Jericoacoara, CE: the complete destination guide
Jericoacoara is the village of sand streets inside a national park of dunes and lagoons. This guide gathers what the town holds, how the year divides there, how you get in, where it is worth staying and how many days the place asks for.
What Jericoacoara is
Jericoacoara sits in Ceará, in the north-east of Brazil, and it is the village of sand streets inside a national park of dunes and lagoons. That sentence settles more than it seems: it says what the town has of its own and, by consequence, what there is no point looking for there.
What brings most visitors is concentrated in Duna do Pôr do Sol, Pedra Furada and Lagoa do Paraíso e Lagoa Azul. They are different things from one another, and that is why the town holds more than a day without repeating itself.
What the town holds
| Sight | What it is |
|---|---|
| Duna do Pôr do Sol | The dune at the end of the village that everyone climbs in the late afternoon |
| Pedra Furada | The rock arch on the beach, reached on foot at low tide |
| Lagoa do Paraíso e Lagoa Azul | The freshwater lagoons to the east, which fill and shrink through the year |
| Tatajuba | The dunes and lagoon to the west, with a ferry crossing |
| Árvore da Preguiça | The tree leaning over the water that became the village symbol |
When to go
The year splits in two. From July to January, steady wind, full lagoons and open skies; this is the season. From March to June, less wind, more rain, and lagoons at their highest or already dropping.
There is no bad season in Jericoacoara in any absolute sense: there is the season that matches what you want to do there. Whoever comes for Duna do Pôr do Sol and accepts crowds picks one half of the year; whoever comes for quiet picks the other.
Getting there
By air, an airport at Jericoacoara, about an hour from the village. By road, access is along the the CE-085 and then a stretch of sand. The final stretch is 4x4 only, and that is not optional.
Where to stay
| Base | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| the centre of the village | Anyone who wants everything on foot, the dune included |
| the beachfront | Anyone who wants wind and sea at the door |
| outside the village | Anyone after silence who accepts depending on transport |
How many days
4 days is the number that covers Jericoacoara without rushing, counting the arrival day as half a day. With less than that something on the list above falls away — and it is worth choosing what to cut before travelling, not once you are there.
What it combines with
- Lençóis Maranhenses — the crossing by beach and dunes to the west, done in stages
- Fortaleza — the nearest capital, with the rest of the eastern coast
Common questions
Is Jericoacoara worth the trip?
It is worth it for whoever wants what the town has: the village of sand streets inside a national park of dunes and lagoons. Whoever expects something else usually leaves disappointed, and that is not the destination’s fault.
Can it be done in two days?
It can, by cutting. Two days fit Duna do Pôr do Sol and Pedra Furada. The rest waits for another time.