakes between them, and taking photos of everything you can see.

A final trip into the Lençois Maranhenses National Park in the morning takes you to visit Lagoa do Peixe and Lagoa Azul, for more scenic sands and lakes. After returning to Barreirinhas for lunch, you can see more of the park from the air. A 20-minute flight over the park takes you for the bird's-eye view of the 1,500sqkm expanse of dunes, with views over to the Atlantic Ocean behind. In the afternoon you transfer to the airport in Sao Luis, some 3.5 hours along the highway. From here you fly to one of the major Brazilian cities to connect homewards, or you can continue visiting other fabulous destinations around the country.