RealWorld Guide to Jericoacoara
Brazil is spoiled for choice when it comes to beaches, from tiny private coves to miles-long stretches of white sand. Even among all this variety, Jericoacoara (known as "Jeri") to the locals, manages to stand out: no wonder it's regularly voted as the best beach in Brazil.
What to See on a Trip to Jeri
This former fishing village is completely surrounded on all sides by colossal sand dunes, meaning that the only way to reach it has been in a 4x4 heading over the dunes, or by water. This naturally has put off the kind of high-rise hotel development which has taken places along much of Brazil's coastline, and meant that getting here has been an adventure by itself.
Once you're here, the dunes turn into a giant adventure playground for visitors to Jeri, with dune buggy rides and sand-boarding (like snow-boarding but with, well, sand!) at the top of the list.
Away from the dunes, Jericoacoara's large sandy beach is understandably at the centre of things. It's a little shallow for serious swimming but for bathing and sun-bathing it's absolutely perfect, and there are several other beaches within easy walk which are better for swimming and also suitable for surfing.
Jeri is also probably the best place in Brazil for wind-surfing, and there are lots of places in town which will rent you equipment. We'd also recommend taking a day trip out to the freshwater lagoons at Lagoa Azul.
Jeri's Emerald Sunset
The largest dune, the Por do Sol, also plays host to one of Jericoacoara's most unique attractions, the famous Emerald Sunset. This only occurs in a few places around the world, and is a phenomenom where the tip of the sun appears to turn an emerald green as it hits the horizon. It's a strange and beautiful sight, reminiscent of the Northern Lights, and Jeri is one of the only places in the world you can see it!
Getting to Jericoacoara
A new airport just the other side of the dunes is currently under construction, which we have mixed feelings about. On the one hand it will obviously be great to have easy access to one of our favourite beaches in Brazil, but on the other hand the adventure of getting to Jeri, and the out-of-the-way feel have always been part fo the charm.
For the moment in any case, you'll need to fly into Fortaleza and then get overland transport on to Jeri. It's possible to do most of this on public transport, but private transfers are quicker and much more convenient.
Weather in Jericoacoara
It's never exactly cold up here in the north of Brazil, and you're likely to see temperatures well into the 20sC all year round in Jericoacoara, with temperatures touching 30C from April through to August.
When it comes to rainfall, basically if it's February, it's raining; if it's not February, it's not. OK, it's a little more complicated than that, but really not much! And even in February you're really not looking at much rain at all - an average of 27mm for the whole month.