Jericoacoara Beach, the untouched paradise

Brazil is blessed with more than 4,600 miles of coastline. But, finding a virgin beach in the myriad list of playful beaches, is harder than it seems.  Jericoacoara is one such beach which is hidden in a rustic village in the northeastern part of the country.

Jericoacoara is a celibate beach hidden behind the dunes of the West Coast of Jijoca De Jericoacoara, Ceará in Brazil. The long distance to bigger cities and finite road access helps keep the village and beach secluded. There was no power or road connectivity to the village in the earlier days.

Jericoacoara was considered an environmental protected area from 1984 and declared a National Park in 2002. This led to a copious building regulation and tourism curb that helped to safeguard the region. Today, power scarce village turned up dotting air conditioners and other affluent amenities, nonetheless street lights are banned by the regional legislation.

The Washington Post selected the village, which consists of blue lagoons, calm seas, and huge dunes, as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. Following that tourism grew rapidly and the village, which is generally called Jeri, became a popular destination.

Getting to Jeri is quite challenging. The road from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara offers sights of beaches and primitive villages. The 45 minutes of the journey takes you off-road, on-sand, among dunes and along the beach. The village has streets covered in sand from the dunes by the sea. Jericoacoara is also an attractive spot for windsurfing and sailing for adventure tourists.

Attractions include ‘PedraFurada’, a rock formation which is approximately sixteen feet tall, ‘Duna do Pôr do Sol’ Dune Sunset, ‘IgrejaNossaSenhora da Consolação’ Church Our Lady of Consolation, ‘Serrote’ a rock formation about 95 feet tall, and ‘Farol de Jericoacoara’, a lighthouse in Jericoacoara.