BRAZIL in October - Paracuru, Ilha do Guajiru and Jeri

[Kite Kasia]

Hi, we (2 couples) are flying to Fortaleza in mid October for 2 weeks for kite holiday. The plan is to head straight for Paracuru and stay there for 3 nights, then go to Ilha do Gujiru and spend there another 4 days, from there head to Jeri for the rest of our holiday.
After a bit of research and long discussions we have decided against hiring 4x4 - cost is just crazy!
We will get picked up from the airport and are planning to rent a buggy in Paracuru - no problems there.
The trip from Paracuru to Ilha do Guajiru is our worry... Not sure how we can get there and if we will be able to enjoy the place without any means of own transport. Could we rent a buggy there? Or is there any need at all for renting a buggy while in Ilha do Guajiru? The place and kitesurfing spots around look amazing and we don't want to miss it!
We were hoping to get a "transfer" from Paracuru to Ilha do G. by beach to see the costline and stop in nice places for a session and possibly same again after 4 days from Ilha do G. to Jeri.
But then again we would settle for a normal transfer too.
Just want to be able to get from place to place safely and without any problems.
Could anyone recommend anything?

Also could anyone give as a little report on real wind conditions in these 3 spots in mid to end of October? We know it's windy and the further Noth we go the windiest it gets, but does it mean 25, 30 or 35+ knots every day?...

Thanks

[HackyBrazil]

Renting a buggy I would only recommend if you also take a driver. Because these guys know how to fix that vehicle when it breaks down as well as these "buggeiros" know where to get gasoline and the places to avoid.
As you want to start from Paracuru you will have to get inland and back to the coast at Lagoinha. There is a possibility to pass the river more inland close to Paracuru and get back on the beach before Lagoinha but not even all the native buggeiros know that place - so search for the right man who knows.
From Lagoinha you have a ride at the beach without further problems. Before Guajiru you will have to take a "balsa" = ferry to get to Guajiru. Please conferm the tides not to get stuck there. You will pass Guajiru - Flexeiras - Embuaca until Mundau. There you have to take the next ferry to arrive in Baleia.

From there you arrive after a while in Icarai and further on in Moitas. Travell during low tide!!

Moitas is a bit tricky. First you have to take a ferry and you will have to pass through the mangroves. As this year the rainy season was really strong - this might be an adventure. Normaly the buggeiro will tell you if it is a good idea or not. From Moitas to Torroes you wont be driving on the beach. The landscape in that area is with a lot of mangroves and rivers. Before Torroes you have to take the next ferry. From there I would take the asphalt road to arrive in Itarema and head right to Praia da Barra where you want to spend some days I guess.

The only infrastructure i know in Praia da barra are some Barrachas - nativ style at the beach. Shops or atm´s you only find in Itarema that is about 5 km from Praia da Barra. I am quiet sure you won´t be able to rent a buggy there. Maybe you keep the buggeiro to have a vehicle for the time you stay there.

From Praia da Barra I would recomend taking the asphalt. Ask the owner of the place where you stay in Jeri/Prea to send you a transfer to pick you up - best solution if you don´t have your own car. Travelling on the beach is due to various rivers and a lot of mangroves really unpleasant. You really need to know the entrances to the spots on the way.

The wind situation is normally like this.

Pracuru normally between 20 and 26 knots
Praia da Barra pretty the same - if it is really clear 2 knots more
Prea/Jeri is about the same like Praia da Barra maybe 1 knot more - but also depending on the direction of the wind.

My suggestion for you to do some kiting on the stretch would be Flexeiras/Guajiru , Moitas, and furtheron the spots around Prea/Jeri like Barrinha, Guriu, Tatajuba and so on.

I hope I could help you a bit.

Be aware - a buggy trip is an adventure!!!

[vilaprea]

Hey Kasia,

Yes indeed, renting a 4 x 4 will cost you about R$ 250 per day on average, not exactly cheap if you aren't going to be travelling that much.

What pousada are you staying at in Itarema (Ilha do Guajiru)? They should be able to sort out a transfer for you.

If you choose to rent a buggy with a driver as Hacky Brazil suggested, you can totally follow his instructions since they are correct and it is a beautiful trip (I would skip the beach section from Paracuru to Lagoinha and drive through Paraipaba instead because it is a little tricky). Keep in mind that 4 people with kitesurf equipment and all your luggage might be a little heavy for one buggy alone, and you might expect to have breakdowns (quite normal with buggies). But as long as you have an entire day (leaving early and getting to Itarema late) you should be ok. If you plan on leaving Paracuru between the 15th and the 18th of October I would make sure to leave early since it is just after full moon and the tides get really high and you may not be able to get past Moitas if you get there after 3.00 pm. Follow this link to Kite-Brazil's site to get more details on the beaches between Cumbuco and Camocim.

I'm not too sure if you will be able to rent a buggy in Ilha do Guajiru or Itarema because it doesn't have much infrastructure yet.

In regards to the last section (Itarema to Jeri) I would have the pousada you are staying at in Prea or Jeri pick you up from there by the asphalt (following the beach between those two spots is quite tricky). If you let me know where you're planning on staying I can get you a quote for that transfer.

Also another way to do the beach transfer in a 4 x 4 from Paracuru to Itarema/Ilha do Guajiru by the beach would be to do a major kite-safari / downwinder from Paracuru to Moitas and do the last section in the 4 x 4. The trip can be done in one day (although it would be hard core kiting) or just driving along the beach, or over two or three days and staying in nice hotels along the way. Check out Downwind Brasil's new site for more details.

In regards to Jeri and Prea, have you already sorted out your stay? If not we can help you with suggesting some hotels & pousadas.

Feel free to pm or email me at fred@vilaprea.com for more details, either way, have a great trip and we`ll see you on the water in October!

Cheers,

Fred

[theadebo]

Really for what you would like to do the best two choices are:

1. Hire a 4x4
2. Go on a Kitesafari ie. hire a 4x4 with a driver that knows where they are going.

You can mess about with a buggy here, a transfer there, maybe taxi from C to D. But, I wouldn't recommend it for a stress free holiday. Buggies breakdown... all the time. Things and people in North East Brazil can be unreliable, so the fewer of them you need to rely on the better.

My advice, book a 4x4 Safari, spend the extra cash and really enjoy your holiday.

[Toby]

or find someone who you can share the 4x4 with! Normally there are many people interested in a trip like this! Ask some friends!

Expect winds in Jeri in October around 30 knots during peak time (11-2pm).

[Kite Kasia]

Expect winds in Jeri in October around 30 knots during peak time (11-2pm).

Does it mean the wind is getting lighter at the evenings? Something around 25 knots maybe?
I think 30 knots would be max I can take and only if I get new 6m

[vilaprea]

for Jeri at that time of the year you should indeed expect 25 to 30 knots between 12:00 and 3:00 pm which is the peak time here in Prea & Jeri. It is usually less windy before noon and it does slow down a little bit after 4:00 pm.

[HackyBrazil]

renting a 4x4 is an option, but make sure that you really follow the tips and hints we gave you above to not getting stuck on the way. There are really only a few people that made the beach trip from Moitas along the beach to Prea.

Arriving in Brazil go for the satellite map of "Guia Quatro Rodas" - Praias. This will definitely help you to figure out where you are on the trip. You can get this map at any bigger magazin store.

Don´t worry about the wind. Due to the fact that the temperature in Prea is around 30 degree celsius the impact and power of the wind is much less than you feel 30 knots in Europe with colder air. Its a rule of physics that is to exagerated to explain here. We normaly use kites of 7 and 9 m all year long.

In Prea there are already 4 kite schools that are really busy and also provide kite assistance.

[Kite Kasia]

Thank you all for your help!
We won't be renting 4x4 for our trip. Maybe next year, this time we want to check out few spots and see how everything "works" in Brazil...
We are planning on transfers/taxis, hoping it shouldn't be too much trouble as we will be staying in 3 places only;
Paracuru
Ilha do Guajiru
Jeri

We have already booked our transfer from the airport to the Kite Village in Paracuru and it looks like they will be able to organise a transfer for us to Ilha do G.
I'm bit worrying about your reports on buggies... We just want to rent it in Paracuru to be able to drive to the kite beach and back as we feel like it. Not planning any longer trips!

It looks like in Ilha do G. we should be able to kitesurf just outside our cabanas Hoping there will be an option of getting to some other spots around lagoon by boat/jeep... It also looks like they have small local restaurants/bars on the beach so we counting on it and hoping we won't need to get to Itarema...

We are still in process of booking pousada in Jeri. Really like your beach houses in Prea Fred, just wish they were in Jeri... Really want to stay in the village, somewhere not too noisy but close to the beach (famous sun sets at dunes) and the centre for eating out and bit of nightlife... I think pousada in Jeri should be able to organise a transfer for us from Ilha do G., it doesn't loook too far away Also we would like to hire buggies in Jeri, same reason - to be able to go and come back from the beach any time we want, without waiting for taxis or group transfers and other people.

Are we living in a dream world or is it do-able?

[HackyBrazil]

Oi Kasia,

wise decision.

I am sure your pousada in Paracuru will be able to organise a transfer from the airport and they should provide you with a transport to arrive at the kite spot or organise it for you for a reasonable price.

A transfer to Praia da Barra is much quicker then 2 years ago with the new road now. A cab or vehicle without 4x4 is just fine to arrive in Praia da Barra.

The place i reccommend in Jeri is the Pousada "Ibirapueira" it is close to the main street but still enough distance to the nightlife part. Very nice place. The owner is Celso who is also working as a kite teacher in Prea. That means you have a possibility to get a transfer because kitesurfing in Jeri is not allowed and sucks anyway because of the tons of windsurfers and the wind shadow of the village.
Hiring a buggy will be hard because the native buggeiros really have a lot of bussines and the prices for rental are high. Better check a transfer with Celso , Mosquito or Vanessa.

I don´t have Celsos mail at the moment - but if you need it just write me an email or pm.

And by the way everything is doable in Brazil they call it "da um jeito"