Close your eyes. Imagine the sun staring down from a clear blue sky while you enjoy the views of a white beach longer than the eye can see. Picture yourself walking barefoot on sand through yellow and red limestone cliffs. Feel the tranquillity in a soft swinging hammock close to the sea in the true hippie spirit of the 70’s while you let the wonderful reggae tunes of Bob Marley surround you. Well… this is Canoa Quebrada.

As many of the wonderful places in the world, Canoa Quebrada was more or less discovered by chance. In 1650 Francisco Aires da Cunha, a Portuguese sailor, and his crew ran their boat aground close to the current Ponta Grossa beach while on an expedition to map the area. As a result of the impact the boat was damaged, and da Cunha tried to repair it in the nearby village of Aracati. This was when he eventually came across the beautiful beach, which was appropriately named Canoa Quebrada (Broken Canoe).

At that time there were only a few fishermen present of what was to be the origin of a tiny fishing village by the beach. It was slowly growing, but Canoa Quebrada remained a quiet little fishing village until the 70’s, when it was discovered by a group of hippies who transformed it into a paradise of peace and love. They brought together a combination of different cultures, which created a sense of freedom that one can still perceive in Canoa.

Canoa Quebrada is located in the province of Aracati, about 166 km from Fortaleza in the state of Ceará. Today the village and its surroundings is the’s most visited destination in the state beyond the city limits of Fortaleza. What attract most of the visitors are the beaches, featuring red cliffs, fine sand, and offshore reefs. Here the sun is present almost all year round with some rain, mostly between March and May. The average annual temperature is around 27° C, with highest temperatures of around 38° C and lowest of around 21° C.

Canoa Quebrada gained paved access from the main highway back in 1995, which made the village more accessible to the outside world. The village itself is a buzzing place, known for its cafes, bars and restaurants, and lately it has gained a reputation for having an animated nightlife.

The rapidly increasing flow of visitors over the last 20 years has created some environmental issues and increased concerns about protecting the natural beauty of the surrounding area. In 1998 over 70,000 hectares of the land between Porto Canoa to the west and the Jaguaribe River to the north were placed within an (Área de Proteção Ambiental) Environmental Protection Zone and is protected by federal law.

What you should do when you’re there – besides dozing in a hammock or enjoying the magnificent beach:

Discover the natural and beautiful surroundings. The best way to do this is to get on a buggy ride. There are two main buggy tours in Canoa Quebrada. The ride through the dunes can be done with any tide and leads to a lagoon where it’s possible to try zip-lining and sand boarding or skibunda (to slide down the sandy slope on a wooden plank) down the hot dunes and into the cool water. It’s also popular to watch the sunset from the top of the dune. The tour lasts about one and a half hour.

However, the buggy ride to Ponta Grossa, approximately 50 km away, goes by the beach, so it can only be done at low tide. Along the way, the landscape varies from desolated beaches, lagoons, dunes, coconut groves, fishing villages to cliffs in a range of shades – from white to burgundy. This tour takes about two and a half hours.

Check out the local handicraft. Just south of Canoa Quebrada, along the coast, is the fishing village of Majorlândia. This place is attributed the origin of the famous bottles with drawings of colourful sand created by local artesãos (craftsmen). These bottles are the typical handicrafts of the region. And if you’re looking for souvenirs, why not get something special? You can choose from a variety of bottles, or even different types of glass, and you can also watch the whole process of the creation of the art.

Other attractions of the beach of Majorlândia are the giant sculptures carved in the cliffs by the artist Toinho de Carneiro.

Take a trip with a jangada. The rustic boats have a capacity of two people, in addition to the jangadeiro. The tours can be booked at some of the beach huts and last about 30 minutes. And while you’re out there on the traditional boat the jangadeiro will most likely encourage you to take a refreshing dip in the crystal clear and deep waters.

Sports also play a big part of the life in Canoa Quebrada. Especially paragliding, surfing and kitesurfing are very popular activities in the area. The official kite beach lies next to the mouth of the Jaguaribe river, approximately 10 km west of the long Canoa beach.

Eat wonderful food. The main road in the village of Canoa Quebrada, commonly known as Broadway, used to be a sandy street. Now it has changed into a pedestrian zone of Portuguese cobblestones and has even got a new name – Dragão do Mar (Sea Dragon). The street, however, continues to house restaurants of varied cuisines, such as French, Spanish, Italian, Argentinian and of course regional. The restaurants open the doors late in the afternoon. You’ll also find good options in the street Francisco Caraço.

During the day, the beach restaurants are running on full steam, offering fresh fish, seafood and a variety of meat dishes. Why not try the chicken and mashed potatoes at Lazy Days. Simple, but so so delicious – with the real sense of proper home cooking. The barraca (beach bar-restaurant) is right on the beach and serves tasty food and refreshing drinks in a pleasant environment.

For more information on where to eat in Canoa Quebrada check out: Canoa Quebrada – Onde comer

Enjoy the nightlife. Because of the diversity of its visitors, Canoa Quebrada has quickly developed a vibrant nightlife culture. And Broadway is the place to be if you like to party. The street is relatively empty during the early hours of the day, but as soon as dusk falls it transforms into a buzzing area of activity with several bars and nightclubs, where the friendly and lively atmosphere is filled with catchy rhythms of forró, samba and reggae. Apart from all the restaurants, bars and nightclubs, Broadway also has snack-stalls and art and crafts vendors.

Whatever you choose to do if you take the trip to this Brazilian pearl, one thing is clear, you will definitely enjoy some lazy days in Canoa Quebrada.