Fortaleza

Fortaleza is one of Brazil’s biggest cities and an economic magnet for people from Ceará and beyond. It’s also a magnet for tourists who come for the beaches, the party atmosphere and the spectacular smaller beach spots, rolling dunes and fishing villages places they can get to from here. Some city beaches are reasonably attractive and the nightlife is definitely a lot of fun.

The city stretches 20km along the coast and up to 10km inland. Centro is the oldest part of town and is a lively area to wander round by day, with many busy streets full of small stores, though it lacks any specific attractions of note. The main areas of interest are east of Centro. First is Praia de Iracema, a tightly packed nightlife, restaurant and accommodation zone, with no beach worth mentioning. Then there’s Meireles, the middle-class beach suburb with many upscale places to stay, 2km to 4km east of Centro. South of Meireles, another middle-class suburb, Varjota, is home to many of Fortaleza's best restaurants.