Fortaleza & Jericoacoara
All of Brazil, within reach.
Fortaleza's municipal flag is a white field crossed by a blue St. Andrew's cross (saltire), in the same blue as Brazil's national flag, with the city's coat of arms — designed by Tristão de Alencar Araripe — centered on it; it was adopted by Municipal Law No. 1,316 on November 11, 1958, with the coat of arms renewed in 2013.
Fortaleza & Jericoacoara in pictures
About Fortaleza & Jericoacoara
Fortaleza and Jericoacoara form Ceará's signature beach-and-adventure pairing on Brazil's Northeast coast, combining a major international gateway with one of the country's most in-demand dune-and-lagoon destinations. Fortaleza–Pinto Martins International Airport (FOR) gives ground operators direct international and domestic lift into a modern coastal capital with urban beaches, cultural venues, and a full range of hotel inventory, while a roughly 300 km transfer — or a short domestic hop into Jericoacoara's own Comte. Ariston Pessoa Regional Airport (JJD) — connects into the car-free dune village that regularly ranks among Brazil's most-visited national parks. For DMCs and tour operators, the route supports flexible programming: city stopovers and MICE in Fortaleza, then multi-day beach, kitesurf, and buggy-excursion product in Jericoacoara, with strong wind-season demand from August through November and a second high season tied to Brazilian summer holidays.
Fortaleza–Pinto Martins International Airport
Managed by Fraport Brasil; the main international/domestic gateway for Ceará.
Comte. Ariston Pessoa Regional Airport (Jericoacoara)
Served by Azul, Gol, and LATAM via São Paulo–Guarulhos and Belo Horizonte–Confins, plus seasonal Brasília service; cuts the Fortaleza–Jericoacoara transfer to well under an hour.
How Fortaleza & Jericoacoara came to be
Sourced milestones your team can use for guest briefings and storytelling — not filler copy.
Curiosities & practical notes
What's on the table
Peixada Cearense
A coastal fish stew served with pirão (thickened cassava-flour broth), considered a signature dish of Ceará's cuisine.
Baião de Dois
Rice and beans cooked together with carne de sol, coalho cheese, and butter.
Carne de Sol
Lightly salted, sun-cured beef, typically grilled and paired with rice, beans, and manteiga de garrafa (clarified butter).
Tapioca
A griddle-cooked cassava-starch crepe filled sweet or savory, a staple breakfast and street-food item across Ceará.
Panelada
A hearty stew of beef tripe and offal, seasoned with garlic, pepper, and tomato.
Queijo Coalho
Grilled skewered cheese, commonly sold by vendors along Fortaleza's beaches.
Rapadura and Doce de Caju
Traditional sugarcane and cashew-based sweets reflecting the state's cashew-growing economy.
What there is to see
Marked where a site carries UNESCO World Heritage status directly, versus a locally or nationally protected landmark.
Praia do Futuro
Fortaleza's premier urban beach, lined with 'barracas' (beach clubs) that were declared Brazilian federal cultural heritage in January 2025.
Centro Dragão do Mar de Arte e Cultura
Fortaleza's flagship arts and culture complex, named for jangadeiro leader Francisco José do Nascimento ('Dragão do Mar').
Theatro José de Alencar
An Art Nouveau theater opened in 1910, notable for its cast-iron structure imported from Glasgow; listed as national heritage by IPHAN in 1975.
Catedral Metropolitana de Fortaleza
A large neo-Gothic cathedral in downtown Fortaleza, one of the city's principal landmarks.
Mercado Central de Fortaleza
A multi-floor handicraft and souvenir market in central Fortaleza, popular for group shopping stops.
Jericoacoara National Park
A federally protected dune, lagoon, and beach ecosystem covering 8,623 hectares, created in 2002 and ranked Brazil's 3rd most-visited national park in 2024.
Duna do Pôr do Sol (Sunset Dune)
Jericoacoara's iconic sunset-viewing dune at the edge of the village, a nightly gathering point for visitors.
Pedra Furada
A natural rock arch on Jericoacoara's coastline and one of the destination's most photographed landmarks.
Lagoa do Paraíso and Lagoa Azul
Freshwater lagoons near Jericoacoara popular for swimming, stand-up paddling, and kite/wing sports, fullest during the rainier months.
What else we brief agencies on
This is what we prepare for every RFP, whether or not it's published on this page yet:
On request for every proposal
- Best season / weather windows and blackout dates for groups & MICE
- Permit and quota logistics for regulated attractions — lead time and group-size caps
- Accessibility notes and physical-difficulty ratings per activity
- Vetted ground partners, guides and transport already used on past programs
- Sustainability / certification credentials relevant to client RFPs, where they genuinely exist
- Real, checked room and vehicle availability for your travel dates — not a generic quote