North-East Sands of Natal & Praia da Pipa

Your tour of the far north-eastern corner of Brazil takes you first to Natal, the state capital of Rio Grande do Norte. The city is known as the City of Dunes, built around long stretches of beaches backed by high sand dunes. After arriving in the city, you will be welcomed at the airport and transferred to your hotel and have the rest of the day free to wander around the beaches such as Ponta Negra. As you look out to sea, you can consider that the west coast of Africa is nearer than the far south of Brazil! Natal is renowned for its seafood dishes, cashew nuts and a varied local cuisine.

Today you take a trip north of Natal by buggy crossing the Rio Potengi before passing along beaches including Redinha, Santa Rita, Genipabú, Barra do Rio, Graçandu, and Pitangui, until you arrive in Jacumã. A stop at the beautiful dunes of Genipabú gives you chance to toboggan and sandboard down the beautiful sloping dunes. You can also take a seated zipline down the dune to the fresh waters below, or take an adrenaline-inducing water slide down the slopes. You can even ride camels in the sand-dunes. This day of adventure and north-eastern scenery lasts the whole day before you return to Natal in the late afternoon.

In the morning you transfer 80km by road down the coast to Praia da Pipa. After arriving your first afternoon in Praia da Pipa is free to explore one of Brazil\\\'s finest beach towns. This stretch of North-Eastern Paradise has cliffs framing beaches of soft white sands, with waving palm trees providing shelter from the strong sun. Pipa prides itself on being a very cosmopolitan place, and it attracts people from all over the world to this global village\\\'. The strong Atlantic waves and winds make it an excellent spot for surfing and kite-surfing, and lessons can be organised with experienced instructors.

One of the most popular excursions in Praia da Pipa is the boat tour to Baia dos Golfinhos. A little to the north of the village, Praia do Curral is the name of the beach, and Dolphin Bay gets its popular name as being the playground of various grey dolphins. The creatures come into the bay to apparently enjoy themselves, jumping and somersaulting in the waters. Walking to the beach at low tide is also possible so you can enter the water for yourselves. You can also visit the Ecological Sanctuary a short walk out of town to walk the trail and see if you encounter any other wildlife.

As well as the tour of the northern beaches and dunes around Natal, you may also like to spend a day touring the areas closer to Pipa. Buggies take you for half or full day trips to the lookout point of Turtle Bay, and to laze in the natural pools of Barra da Cunhau. The shallow waters of the channel warm in the tropical sun, making them as pleasant as they are picturesque. The Rio Cunhau meets the ocean here, and you can also take boat trips up the river and through the mangroves. Passing along miles of deserted beaches, you would also have the option to visit the last reservation of the Potiguares indigenous people. You return to Pipa as the sun sets.

There are options around Pipa should you wish to explore the area. With so many dunes then some are best by beach buggy, horse, quadbike, and even parasailing! Tours with each type of transport take you around the dunes and lagoons of the area, and even as far as the Genipabu dunes north of Natal should you wish to travel. There are many activities too along the coastline, with surf and kite-surf schools, and stand-up paddle boards to rent. You can also snorkel around the calmer headlands. Possibilities also exist in the area for the newer water activities, with jetboards, hoverboards, flyboards, jetovators and the slightly more traditional wakeboarding and wakesurfing.

In the morning, you have one last chance to say goodbye to the dolphins before you leave Praia da Pipa for the quick return journey to Natal. From Natal there are some flights directly to Europe, although you may need to connect in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Recife or Brasilia. You can also combine Natal and Praia da Pipa in the north-eastern corner with other wonderful destinations in Brazil. The Beach Adventure from Natal through to Fortaleza and then Jericoacoara is particularly recommended, even extending via the Parnaiba Delta and Lencois Maranhenses to Sao Luis.