Wind farm seen from Fortim:
whose towers are at the river mouth

Looking at the horizon from the Rio Jaguaribe river mouth, most people assume those towers are the Fortim wind farm. Going by the official coordinates, the ones across the river are in Aracati. The Fortim Wind Complex does exist, it is large, and it lies west of the river. Here is the difference, with the numbers for each and the spots where the towers become part of the view.

Which towers you are looking at

The Rio Jaguaribe separates the two municipalities along this stretch. Barra do Fortim, Pontal de Maceió and the beaches in our guide are on the Fortim bank. Aracati starts on the opposite bank, and that is where the towers on the river mouth horizon stand.

We cross-checked three things to get there: the river course and turbines mapped on OpenStreetMap, and the wind farm coordinates in the Global Energy Monitor record, which uses data from ANEEL, Brazil's power regulator. The reference point for the Bons Ventos farm is about 3 km from the tip of the river in a straight line. Canoa Quebrada lies just south of it. These coordinates mark a reference point for each farm, not the position of each tower.

The Aracati farms, the ones at the river mouth

These are three neighbouring farms, listed in Aracati and in operation since 2010, according to the same record. It names CPFL Renováveis as owner and operator. The turbines are Suzlon S88 units of 2,100 kW each, according to The Wind Power database.

• Bons Ventos: about 50 MW, with 24 turbines.
• Canoa Quebrada: about 57 MW, with 27 turbines.
• Enacel: 31.5 MW, with 15 turbines. It lies further south, so we cannot promise you can see it from the river mouth.

The Fortim Wind Complex in numbers

The complex named after the town lies west of the river, inland in the municipality. The coordinates of its five farms are a few kilometres from the bank, and the reference point closest to the river mouth, the Jandaia farm, is about 5 km from the tip of the river. That is why it is not the group that dominates the river mouth view. We have not checked spot by spot where each of its towers can be seen.

It was built by Brasil Ventos, a subsidiary of Furnas, part of the Eletrobras group. In April 2020, the trade press reported the start of operations, with one report describing test operations. The Global Energy Monitor record lists Eletrobras Furnas as owner and Brasil Ventos as operator.

• Capacity: 123 MW, from 41 turbines of 3 MW.
• Farms: Jandaia (27 MW), São Clemente (21 MW), Jandaia I (24 MW), Nossa Senhora de Fátima (30 MW) and São Januário (21 MW).
• Area: 2,365 hectares.
• Turbines: Nordex AW125/3000, on 120-metre towers.
• Transmission line: the 70 km Jandaia-Russas II line runs through Fortim, Aracati, Itaiçaba, Jaguaruana, Palhano and Russas.
• Investment: R$ 650 million in 2018 reports and R$ 700 million in a 2020 report.

Where the towers enter the view

None of these spots requires going to a wind farm: the towers are simply part of the horizon. To see what each beach offers, follow the links to our guide.

• [Farol Beach](/en/beaches/farol-beach/): kites in front and towers behind, especially at low tide. It is a good combination for photos.
• [Canoé Beach](/en/beaches/canoe-beach/): a wide strip of sand with the towers across the river.
• [Canto da Barra](/en/beaches/canto-da-barra/): the Barra faces the river, and the view from above shows both banks clearly.
• [Boat tour](/en/blog/boat-and-atv-tours-in-fortim/): from the river, the towers appear on the Aracati bank.

What the towers tell you about the place

Wind farms are built where the wind blows regularly. At the Fortim complex, the published average speed is between 6.60 and 8.10 m/s, or roughly 13 to 16 knots. That figure belongs to the project and its own site, and does not predict the wind on a given beach day. For that, see the wind in Fortim month by month.

The towers have another side too. In 2024, the newspaper O Povo reported that residents of the Cumbe quilombola community in Aracati complain of losing access to the beach after a wind farm arrived. According to the report, community use of the dunes, interdune lagoons and sea changed, and residents turned to the Public Defender's Office, leading to a formal conduct agreement. The article we read does not name the wind farm or include a response from the company.

Where to stay with this horizon nearby

If you want the river mouth and beaches within walking distance, Barra do Fortim is the usual choice. Barra Beach House, for example, is a guesthouse 300 m from Canto da Barra. To compare with Pontal, read where to stay in Fortim.

Frequently asked questions

Want to see the river mouth up close?

See the boat, buggy and ATV tours that leave from Fortim.