WRITING ABOUT CANOA QUEBRADA IS A DAUNTING TASK , WORTHY OF PEOPLE LIKE SOMERSET MAUGHAM OR HEMINGWAY. AS , UNFORTUNATELY , THEY’RE NOT ANYMORE WITH US , PLEASE ALLOW ME TO GIVE IT A TRY . I TRULY HOPE YOU CAN INDULGE ME.
CANOA QUEBRADA IS UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF BRAZIL’S MOST PRECIOUS JEWELS , A VERITABLE PEARL STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED ON THE NORTH-EAST OF THE ALMOST BOUNDLESS AND SPECTACULAR BRAZILIAN COAST.
A COSMOPOLITAN AND EXUBERANT CANVAS OF NATURE TOPPED WITH UNMATCHED HOSPITALITY , IT WILL CATAPULT YOUR IMAGINATION TO A HIGHER BROW FROM WHICH YOU’LL FOREVER YEARN FOR A COMEBACK. IN FACT , MANY HAVE NEVER LEFT OR DID , FOR A WHILE , AND THEN RETURNED TO GET SETTLED FOR GOOD , SO BE WARNED OF THE DAZZLEMENT THAT MIGHT ENTHRALL YOU .
DISCOVERED BY THE HIPPIES IN THE LATE 60S AND EARLY 70S , LITERALLY INVADED BY ECO-FREAKS IN THE 80S , IT HAS , IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES , EXPERIENCED A MIND-BOGGLING GROWTH IN MASS TOURISM. A RECENT URBAN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE OF CEARA AND THE INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK HELPED PROMPT THIS NEW FLOW OF VISITORS BUT NOT WITHOUT ITS DOWNSIDE IN ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS. THIS RAPID BOOM , IN SPITE OF ITS OBVIOUS COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES , INCREASED OUR INTEREST IN PRESERVING THIS UNIQUE AND UNRIVALLED NATURAL HERITAGE.
Canoa Quebrada
IT’S ALWAYS PLEASANTLY BREEZY IN CANOA QUEBRADA , WITH THE WIND OSCILLATING BETWEEN 25 AND 35 KM/HOUR THUS FAVORING THE PRACTICE OF RADICAL AND WATER SPORTS AMONG THEM PARAGLIDING ( WITH AN OVERWHELMINGLY AWESOME VIEW ) , KITE SURFING , WINDSURFING , ETC , ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR . LOCAL HANDICRAFTRY HAS BECOME ALMOST A LOCAL INSTITUTION WITH ITS WIDE ARRAY OF BAGS , NECKLACES , BERIMBAUS ( AN EXOTIC AFRICAN-BRAZILIAN PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT ) , SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES , NATURAL PRODUCTS , LEATHER ARTIFACTS , BRACELETS , TILE PAINTINGS AND THE ALREADY INTERNATIONALLY-KNOWN MOON AND STAR SILVER RING , SYMBOL OF CANOA QUEBRADA. THEY CAN ALL BE FOUND IN A PLATOON OF SMALL SHOPS AND STALLS THAT MEANDER ALONG “ THE BROADWAY “ ( CANOA QUEBRADA’S FROLICSOME MAIN STREET ) AND SEA DRAGON STREET .
ECO-FRIENDLY TOURS BY BEACH BUGGY TO THE SEVERAL AMAZING SIGHTSEEING SPOTS SCATTERED IN THE REGION CAN BE EASILY ARRANGED , AND WITHIN A 60 KM RANGE ONE WILL FIND GORGEOUS AND SECLUDED BEACHES SUCH AS MAJORLANDIA , QUIXABA , PORTO CANOA , LAGOA DO MATO , MURICI , FONTAINHA , PEROBA , BARREIRAS , MUTAMBA , PONTA GROSSA , REDONDA , IBICUITABA , QUITERIA , TREMEMBE , MELANCIAS , PEIXE GORDO E MANITU. AND THAT’S ONLY ON THE EAST SIDE. LYING TO THE WEST ARE THE CANOA QUEBRADA LAGOONS , THE TOWN OF ARACATI , THE JAGUARIBE RIVER DELTA , PINTO ISLAND , FORTIM , CANTO DA INVEJA ( ENVY’S CORNER ! ) PONTAL DO MACEIO , PARAJURU , TAPUIO , PARIPUEIRAS , PRAINHA DO CANTO VERDE , COREIA , MOITA VERDE , PIQUERI AND URUAU .
ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR CANOA QUEBRADA RECEIVES AN ENDLESS STREAM OF VISITORS , THE HIGH SEASON BEING FROM DECEMBER UNTIL APRIL AND THE MID SEASON FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER WHEN IT’S WINTER IN THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL.. THE AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE IS 23 CELSIUS AND THE WIND 28 KM/HOUR , WITH LITTLE RAIN DUE TO ITS MICRO-CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS.
THE GASTRONOMY IS ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT IN CANOA QUEBRADA , THAT DISPLAYS AN EVERLASTING PLETHORA OF IMAGINATIVE EATING HOUSES CATERING TO EVERY TASTE , SUITING EVERY POCKET AND SERVING EVERYTHING FORM SOPHISTICATED FRENCH CUISINE TO THE MOST BASIC ( BUT NOT LESS DELICIOUS ) LOCAL FISHERMEN’S FARE . BOTH GOURMETS AND THE BIG EATERS WILL BE SATISFIED TO THEIR HEART’S CONTENT WITH ITS CLAY OVEN PIZZERIAS AND PASTA PLACES , ICE-CREAM PARLORS , FRENCH-STYLE CREPERIES , NORTHEASTERN-BRAZILIAN JOINTS SERVING FRESH ( AND AFFORDABLE ) LOBSTER , CRAYFISH , JUMBO SHRIMPS ( IF YOU DON’T MIND MY HEMINGWAY-STYLE GRAMMAR ) , FISH , CRAB , TAPIOCA , CASHEWS , FRUITS YOU NEVER IMAGINED COULD EXIST AND THEIR FRESHLY SQUEEZED JUICE , AND THE INFAMOUS AND POWERFUL AMAZONIAN APHRODISIACS ( AS IF YOU NEEDED THEM ! ) GUARANA AND ACAI . MANY BARS AND RESTAURANTS OFFER LIVE MUSIC TO AN EVER WIDENING AND ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD OF REVELERS THAT NEVER SEEM TO GET TIRED OF THE STAGGERING AFRO-LATIN RHYTHMS OF BRAZIL.
THERE ARE AT PRESENT MORE THAN 120 GUESTHOUSES AND LODGES IN CANOA QUEBRADA. THEY RANGE FROM THE MOST LUXURIOUS TO THE BASIC BUT COZY BACKPACKER KIND OF ACCOMMODATION. GOING UPMARKET YOU’LL FIND SWIMMING POOLS , FULLY-EQUIPPED FITNESS AND BODYBUILDING CENTERS , JACUZZI , STEAM SAUNA , MASSAGE , AND OF COURSE AN ASTOUNDING SEA VIEW. BUT NO ONE HAS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE IN ORDER TO SPLASH IN THE BOUNTY OF CANOA QUEBRADA. SIMPLE LODGES CALLED “POUSADAS” IN PORTUGUESE OFFER CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE ROOMS NEVER WITHOUT THE UBIQUITOUS HAMMOCK , PROBABLY THE BEST PLACE IN THE ENTIRE PLANET WHERE TO RELAX AND TAKE AN AFTERNOON NAP AFTER HAVING INDULGED YOURSELF ON A PERFECT BEACH AND SOAKED IN THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE BRAZILIAN SUN. SOME LODGES HAVE A 24-HOUR FULL-BREAKFAST SERVICE AND AS BRAZILIAN BREAKFASTS HAVE A TENDENCY TO EXAGGERATE IN THEIR VARIETY , THERE’S NOTHING BETTER FOR YOU TO STOCK UP ON THE VITAMINS YOU’LL NEED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.
IN SPITE OF ALL THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT BOOM , IT’S STILL POSSIBLE TO GET ACCOMMODATION IN A LOCAL FISHERMAN’S FAMILY , ENJOY THEIR SINCERE AND WARM HOSPITALITY AND SPEND YOUR DAYS AND EVENINGS SURFING THE DUNES , GOING FISHING ON A TRADITIONAL NORTHEASTERN-BRAZILIAN RAFT , THE SO CALLED “JANGADAS “ ( FOR THE BRAVE ONLY ) , OR JUST RELAXING IN A NATURAL POOL IN THE SEA FORMED DURING THE LOW TIDE WHILE WATCHING THE SPECTACULAR SUNSET REFLECT FROM THE VAN GOGHESQUE ORANGE-RED CLIFFS THAT LINE THE COAST.
YOU WILL PLUNGE INTO THE UNIQUENESS AND SPLENDOR OF A PICTURESQUE UNIVERSE THAT CAN’T BE EXPERIENCED ELSEWHERE ON EARTH.
COSMOPOLITANISM HAS ADDED AN EXTRA CHARM TO CANOA QUEBRADA WITH ITS INNUMEROUS LEISURE , SPORTS AND BUSINESS EVENTS. CONFERENCES , ART EXHIBITIONS , MOVIE , THEATER AND MUSIC FESTIVALS COMPLETE THE CULTURAL BINGE.
AS A RESULT OF THE PERFECT HARMONY THAT REIGNS AMONG ALL THE WORLD TRIBES THAT TEEM IN CANOA QUEBRADA , IT WILL ALWAYS BE A FAVORITE DESTINATION FOR COMPULSIVE PLEASURE-SEEKING HEDONISTS , INTELLECTUALS , ARTISTS , NATURE LOVERS , ADVENTURE SEEKERS , PHOTOGRAPHERS , BOTH BUDGET AND WELL-OFF TRAVELERS , AND ABOVE ALL FOR THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO ASCERTAIN THE WHEREABOUTS OF LOVE.
MANY SAY THAT LOVE AND ROMANCE ARE BRAZILIAN OFF-SPRINGS THAT FROM HERE HAVE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE. SOME OTHERS GO EVEN FURTHER TO SAY THAT " IF LOVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN BORN SOMEWHERE , IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BEEN BORN IN CANOA QUEBRADA ! "
AN EXAGGERATION ? WELL , IT MIGHT BE ! WHY DON’T YOU COME AND CHECK IT OUT ?
