Broadway is the main street on Canoa Quebrada beach, in the city of Aracati, in Ceará, 160 km from Fortaleza. It contains the most popular restaurants among tourists, especially when the sun has gone down. Even amidst the renovation work, which should be delivered in December, it was difficult to find space to circulate on the road on weekends in November.
“Tourism is returning. In the first months after the reopening, around June, the movement was weak, but now, month by month, we see more people coming. I think the vaccination has taken people away from home”, says Luís Nogueira , 47. He owns the Chega Mais tent, one of the most sought after in Canoa and offers a pool and restaurant service, among other amenities.
“I rehired all the employees that I had laid off during the height of the pandemic, when everything closed, I have 49 employees. And the forecast is to hire between 10 and 15 extras for this end of the year”, says Nogueira.
Canoa Quebrada is among the most sought after beaches in Ceará at the end of 2021 along with the famous Jericoacoara, in the city of Jijoca de Jericoacoara (280 km from the capital), and beaches in the city of Camocim (360 km from Fortaleza), on the west coast, according to ABIH-CE (Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry).
The beaches on the west coast, such as Jeri, Flecheiras (in the city of Trairi), Icaraizinho (Amontada) and Camocim are very popular between August and December by kite surfers, as it is the windiest season in the region.
“The resumption of tourism on the west and east coasts was much faster than in the capital [Fortaleza]. This happened because the tourist from Ceará himself leaves the capital and goes to Jericoacoara. There are also tourists from neighboring states”, says Régis Medeiros, 54, president of the ABIH-CE. “What we saw in the beginning of the recovery were people traveling more by car, which accentuated regional tourism.”
The month of October, according to Medeiros, consolidated the recovery compared to numbers from 2019, pre-pandemic. October 2019 had 73.61% of the hotel network in Ceará occupied; in the same month in 2021, occupancy was 74.9%. “Brazilians want to travel”, sums up Medeiros.
The sunset dune is one of the attractions of the popular Jericoacoara beach, and has returned to fill up in the late afternoons with tourists eager for the natural spectacle. The return of travelers, mainly from the Southeast, has reactivated luxury tourism in the region, which will once again reach its peak on New Year’s Eve.
With prices that can reach R$ 3,600, the private party “Vira Jeri” will be held again after having been canceled in 2020. There will be seven days of events between December 27, 2021 and January 2, 2022, with concerts by artists like Jorge and Mateus, Israel and Rodolffo and Thiaguinho. Two batches are already sold out.
Contrary to the private event, the City Hall of Jijoca de Jericoacoara decided not to hold a public party in Jericoacoara this year, to avoid crowds — there must be, at most, a fireworks display. At this time, the government of Ceará releases events for up to 2,000 people in open public spaces, but the expectation is that by the end of December there will be approval for up to 5,000 people.
sanitary measures
Since November 15, the government of Ceará determined that, in order to enter bars, restaurants and events in the state, it is necessary that people over 12 years old have in their hands the vaccination certificate against Covid-19. There is no longer any time or capacity limitation for restaurants and bars in the state, but there is still a requirement to wear masks.
For accommodation in hotels or inns, it is not necessary to present a vaccination certificate, but to use spaces for food. There is still a limit of three adults per room or two adults and three children.
The main tourist attraction in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza, Beach Park, located in the city of Aquiraz, can only receive 60% of its total capacity at the moment, still by government determination — in 2019 there were around 900 thousand visitors.
As this is a park where people spend most of their time in the water, the sanitary security measures due to Covid-19 remain strict, mainly because the park receives large groups of families and friends who want to use the equipment. (slides) at the same time, which can generate crowding in the queues.
“The use of a mask is mandatory at all times when the customer is not in the water or eating. Masks are available for sale at cost at various points. The lines have square markings on the ground, delimiting the a place that each family can stay and guaranteeing two meters of distance between one group and another”, says Clarisse Linhares, director of marketing, content and media at Beach Park.
According to her, the profile of tourists who use the park remains the same: Brazilians. “There were, however, changes in the travel schedule for these people,” says Linhares. “Previously there was a gap of at least two months between the purchase [de pacotes ou ingressos] and the coming of visitors. Since the resumption in July, we have noticed many bookings made for the same period of demand.”
Service
BUGUE IN JERICOACOARA
280 km from Fortaleza, a buggy ride for up to four people passes through the tourist attractions of Jericoacoara. The program includes visits to Pedra Furada, Árvore da Preguiça and the Azul and Paraíso lagoons.
Tour from 9am to 3pm. Ticket R$ 350. Information: (88) 9 9624-5866, Val Passeios.
MORRO BRANCO AND FONTES BEACHES
In Beberibe, 85 km from Fortaleza, tourists visit beaches known for their cliffs.
Tour lasting 5 hours. Transfer Fortaleza/Praias/Fortaleza R$ 84. Information: www.decolar.com.
BEACH PARK
Water park in Aquiraz, metropolitan region of Fortaleza.
Ticket R$250 (in full). Information: ingresso.beachpark.com.br
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