The stunning beaches around Trairi in Ceará in Northeast Brazil have been a well-kept secret among discerning Brazilian holidaymakers and select investors. The Coral Resort, owned and developed by BRIC Group, has to date been one of the very few developments along this privileged coastline. Recent announcements of new arrivals, however, have catapulted the area into the spotlight, now being heralded as the new Brazilian Cancun.
The Mexican Cancun is one of the world’s most famous holiday destinations. The tourist hotspot is known for its year-round climate, stunning beaches, row upon row of hotels and crowds. The coastline to the north of Fortaleza in Northeast Brazil offers the same climatic conditions, beautiful surroundings and easy access but far fewer people.
First arrival in the New Brazilian Cancun
Not for nothing has this paradise on earth caught the eye of investors. The Coral Resort, offering luxury villas on prime plots within a 5-star resort, is something of a veteran in the area. Construction on the site began in 2013 and since then, the resort has garnered big investor interest as well as prestigious international awards. The latest from Central and South America Property Awards has earned The Coral the title of Best Residential Development in Brazil 2017-2018.
Such is the area’s beauty and holiday potential that this stretch of the Ceará coastline has also appeared on the radar of larger development companies. The planned new investments – set to be completed from 2020 onwards – have sparked media interest and the area has been christened the new Brazilian Cancun.
Hard Rock Hotel
At Lagoinha, on the beach approximately 10km south of The Coral, the internationally famous hotel and restaurant chain Hard Rock is building the first Hard Rock Hotel in the state. With an investment of R$181 million, the hotel will have 220 rooms and 3 restaurants plus other facilities. The complex will also include a residential component.
“Ceará is today a major tourist destination in Brazil,” said Samuel Sicchierolli, CEO of Venture Capital Investimentos, the Brazilian fund behind the hotel construction, speaking to local press. “Our investment strategy is to choose areas with consolidated tourism. But one of the main characteristics of this developments is that it’s in a quieter area.”
Construction of the hotel is underway and due to be completed in 2020. Some 700 direct jobs will be created plus 2,500 indirectly. A Hard Rock Café is set to open in one of the Fortaleza shopping centres in the near future.
More luxury resorts
More in tune with a Brazilian Cancun is the planned construction of Nova Atlantis, a luxury resort situated at Praia da Baleia in Itapipoca, about 50km north of The Coral. The 30 million square metre site, about a third of the size of Paris, will consist of over 30 hotels, 3 golf courses, sports centres and a congress and exhibition centre.
Most of the hotels will have a pyramidal design, reminiscent of those on the Mexican Cancun. Nova Atlantis too will have a residential component. And like The Coral, have a decidedly ecological approach to construction to ensure the resort’s sustainability.
Some analysts report that land values in this part of Northeast Brazil have risen by 80% since Nova Atlantis received final planning permission from the Ceará state. They also predict that prices will increase by over 300% in the next five years.
Huge potential for this stretch of Ceará coast
This stretch of the Ceará coast has already received huge injections of public money in infrastructure. The main CE-085 road from Fortaleza to the north of the state has been converted to dual-carriageway as far as the Trairi and The Coral turn-off.
Fortaleza Airport, 1 hour and 20 minutes from The Coral, is currently upgrading its installations and starts new direct flights to Paris and Amsterdam in July this year. The recent opening of Jericoacara Airport in June last year has added yet more access to the new Brazilian Cancun. And Ceará authorities have advanced plans to build an airport at Itapipoca as part of their strategy to have an airport every 100km within the state.
(Source: Diario do Nordeste, Daily Telescope)
