Fortaleza is a major city on Brazil's northeast coast, and the capital of Ceará state. It is one of the largest cities in Brazil and certainly one of the most vibrant. The city is perhaps the most popular domestic package tour destination, and Europeans are following suit. Despite being quite a party town, the carnival in Fortaleza is rather feeble, though growing bigger by the year, with the largest parades being maracatu-style. In 2018, there were 2.6 million inhabitants in the city, and 4.1 million in the metropolitan area.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Some local historians fiercely defend the thesis that the very first European to set foot in South America was the Spaniard Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, who allegedly landed where Fortaleza's port is today in January 1500, a few months before Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral's much celebrated arrival in Porto Seguro on April 25. The official history of Fortaleza as a permanent settlement dates back to the 17th century, when the Dutch had a brief dispute with the Portuguese over the territory. The first settlement was known as Fort Schoonenborch and it was founded by the Dutch West Indian Company in 1649.
Most tourists will not go more than 5 blocks from the sea, except for the airport and bus station, and perhaps a shopping mall. The following main streets will take you from the city centre to the fish market, by way of Dragão do Mar and the beaches Iracema and Meireles, totalling some 6 km: Avenida Almirante Barroso, Av. Beira Mar (until Rua Ildefonso Albano, where it's cut off by an artificial beach -the aterro.), Av. Historiador Raimundo Girão, Av. Beira Mar (from Av. Rui Barbosa).
Quite an effort has been put into restoring colonial architecture over the last years. Still there is no area that is completely "clean", but the stretch from the beachfront of Praia de Iracema, via Dragão do Mar and to Praça do Ferreira is steadily improving and worth a walk. One thing worth seeing is the sunset, either from Ponte Metalica, Praia Iracema, or the beach by the fish market, Mucuripe. Several architectural styles are represented in Fortaleza contemporary (Centro Cultural Dragão do Mar), modern (Mausoleum of Castelo Branco), classical (Museu do Ceará), neo-classical (central railway station), art deco (Cine São Luis), art noveau (Theatro José de Alencar) and neo Gothic (cathe…
The monthly listing Olheiro can befound in the receptions of most large hotels, or downloaded as .pdf. There are two nice city beaches, 1 Praia de Iracema and 2 Meireles. Some people discourage bathing here (see Stay healthy), although they are often rated green by authorities. Iracema is often the place for large events and gatherings, in particular the New Year celebrations. The whole stretch from the Ponte Metálica (aka Ponte Inglesa) pier to the fish market is paralleled by the Avenida Beira Mar, very nice for an evening stroll. A string of shacks line the beachfront, mostly good for drinking and people watching.
A popular vacation destination, there is a wide variety of restaurants from steak houses (churrascarias) to pizzerias and fast food restaurants. The best concentration of restaurants in town is found in the Varjota neighbourhood, especially along Rua Frederico Borges and its side streets, starting some five blocks inland from Beira Mar. Fortaleza is a fishing port, so fresh seafood is readily available in the restaurants. If you are a bit more courageous, buy your shrimp/lobster/squid/whatever, straight from the fish market stalls, and hit one of the nearby shacks to fry it for you.
Fortaleza is a forró-stronghold. Virtually any day of the week you can find a party with live music and this traditional dance, sometimes in quite modern variations (often referred to as forró universitário). On weekends you can choose from literally dozens of places. For a more genuine, tourist-free happening, you must move towards the outskirts of the city, paying up to R$ 30 by cab. Traditionally, Fortaleza nightspots have their dedicated day of the week, like Pirata (below) on Mondays. So, when asking around for a place to go, always be specific on when. For daytime drinking, which can be quite a party, specially on weekends, see the Beaches-section above.
Even though the police are working hard to make Fortaleza safer and the city is less dangerous than it used to be, it's still one of Brazil's most dangerous cities. Avoid showing valuable items in public, carrying huge bags (a plastic bag from a local supermarket can be a good substitute) and showing that you're a tourist. The tourist zone around Beira Mar is relatively safe, thanks to a constant police presence. tourist police (Delegacia do Turista), Avenida Historiador Raimundo Girao 805 (just by Hotel Travel Iracema (formerly Othon), Praia Iracema), ☏ +55 85 3101 2488. Helpful. Some English spoken.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Fortaleza typically sees ~30°C daytime highs and 21 rainy days.
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