Well, take thousands of miles of empty beaches, tropical temperatures and 6 months of guaranteed wind to begin with. Add to that affordable food and accommodation, mention the Brazilians and their positive attitude and your destination quickly becomes a kite surfing paradise!

This is true for the state of Ceara which offers nearly 600 km of white sandy beaches with mostly side-onshore trade winds, with steady sea-breezes in the afternoon.

Those who have been to Brazil for kite surfing will generally mention two spots:

The most publicized one is Cumbuco because of it’s kiting options and proximity to Fortaleza International Airport, which is only 20 miles away.

Cumbuco offers wave spots as well as flat water lagoons and the usual North-Easterly wind-swell. From the beach of Cumbuco you can ride 8 km’s downwind to Barra (or Lagoa) do Cauipe, a flat water lagoon next to the Ocean. It’s a great spot although it can get crowdy on the week-ends and during high-season (July to January).

The city has recently been revived and developed quite a lot over the past 3 years due to the influence of kite surfing. You will find many pousadas (Bed and Breakfasts), restaurants and bars along the beach and in town.

Another spot becoming well-known is Paracuru, about 80 miles West of Fortaleza. It is the largest city on the coast between Fortaleza and Prea.

Until recently it was known as a surfers city (even though there are no big waves). Many foreign kiters have purchased property here, so you can expect a mixed crowd in town. There are quite a few pousadas to choose from and you will find restaurants open at night as well as the traditional “churascos” (the Brazilian barbeque) around the city square. Pousadas (brazilian name for Bed & Breakfast) are located along the entire stretch of the Brazilian coast, so you never have to walk for more than 5 minutes to your launching area. In most cases there is lodging right on the beach, which means all you have to do is wake-up, have breakfast and kite surf.

The 3rd beach that is getting noticed on the coast, is “Prea”. Prea is about 180 miles West of Fortaleza and 7 miles before Jericoacoara. This kite beach is a 10 mile-long bay with white sand, guaranteed side-onshore winds, and no obstacles.

70% of Prea is part of the National Park of Jericoacoara. No safety issues have been noted and the locals are friendly. Even better - fishermen will usually bring back lost gear after rescuing it!
A lot of people remember Prea for its unbelievable 10 mile sunset downwinders. You can get a buggy to drop you off at the East side of the beach and follow you along the coast. This is an experience you will never forget, they call it the “epic downwinder”.
There are also a couple of flat water lagoons nearby : Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Paraiso being the most popular.

It takes about 10 minutes to get there from Prea by dune buggy. The wind may be a little gusty, but the spots are beautiful.

With regards to the wind conditions in Prea : you can expect 20 knots in the morning and 25 to 30 in the afternoon, pretty much every day from July to December, and most years it will go into January or even February.

In Sept, Oct and Nov, you may get 4-6 days a month with 35 knots in the afternoon, due to the New Moon and Full Moon effects, so make sure you bring your smaller kites! 7 and 9’s are quite common here. Prea is a fishing village with 75% of the locals surviving on the income from shrimp, lobster and fish. Most of it is sold in Fortaleza or other large cities in the state of Ceara.

The area is starting to develop and already offers restaurants and hotels on the beach. A couple of them are open at night and all offer different atmospheres. It’s quite interesting during the Full Moon to walk around the beach without artificial light because of the reflection of the moon on the white sand. Every Friday night “Quarup”, a local MPB band, plays a mix of Popular Brazilian Music and reggae, they usually setup at Vila Prea after sunset and play well into the night.

Jericoacoara is better suited as a windsurfing spot as the wind is very offshore.
If you are looking for some serious nightlife, Jericoacoara is only a 15-20 minute dune buggy ride away. Parties there goes on from midnight to 6:00 am.

Jericoacoara (now a city) used to be a small fishing village. It is now more of a touristic destination, “Jeri” has been a world famous windsurf destination for over 10 years, particularly known for it’s constant winds 6 months a year.