Fortaleza Holidays & Tailor-made Tours

The capital of Ceara state on the North-Eastern coast, Fortaleza is famous for its fine city beaches, cuisine and culture. it is also the gateway to Jericoacaora and Maranhao Lencois National Parks.

Fortaleza is a major commercial centre located on the North-Eastern coast, famous for its fine city beaches and good connections to the more remote towns, cities and national parks nearby.

Fortaleza means ‘fortress’, relating to its Portuguese history when in 1603 settlers arrived from Portugal. At first, the setters were defeated by the local Indian population, who local legend has it killed and ate the first bishop! The Dutch arrived in 1637 and drove the Portuguese out of Fortaleza - building a fort on the site - with the Portuguese restricted to occupying coastal settlements well into the 18th century. It was from Fortaleza where the independence movement was organised and in the 19th century the city’s fortunes improved as it became a major port and staging post for rubber exports from the Amazon.

Today, Fortaleza has over 2,600,000 city inhabitants and much for the traveller to enjoy: the famous beaches with miles with golden sand and turquoise waters; the lively Fortal festival (one of Brazil’s biggest carnivals) and celebrates São João (June Festivals) with traditional music, dancing and food; local cuisine is delicious including moqueca (seafood stew), carne de sol (sun-dried beef), and tapioca (a cassava-based dish).

Other attractions are the historic Theatre José de Alencar with its impressive architecture, the bustling Mercado Central and Dragão do Mar Centre of Art and Culture - a cultural hub with museums, theatres, and exhibitions. Nearby you can visit Parque Nacional de Ubajara (with waterfalls and caves) and Jericoacoara (a paradise for windsurfing and dunes).

Fortaleza has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round (average 27–30°C). The rainy season is typically from February to May, while the rest of the year is mostly sunny and dry.