Mareh with friends:
how to split the trip

Mareh lasts eight days in Fortim, from December 26, 2026 to January 2, 2027, and hardly anyone goes alone. Travelling as a group makes the house, the car and the groceries cheaper, but it also raises questions: who goes to which parties, where everyone sleeps, who drives and how the wristbands work. This guide organizes the group trip with data from the official website and from our Fortim guide.

First, everyone picks their own Mareh

Before booking anything, agree on who is going to what. Every day there is the Bar da Praia, in Pontal de Maceió, with yoga in the morning, food on the jangada and music. On top of that come the two parties, on December 28 and 31, and the three boats, on December 27 and 30 and January 2, which leave from Canto da Barra.

The official website's prices, checked on November 3, 2026, help each person do the math:

• Pass for the 2 parties: R$ 2,200
• A single party: R$ 1,300
• One boat: R$ 420

House or chalet: sharing the accommodation

Festival week overlaps with New Year's Eve, the most sought-after time of the year in Fortim. For a group, the rule is to book as soon as the crew confirms who is coming. A house or chalet with a kitchen usually works better for groups, since breakfast and some meals come from the supermarket.

In Barra do Fortim, Barra Beach House has a family chalet for up to 6 people, with two bedrooms, a living room and a full kitchen, and a 3-bedroom house for up to 8 people, with a private pool and a barbecue grill. It is 300 m from Barra beach, close to Canto da Barra, where the boats leave from.

The official Mareh website also lists partner accommodation and points to Alba Imobiliária for anyone looking for a rental house. If the group is unsure about the area, the article Where to stay for Mareh: Barra or Pontal compares the two bases, and the Where to stay page gathers the guide's options.

One car for four goes further

The official website points to Fortaleza airport (FOR) and about 1h40 by car to Fortim. On the route calculated with OSRM, it is around 135 km. Our Getting there page recommends allowing 2 to 2.5 hours from central Fortaleza, because of traffic leaving the city, and avoiding the road at night.

For a group, renting a car in Fortaleza and splitting it among those riding in it is usually the most practical setup. Car rental supply in Aracati is small. If nobody wants to drive, a private transfer from the airport can be requested together with the accommodation booking: many guesthouses in the area arrange it.

In Fortim, the parties and the bar are in Pontal de Maceió and the boats in the Barra: by road it is about 4 km, roughly 8 minutes by car. Ride-hailing apps have patchy coverage, especially at night. Decide who drives each night or have a motorbike taxi or taxi arranged. Contacts are on the Tours page.

Do the big shop on day one

With a kitchen in the house, do the big grocery run on arrival. The supermarket and the pharmacy are outside the Barra and the Pontal, about 10 minutes by car, and the petrol station on the CE-040 is open 24 hours. The Services page has the addresses, the bakery and the fish shop that sells straight from the fishermen.

Fortim has few ATMs, and buggies, beach stalls and boatmen often take cash only. Everyone should bring some cash withdrawn in Fortaleza or Aracati. The official website does not say which payment methods work inside the festival; it only says the wristband is valid for purchases at the Bar da Praia.

Everyone with their own ticket

The official website sells tickets through the Shotgun link shown on mareh.com.br. It does not say whether tickets are in the buyer's name or whether they can be transferred to someone else. If the group plans for one person to buy for everyone, or to pass on the ticket of someone who drops out, ask the organizers first at [email protected].

The wristbands give access to the parties and to purchases at the Bar da Praia. Pick-up is at the Bar da Praia, from 2 pm to 9 pm; on party days, December 28 and 31, from 1 pm to 6 pm. It is worth going as a group on a quiet day, such as December 26 or 27, instead of leaving it for the afternoon of a party.

The boats board from noon to 1 pm and return at 5:30 pm, as we explain in How the Mareh boats work. This site is an independent guide with no link to the organizers: buy only through the official link and check dates and prices in our Mareh Festival guide.

Frequently asked questions

Getting the group together?

See the day-by-day schedule, the parties, the boats and the Bar da Praia hours in our festival guide.