The town of Cambuco is about 40 kilometers from Fortaleza, and I visited it today.  A bus came and picked me up around 8:00 am, and we drove for about two hours.  When you arrive at the destination, you immediately are made aware that it is a tourist destination.  Vendors are aggressive, and the destination is designed as a small resort oasis with pools, restaurants, and “kite surfing” classes.  Tourism is a major source of income for the local residents.  I was surprised not to see a single foreign tourist, though:  the visitors were all domestic Brazilian tourists, all coming from different states in the country.

Even in Fortaleza, I have not yet seen a single foreign tourist.  This may be because of the time of year; I would guess that the winter months see a flood of visitors from northern Europe, but I do not know.  In any case, it was something that I had not expected.

We had good luck with the sand buggy rides on a previous tour, so decided to do the same thing here.  I recommend these as the most efficient way to see the beautiful beaches and dunes in the surrounding area.  Part of the game for the drivers is to go as fast as possible, making the ride as thrilling as he can for the visitors.  If you are looking for an adrenaline rush, flying through the deserted dunes in one of these little cars is a good choice.  The beaches near Cambuco are huge, and some of the best I’ve seen.  They stretch for miles.  The photos below give the reader an idea what he or she can expect.

The food was impressive.  We ate a meal of crabs, octopus, and fried cassava strips.  I have been a lover of crabs since I was a kid.  In those days, we used to catch blue-shell crabs in the rivers and beaches of southeastern Massachusetts by tying a fish head to a long line and then throwing it in the water.  As it sank to the bottom, it would quickly be set upon by crabs.  Once on the fish head, they rarely left it.  You would then slowly pull in the line, and then net the crab when he was close enough.  These crabs in Cambuco were much better, of course:  full of meat, and tasting much than the blue shells of North America.

 

 

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