With sun all year round Natal is the diamond of Brazil
By Guto Araujo
Early morning and it is already 28°c, rafts returning from a long night out with baskets full of king prawns. People jogging along a mile of pure white sand by the blue sea make the perfect scenery for a relaxing day by the beach.
What is Natal all about? Located in the northeast of Brazil, three hours flight from Sao Paulo, it is the perfect paradise. Its long coast of white sandy beaches - both deserted and busy - and attractive, friendly people make you wish you could stay there forever.
According to NASA, Natal has the second purest air on the planet. Just south of the equator, it is summer all year round and the perfect climate to practice sports or only relax with a caipirinha, a Brazilian drink which combines lime juice, sugar, and cachaca, a sugarcane-based alcohol. Among the many sports, you can choose anything from capoeira to beach volleyball, which are practised all over urban beaches.
In contrast to cities like Sao Paulo and Rio, Natal is peaceful and safe; crime rates are quite low. Natal also has many historic sites to visit: the Forte dos Reis Magos (The Fortress of the Three Kings) is the city’s birthplace, and it was the Portuguese defence against invasions during the 16th century. The old jail, today converted into a tourist centre (Centro Turistico), gives you the opportunity to buy the local handicrafts, or Artesanato, and a trendy swimming costume. Five minutes walk from the tourist centre is the Chile road (Rua Chile), where the architecture of the mansions reminds visitors of the times when the Portuguese and Dutch fought for this area. During the day it is a commercial district, and by night it gives shelter to a wide range of nightlife; bars and clubs stay open until late.
In the city, the best beach to go to is Ponta Negra (Black Point), the postcard of the city and chosen by the locals as the main place to hang out. Recently redeveloped, it offers many restaurants and bars by the sea, where the principal entertainment is people watching, so do not forget your sun glasses. The principal rule is to relax, and bear in mind that Brazilians are not ashamed of their bodies and to flash a bit of fat is not a problem.
Driving ten minutes north of the city is Genipabu beach, an ecologic park with giant white sand dunes and preserved forests. The only access to the dunes is by modified buggy car which can be rented by the hour with a local guide. The first question the guide will ask is “with emotion or without emotion?” which is his way of asking how wild you want the drive to be. The two hours driving on the dunes leaves you speechless. The car goes smoothly through this sea of sand and the contrast between the white sand and the vegetation is incredible. Then suddenly you tear down the side of a dune twelve meters, and you start to wonder if it would have been better if I had said “without emotion”. But the reward after shaking around on top of the back of the buggy is a stop at an oasis in the middle of the dunes, and a cold coconut to drink from.
Driving any direction from the city, either north or south, you can find many beaches, most of them completely empty. A popular destination is Maracajau, 30 minutes driving north. Surrounded by crystalline water and coral, it is the place for water sports, with snorkelling and scuba diving among the most popular ones. It is also a great place to try the local cuisine; fresh fish and fried cassava with a refreshing fruit juice will recharge energy levels.
Residents say Natal is about sun, sand and sexy people. Certainly with its beautiful climate and easy-going outdoor lifestyle, it is not difficult to take advantage of all three.
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