During the World Cup Football 2014 I traveled through Brazil, which was one of the best experiences in life. Affordable accommodation was hard to find, definitely in the cities the matches were played. Following Holland I ended up in Fortaleza to see them play Mexico. All I knew about Fortaleza was that it was served by direct flights from Europe and therefore probably was a popular beach destination. The kilometers long boulevard and the high-rise hotels along this stretch were an example of the mass tourism. The city center of Fortaleza was not really appealing, though the beach was definitely worth a visit. Some really popular with locals, some hosted trendy beach clubs with live music. Although mass tourism conquered this city, There a many reasons to visit this region!
A hidden gem a stone throw from Fortaleza: Cumbuco!
I can’t say that Fortaleza was not worth a stop, but I fell in love with a town 25km out of this big city. Be careful if you are planning to visit the little village named Cumbuco, you might fall in love!
The few streets that separate the beach and the sand dunes are predominantly sandy. Don’t rush, Cumbuco is made to slow down, unwind and relax. The picture-perfect white sand beach is still untouched and very quiet. You wont find mass tourism here, but rather see some people riding their horses on the shoreline. It’s a great place to show off to the people back home. Because of the seasonal wind Cumbuco became a kite-surfers heaven, which gives the place an extra laid-back vibe. Hop into a bar at sunset and drink a caipirinha while enjoying great sunsets. A true surfers paradise!
Although a really sleepy town during the day, at nighttime you can enjoy several restaurants and bars centrally clustered in town! My favorite was Restaurant Castanha, where good food, lovely service and good music are the perfect ingredients for a lovely night out.
Where to stay in Cumbuco?
The sleepy town of Cumbuco stole my heart and this was all thanks to Boutique Hotel 0031. The owners invited me to stay at her place, just because they were fellow world travelers in the past! I was extremely happy to become known with the town and their amazing pousada. They offered me a place to stay for a couple nights so I could enjoy my time in Fortaleza and enjoy the match Holland vs. Mexico to the max.
This hard working Dutch couple opened the place after travelling around the world for a while. Just like me they fell in love with Brazil and now a couple years later they are running a fantastic homey place tucked away in the beautiful sand dunes of Cumbuco only a couple meters from the beach. Being experienced travelers themselves, they exactly know what tourists want and their service is impeccable! The wonderful location in the dunes gives you just that extraordinary feeling of being on a holiday. Laying at their lovely pool makes you forget about your day-to-day problems, even hammocks are available if you want to unwind in style!
With fantastic views of the sea you can enjoy an exclusive buffet breakfast every morning. From fresh fruits to homemade bread, cold cuts to eggs cooked to your perfection. This place is all about pura vida, check out their rates here: Cumbuco 0031 Boutique Hotel.
Things to do in Cumbuco
In contrast to the laid-back lifestyle there are some amazing activities that make this town so appealing as well. First of all of course the kite surfing. There are loads of opportunities to learn how to kite surf and your hotel can definitely help you finding a good kite surf school. Furthermore you can rent buggies to explore to sand dunes and head into no mans land, only 1-minute drive from the city center! Take a board along and try out sand boarding. On top of all this there are sailing and horse riding trips and a possibility to rent a jetski.
