Natal, RN: the complete destination guide
Natal is the capital between dunes and cliffs, with the steadiest sun in the country. 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 Natal is
Natal sits in Rio Grande do Norte, in the north-east of Brazil, and it is the capital between dunes and cliffs, with the steadiest sun in the country. 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 Ponta Negra e o Morro do Careca, Genipabu and Praia da Pipa. 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 |
|---|---|
| Ponta Negra e o Morro do Careca | The city beach with the dune wedged into its far end |
| Genipabu | The field of shifting dunes to the north, crossed by buggy |
| Praia da Pipa | The clifftop village to the south, with a dolphin bay |
| Maracajaú | The parrachos, reefs a few kilometres offshore |
| Forte dos Reis Magos | The sixteenth-century fort at the mouth of the Potengi river |
When to go
The year splits in two. From September to February, sun almost every day and strong wind; the best window of the year. From March to July, the rain concentrates here; it comes in short bursts, but boat trips are called off.
There is no bad season in Natal in any absolute sense: there is the season that matches what you want to do there. Whoever comes for Ponta Negra e o Morro do Careca and accepts crowds picks one half of the year; whoever comes for quiet picks the other.
Getting there
By air, an airport between Natal and Parnamirim. By road, access is along the the BR-101 along the coast. Pipa is about an hour and a half south and works as a second base.
Where to stay
| Base | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| Ponta Negra | Anyone who wants a city beach with services close together |
| Pipa | Anyone who wants a village, cliffs and nightlife |
| the north coast | Anyone here for the dunes who wants to wake up in them |
How many days
5 days is the number that covers Natal 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
- João Pessoa — three hours south, with the easternmost point of the Americas
- Fortaleza — the same dune coast, continuing north
Common questions
Is Natal worth the trip?
It is worth it for whoever wants what the town has: the capital between dunes and cliffs, with the steadiest sun in the country. 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 Ponta Negra e o Morro do Careca and Genipabu. The rest waits for another time.