A leading Argentinian broadsheet has discovered one of Northeast Brazil’s secrets - Trairi beaches in Ceará. Located half-way between Fortaleza the state capital and Jericoacoara one of the most famous beaches in Brazil, the newspaper finds that these four beaches offer quality of life.
The article called “Trairi beaches the next to discover in Northeast Brazil” was published at the beginning of this month in La Nación, one of Argentina’s best-selling newspapers. The author, Sebastián Montalva, describes the area as “a handful of small towns on the sands that are the last big secret in this relaxed region” and he interviews locals to get an overview of the area.
Time at a standstill
Montalva describes Trairi’s coastline as “a place where time has stopped with a light turquoise sea and kilometres and kilometres of empty sands on one side and colourful village houses, palm trees and long dune scapes on the other”. Trairi boasts four beaches – Flecheiras and Guajirú, the busiest, although as Montalva points out, this area can hardly be described as ‘busy’, and Emboaca and Mundau beaches, both relatively quieter.
The first interviewee is Ivanor Lencina, a Brazilian from Porto Alegre who arrived on holiday in Trairi 12 years ago and like so many other newcomers to the area, never went home. He runs Nono, one of the few restaurants in Flecheiras and has seen the area gradually emerge as a top beach destination in Brazil.
Lencina believes that Trairi beaches are undergoing a similar process to that experienced by Jericoacoara 30 years ago. This world famous beach in Brazil went from virtually unknown to becoming an international synonym of paradise, a pattern he fully expects to see repeated in Trairi.
The first outsiders arrived in Trairi at the end of the 17th century when European missionaries arrived in the area to convert the locals to Catholicism. Over 400 years later, it’s kitesurf enthusiasts who are flocking to the area famed for perfect conditions.
While other Brazilian beaches may be more famous for kitesurf Guajiru beach undoubtedly brings together the best waves and wind to practise the sport. The article describes Guajiru beach as “a kitesurfer’s treasure”.
Jailson Sena has been running Guajiru Kite Center for eight years and fully agrees with the description. “Kitesurf has really changed the face of the local economy,” he says, “with more jobs available and everything growing.” He believes that for anyone looking for a quality of life, Trairi beaches are a “great place to be”.
Still off the beaten track
Trairi beaches might be growing, but they still remain relatively unknown. All business owners describe how the area is quiet for most of the year except during long weekends and at Christmas and New Year when these Northeast Brazil beaches become a festive playground for holidaymakers from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
The article highlights that completion of the dual-carriageway between Flecheiras and Fortaleza is well underway, drastically shortening the journey time. This is one big advantage that Trairi beaches have over Jericoacoara, definitely more famous but still six hours car drive from Fortaleza.
Source: La Nación
