Fortaleza Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus

From the bus station (3256 2100; Av Oswaldo Studart) buses run to destinations including Belém (R$160, 28 hours, noon), Canoa Quebrada (R$18, three hours, five daily), Juazeiro do Norte (R$52 to R$79, 11 hours, 11 daily), Natal (R$65 to R$113, eight hours, seven daily), Parnaíba (R$58, nine hours, three daily), Recife (R$73 to R$93, 12 hours, four daily), Rio de Janeiro (R$294, 50 hours, 10am), Salvador (R$156, 22 hours, 7pm), Teresina (R$52 to R$82, 10 hours, seven daily), São Luís (R$118, 20 hours, three daily) and Ubajara (R$27 to R$31, six hours, eight daily). You can buy tickets in town at agencies including TSC (3086 2633; Rua Gonçalves Ledo 27, Iracema).

For Jericoacoara, Redenção (3256 1973) runs two or three buses daily from the Praiano Palace Hotel (Av Beira Mar 2800) on Meireles beach. The 9:30am and 5:30pm departures (R$35.50, seven hours) go every day and also pick up passengers at the airport (10am and 6pm) and bus station (10:30am and 6:30pm). The 3pm departure from the Praiano Palace (R$50, six hours, also daily but often canceled during Jericoacoara’s low season, mid-March to June), picks up at the Hotel Amuarama opposite the bus station, at 3:30pm. It’s a good idea to buy your ticket a day ahead: one outlet is Beach Point (3242 2946; Náutico, Meireles). The fare includes a 23km ride in an open-sided 4WD bus known as a jardineira for the final stretch from Jijoca to Jericoacoara along sandy tracks and the beach.

Car & motorcycle

Recommended rental agencies, all with airport offices:

Avis (3477 1369)

Hertz (3477 5055)

Localiza (3477 5050)

^ Back to top

Air

Pinto Martins airport (3477 1200; airport code FOR) has daily flights to/from Miami with TAM, Lisbon with TAP or BRA, plus every major Brazilian destination with a variety of Brazilian airlines. There are also regular charter flights from several European cities. Airline offices include the following (at the airport unless otherwise stated) :

BRA Aldeota (3261 1919; Av Padre Antônio Tomáz 585); airport (3477 1420)

Gol (3477 1318)

Ocean Air (3477 1527)

TACV (Cabo Verde Airlines;3268 1020)

TAF (3272 7333)

TAM Aldeota (4002 5700; Av Desembargador Moreira 1940); airport (3477 1192)

TAP Portugal Aldeota (3458 1540; Sala 910, Shopping Aldeota, Av Dom Luís 500); airport (3477 1799)

Varig (3477 1078)

^ Back to top