Natal
is the capital of the state “Rio Grande do Norte”
in the Northeast of Brazil. It is a clean, bright
city and is considered as the “beach capital” of
the Northeast, there lives about 660.000 people.
The main attractions are beaches, rides by beach
buggies, and good nightlife. There is very little
to see of cultural or historical interest. Ponta
Negra is the most popular beach, located 14km south
of Natal’s downtown. The beach is nearly three km
in length and full of hotels, pousadas, restaurants,
barracas and sailboats – at weekends the place really
jumps. The water is calm towards the end of the
bay and safe for swimmers. At the far end of the
beach is a monstrous sand dune. Its face is inclined
at 50° and drops straight into the sea. Bordered
by jungle green, the slop is perfect for sand skiing.
Evening
activities consist of beer drinking and snacking
at the barracas. A day tour by beach buggy through
the sand dunes in Genipabu, is a great experience.
For those that are scared to run with high speed,
going up and down in the movable sand dunes, may
ask for a “lighter” race – or a race without emotions
what they would say..! In the park of Genipabu you
can also have a cold shower and make a promenade
by dromedary. When you are in Genipabu, utilize also to know the beautiful
beach of “Praia Muriú” and Praia de Maracajaú”
on the North Shore. Then you may visit the lake
and the beach of “Jacumã”. Here you can try the
radical sport “Aerobunda”, a kind of ropeway that
take the person fast downhill and ends in the water.
In the south you may visit the beautiful beaches
of Praia
do Amor & Praia de Pipa.
Pipa
is also a small nice village, with several options
of accommodations, restaurants, supply of handicrafts,
good nightlife, etc – it’s worth a visit too. At
the very end, we can not forget to mention the archipelago
of Fernando de Noronha, about 360km outside
Natal’s coast. This place has a marvelous nature
and provides with one of the best places for diving
on this planet.The climate in Natal is almost equatorial
with an annual average temperature of 28°C, and
the city is proud of to have 300 days of sun per
year. There is a constant breeze from the sea that
helps to keep the temperature under control. The
rains appear in general in January, February and
between June & August.
