Along the coast of Northern Brazil you can find tons of amazing spots. If you love flatwater, probably some of the most epic spots are Ilha do Guajiru and Macapa/Barra Grande – or Taiba if you love spotting Pros (not too much for kiting though since it’s super busy). Jericoacoara however is special and different from all the spots you can find along the coast.

Drone Photos by Action Edit

View on the Dune in Jericoacoara

Pros & Cons at a glance

+ big variety of spots around Jericoacoara
+ lots of opportunities for downwinders
+ you can walk barefoot everywhere (Jeri is built on sand in the midst of a National Park)
+ vibrant nightlife and live music every night
+ tons of good restaurants or supermarkets for the ones who want to cook
+ lots of no-wind activities
– need to get a buggy or 4×4 to go to one of the spots (20 – 40 min driving depending on spot)
– during New Year Jeri gets overpriced & very crowded

General Infos (Wind, Water Temperature and Water Condition)

Best Wind:  July – January

The wind really is blowing with almost 100 percent guarantee during these months. The strongest one being November. In comparison to the more southern spots Cumbuco and Ilha do Guajiru, the wind is blowing always a few knots more and the season is a bit longer – until February if you’re lucky.

Water Temperature: Bikini/Boardshorts

The perfect conditions to kite in a bikini or board shorts! I’d still recommend to put a rashguard on since the sun is very strong.

Water Condition: anything from flat water til waves

If you’re a flatwater lover, then Barrinha (low tide), Guriu (medium – high tide) and Tatajuba lagoon (medium – high tide) are your spots. All the other spots have choppy water and sometimes wind waves. My favorite spot for small waves is right before Guriu when doing the downwinder from Jeri.
The entrance into Jericoacoara's center

Getting to Jericoacoara, Brazil

Currently only domestic flights go to Jericoacoara airport.

The cheapest airport to fly to from abroad is Fortaleza (FOR). There are a few different options to get from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara (besides flying inland from Fortaleza to Jeri).

– from Fortaleza to Jeri by bus

Fretcar offers three daily bus rides from Fortaleza airport to Jeri, you can check the schedule here. It will take you around 7 – 8 hours even if the website might say otherwise since there is a stop and bus change in Jijoca. You can simply buy the bus ticket at the Fretcar office at the airport. It will cost you around 55 – 70 Reais.

– from Fortaleza to Jeri by private transfer

The faster but more expensive option is taking a private 4×4, which will be around a 4.5 hours drive and will cost you around 450 – 550 Reais for the car. You can either book one in advance – if you ask your Pousada or Hotel you’re staying at – but it might be a bit more expensive.
You can also check the Facebook group Car share Jericoacoara if somebody is offering free spots for a transfer he/she already booked.
If you’re a bit more adventurous you can also just ask people at the airport if they’re going to Jeri and still have a free spot. My tip: ask the windsurfers since they will go to Jeri for sure, the probability that kiters go to one of the many other spots along the coast is pretty high. I managed to get a cheap ride this way and met pretty nice people.

– from Fortaleza to Jeri by rental car

I book my rental cars via Rental Cars or billiger mietwagen (German Site, you can cancel up to 24 hrs before).

However, getting out of Fortaleza is a bit of madness, takes you usually around an hour. There are red traffic lights where you shouldn’t stop at night (no one does) since chances are pretty high you would get robbed.

But the road to Jijoca is pretty easy, from there you’ll need to get a driver who drives you through the National Park and it’s dunes. It’s impossible doing that ride alone, you’ll get stuck. I’d recommend getting a 4×4 since you’ll need the 4WD to get to the spots (although we also made it with a tiny car and then left it in Jeri at the parking lot, taking buggies to the spots). But again, it’s no joke driving through the soft sand and you can see inexperienced drivers get stuck in the dunes almost daily. 
Downwind of Jericoacoara

Spot details in and around Jericoacoara

– Behind the Dune in Jeri

Conditions: flat – choppy. You can’t kite surf in Jeri itself since it’s forbidden – only the windsurfers can cruise around the point. The only place you’re allowed to kite at is behind the Dune but it’s not really worth kiting here since the wind is quite gusty. However it’s a nice starting point for a downwinder to Guriu or Tatajuba.

 The kite beach in Barrinha, BrazilBarrinha as seen from the restaurant (there is enough space without fisherboats upwind and downwind from there)

– Upwind of Jeri: Barrinha

Conditions: flat – choppy. 10 km further from Prea you’ll find Barrinha, which has a bit more flat but also shallow water than Prea. The restaurant here is famous for its lobster and after a good meal you start here for your downwinder to Prea or Placa. You get out at the sign  and most of the people go out since the last part from there the beach is quite rocky and the wind direction is offshore.
But if you want you can do the downwinder all the way to Praia Malhada, the small bay to get out before the point in Jeri or continue to behind the dune. It’s not allowed to go out at the main beach in Jeri but I’ve seen some kiters do it anyway.
the kitesurf spot in prea, brazil
The kite beach in Prea, when sitting in Rancho do Peixe

– Upwind of Jeri: Prea

Conditions: choppy. This is the spot which is perfect if you want a good restaurant and nice vibe. Rancho do Peixe is the most comfortable solution with a compressor, a space to leave your pumped kite during the sessions in the shadow and wash your stuff. Besides the restaurant is very good, I can recommend anything from the thin pizzas made in the stone oven or the salads (my favorite: Salad with Quinoa, Shrimps and roasted Cashew nuts).
The kite beach in Prea, Brazil
The kite beach in Prea, Brazil
If you want a bit more quiet atmosphere you can also go to Vila Prea which has really good food as well, partly homegrown from their own garden.
In general it’s always more fun to kite at low tide since the water is a bit more flat so always check the tide table here.
Same as Barrinha, the best part of the day is the downwinder to Placa at the end of the day.
The spot right before entering Guriu with small waves
The waves right before Guriu

– Downwind from Jeri: Guriu (or the waves before Guriu)

Conditions:  flat /choppy-waves on the ocean. It’s more flat than Prea here and you can have some really nice waves right before the lagoon Guriu. The nicest way to come here is downwinding from behind the dune. If you want to save money, the transfer is usually a bit cheaper if you tell them you’re staying before Guriu, since the drivers don’t have to pass the river with the boat and pay extra.
When the tide is higher you can kite out of the Guriu lagoon to the ocean where there are some nice little waves.
Guriu is a lagoon which works with medium/high tide. It can sometimes be a bit smelly but still it’s a nice spot. There are a few small huts that sells cold coconuts and drinks.

– Downwind from Jeri: Tatajuba

Conditions: flat. This small lagoon works with medium to high tide. It can get quite crowded here but you can still go to the ocean and get some small waves. My favorite trip is donwinding all the way from Jeri to Tatajuba, shred a bit in the flatwater , then have a good meal here and drive back. There is a local restaurant with cheaper prices at the right outer site (when you stand in front of all the houses coming from the ocean) which serves local fish or you go to one of the restaurants right on the beach..
Lagoa Grande close to Tatajuba
Lagoa Grande

– Lagoa Grande 

Conditions: flat – choppy (sweet water!). It’s around 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to the Paradise lagoon so it’s not worth going every day but it’s definitely nice to see. It’s funny having sweet water for a change and same as Guriu the water is quite flat compared to Prea.
The lagoon is pretty big and there are some touristy yet good fish restaurants or rather fish huts. The food takes around an hour so just calculate that into your plans. It’s also a nice place to hang out in one of the hammocks in the water.
Top view of the Lagoa Grande – a pretty big kitesurf lagoon
Lagoa Grande

Downwind options around Jeri

There are tons of options for downwinders around Jeri – those two are the ones you can do as a day trip (or half day trip depending on the level of the group you’re kitesurfing with).

Jeri Dune – Guriu – Tatajuba

(1.5 hours if you’re going fast downwind, around 3 hours if you’re going slowly) My favorite is definitely from behind the dune all the way to Tatajuba – passing the waves upwind from Guru, cutting into the Guriu lagoon for some flatwater, then continuing on to Tatajuba passing some nice waves again and finally arriving in the flatwater lagoon Tatajuba.
This is a downwinder for the more experienced kiters since the car can’t follow along the whole time on the coast – it needs to pass the river at one point and then go via the inland the last bit to arrive in Tatajuba.

Barrinha – Prea – Placa

(45 min if you’re going fast downwind, around 1.5 hours if you’re going slowly) Another nice option is going from Barrinha (you need low tide to get up there) all the way down to Placa – maybe with a lunch stop in-between in Prea. This is a shorter downwinder and better for not such experienced kiters since your driver can follow you along on the coast all the way.
 Drone view on the coast downwind from Jericoacoara

Getting around to the kite spots

To get to the spots you’ll always need a buggy or pickup. In general it’s always cheaper to find more people and get a pickup together (it fits around 12 people).

Where to organize the buggys

The buggys and pickups are waiting in the mornings on Rua S. Francisco and Rua Principal. It’s better coming before 10.30 am since then there are the most drivers around and you can bargain better ? Prices are quite crazy. You will have to calculate around 9 to 15 Euros per Person per day for transport

Going on a kitesurf day trip or downwinder with kite addicts

Carla from Kitesurfando is a super cool girl that organizes trips to different spots most of the days. It’s completely different to go with someone who is just as passionate about kiting as you are! Her “specialty” is going from Jeri to Tatajuba (which is my favorite downwinder as well 😉 )Same with Angela and Mandy from love2kitebrasil. They also organize longer downwinders e.g. from Jeri to Macapa or Atins.

An easy transportation for every day

If you’re traveling solo the best option is to join kite is cool, which is a kite school going to the spot before Guriu (even before the waves) to kite every day at 9.30 am, coming back around 1.30 pm so you have 3 full hours kiting at the spot. They can also drop you off behind the dune for a downwinder (however they won’t accompany you along the coast so you should be experienced enough to go on your own). You’ll have to go there the night before to reserve your spot and it costs you 40 BRS.

Tramping as an option

Again, if you’re travelling solo and are looking for a cheap way to get around you can either tramp to Prea from the station outside of Jeri or you try joining other kiters when you see they are looking for a buggy on Rua S. Francisco or Rua Principal. In the afternoons you can simply do a downwinder from Prea to Placa and then try to catch a ride from there.

You could also do a downwinder from Jeri to Guriu and hope to find a ride back there.

For bigger groups: the kite bus

If you’re tired of the bargaining and are with a bigger group of people, it’s a good idea to go with the kite bus. You can simply send a whatsap message to Jackson +55 88 8104 1558. He is reliable and works a lot of kitesurfers so he knows what he’s doing.

Look for last-minute rides or people to share the buggy in Kitesurfando

You can also join the Facebook group Kitesurfando since they sometimes look for people when they rent the kite bus or a pickup and you can get a cheaper ride and get to know some new people, often locals.

Where to stay in Jericoacoara

Where to rent apartments

You can always check airbnb (if you don’t have an account yet, create one here and get a 35 Euro discount on your first booking with my link) where people offer their apartments usually a bit outside of the city – which is usually no long walk and cheaper than staying in a Pousada.

Pousadas (Guest Houses)

One of my favorite Pousadas – and one that is booked out super quickly – is Pousada Atlantis. It has only a few rooms, is surrounded by a super nice garden and the owners are super nice.

Pousada Papaya is also a nice option. There are tons of other nice options to stay in Jeri, not all of them are on booking or other platforms. You can also book a Pousada just for the first couple of nights and then look for something once you’re there – except for the time around Christmas/New Year when it gets super crowded.

Hostels

If you’re more on a low budget you can choose the hostel or also single room in Villa Chic. If you’re looking to meet new people and party then Hostel Tirol right in the center across from the bus station in Rua S. Francisco is a good option.

A great option is the Happy Mike Hostel as well – the owner Darcio is a passionate kitesurfer himself and sometimes organizes kite trips as well.
The Windsurf spot in Jericoacoara from above

Where to eat in Jericoacoara

Jeri has so many good options that it’s hard to narrow it down. No matter if you’re on a low budget, want to cook yourself in the apartment or want to dine out every night in a different restaurant – Jeri has it all!

The best restaurants and cafes in Jeri

  • Casa da Pedra: they have immense salads, Tapiocas and Burgers etc. at a good price, this was the most visited restaurant during all of my stays I think.
  • Naturalmente: the best place for Acai or huge sweet/salty Crepes. Tip: you can also watch the sunset from here.
  • Club Ventos: definitely the best lunch option (self-service buffet) but make sure to come before one 1 pm since sometimes the best stuff is gone by then. You can soak up the atmosphere and watch the windsurfers and surfers from the restaurant.
  • Na Casa Dela: this restaurant looks a bit like out of a fairy tale and the food is good. The Picanha there is one of the best I ever had! All dishes are meant for 2 persons, but you can also order the for one person.
  • Peixe Brasileiro: THE best fish in Jeri. the waiter will take you back to the BBQ and you can choose your own fish. There is always big groups here, so make sure to come early (they open at 7) and bring some people or a lot of hunger to share those big fish!
  • Kaze: sushi lovers, this is your place to go! Brazilians are crazy about the Sushi and this one is really high quality. Just make sure to come before 8 during high season if you’re a big group or make a reservation before.
  • Freddyssimo: a tiny restaurant which is a bit hidden and has a first floor where you can eat nicely. The veggies are partly homegrown and fish as well as meat options were very good.
  • Gelato & Grano: definitely the best ice cream in Jeri

Local and low budget food

  • Local BBQ stands: They offer different meat options, queijo coalho (cheese sticks that taste a bit like Halloumi), some of them also have shrimps, lobster and fresh tuna.
  • Tapioca: there are a few food stands and also restaurants who serve sweet and salty tapioca. Tapioca is kind of a Crepes but it’s made out of the Cassava root. It doesn’t taste like much, is gluten-free and yummy with the right filling.

Supermarkets in Jericoacaora

If you need to go low budget or prefer cooking your own food, it’s worth getting an airbnb Apartment with your own kitchen. Even though Jeri is so remote, the supermarket has quite a good selection. Tem de Tudo on Rua Principal is the biggest one in Jeri and also delivers during the day straight to your house for free if you ask them for delivery.

One of Jericoacoara's most popular attractions: the dune for sunset

No-Wind-Activities

Not that you would need no-wind activities since it’s always blowing during the season but if you feel like doing something else, there’s tons of activities:

  • Surfing or SUPing right in the bay of Jeri (when the swell is good)
  • Windsurfing – or simply admire the windsurf pros training there from the beach
  • morning run during low tide along the beach or run up the dune a few times
  • take dance classes (Forro, Samba) or try Zumba
  • take lessons or watch Capoeira or Jiu Jiutsu
  • hike to Pedra Furada
  • just relax on the beach and sip on a coconut
  • shop a pair of havaianas in the big havaiana store on the main square (you’ll probably head out with more than one pair…)
  • Listen to live music in one of the many bars or restaurants
  • Go for a sunset caipi up the dune
  • Watch the Capoeira show at sunset at the beach
  • Try all the Caipis on Caipi street that you don’t know yet (there are a lot of fruits you will have never heard of!)
  • Watch the Capoeira/Samba show on Saturday night around 8 pm while dining in e.g. Pescador (it’s on this small square)
  • Party! There is something going on every night, you can check the Live Jeri website or simply go to Caipi Street and take it from there (parties usually start around 11 – 12 pm) Locals love the Samba on Fridays.

Photo Credit: Drone Footage by Action Edit

> You’re all giddy with excitement for your next kite trip – but wondering what you’ll need to pack for your adventure?

Here is my huge resource list with all the tips, links and apps I use on my kitesurf travels. Also check out this article to get some tips on the best way to pack and travel with kite luggage.

> Do you need more spot inspiration for your future kite adventures?

Check out all the other spot guides or the post on the ultimate kitesurf adventures.