Day trip from Fortim to
Aracati and Canoa Quebrada

The neighbouring town has a historic centre listed by Iphan, and Canoa Quebrada, with its reddish cliffs and dunes, is just beyond it. You can see both in a day and be back to sleep in quiet Fortim.

Everything under 40 minutes by car

From central Fortim to Aracati’s historic centre is about 20 km, around 20 minutes by car. From Aracati to Canoa Quebrada is another 12 to 13 km. Leaving from Barra do Fortim adds about 5 km: in total, Barra is about 35 km from Canoa Quebrada, roughly 40 minutes on the road.

The route is simple: take the CE-040 to the BR-304, crossing the bridge over the Jaguaribe River. After Aracati, an exit on the left leads to Canoa Quebrada. It is the same road people coming from Fortaleza use to reach Fortim, just in the other direction.

Aracati: 18th and 19th-century mansions

Aracati’s colonial past is still visible in its streets. The spine of the historic centre is Rua Coronel Alexanzito, known to everyone as Rua Grande, lined with public buildings and mansions built between the 18th and 19th centuries. The ensemble is listed by Iphan, Brazil’s federal heritage institute.

Two places deserve a stop. The Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Rosário is one of the landmarks of the town’s colonial past. The Museu Jaguaribano, in the former Solar do Barão de Aracati, has been a museum since 1968 and is named after the Jaguaribe Valley, the same river that meets the sea in Fortim.

The centre is small and can be seen on foot in a relaxed morning. The façades look even better lit up at night, which suggests an idea for the way back: stop in Aracati at the end of the day, after Canoa Quebrada.

Canoa Quebrada: cliffs, dunes and the Broadway

Canoa Quebrada is a beach in the municipality of Aracati, about 12 km from the town centre. The landscape is defined by reddish cliffs, rising some 30 metres above the sea, and by dunes. The postcard image is the moon-and-star symbol drawn on the dunes, which appears in almost every photo of the place.

The usual way to see the dunes is a buggy tour with drivers accredited by the Aracati town hall. The short route takes about an hour and a half, with photo stops, and the price is per buggy, for up to four people. Check the price, and whether the ride will be thrilling or gentle, before you set off.

In the evening, life moves to the Broadway, the village’s main street, with restaurants, bars and music. It is far livelier than any evening in Fortim, and that contrast is exactly what makes the trip worthwhile.

How to plan the day

An itinerary that works well if you are staying in Fortim:

• Morning: leave after breakfast and start with Aracati’s historic centre, which is on the way. Walk along Rua Grande and visit the Museu Jaguaribano.
• Lunch: in Aracati or already in Canoa Quebrada, at the beach huts below the cliffs.
• Afternoon: a buggy tour of the dunes and cliffs.
• Evening: dinner on the Broadway and back to Fortim, about 40 minutes away.

Sleep in Fortim, visit Canoa

Canoa Quebrada is lively, busy and full of shops. Fortim is the opposite: a fishing village, river, mangroves, kitesurfing and short evenings on the Pontal de Maceió square. For many people, the ideal combination is to stay in quiet Fortim and do Canoa Quebrada as a day trip. Our comparison of Fortim, Canoa Quebrada and Jericoacoara helps you decide.

In Barra do Fortim, guesthouses such as Barra Beach House are close to the river and the beach, and the trip to Aracati and Canoa Quebrada easily fits into one day between swims.

Frequently asked questions

Making Fortim your base?

See the guesthouses in Barra do Fortim and Pontal de Maceió, with direct contacts.