Three weeks from Natal?

I'm very tempted...

Wondering what/where people would recommend for a stay like this, for a couple? Budget-medium, staying in nicer places where we stay longer. Beaches, obviously. But I'd like some travel too. Maybe Fortaleza too, and Ubajara appeals, esp if we don't go to Belém and do a short Amazon trip. How much would I expect to pay for low-cost Fortaleza-Belém flight?

This would be in Jan-Feb, so the idea would be to end up at the carnaval in Olinda for the last couple of days.

Hi, i spent some time in Ceara and my favourite place was Canoa Quebrada, East of Fortaleza. The beach was gorgeuous and there's some great beach shacks and some nightlife. Really relaxed and chilled out. Would love to go back! We stayed in the huts on the cliff for about R$10 per night, including breakfast.

I thought Fortaleza was a bit rubbish. The main beaches aren't too good, dirty and unsafe. Never really found any great nightlife and not too many good looking people around.

Jericoacoara's a pretty cool little village. Really isolated, can only get there on a Jardineira - big desert bus. It's beuatiful and a nice place to chill out for a few days.

Thanks - how does Jerico compare to Canoa Q?

Don't miss belem, one of the most interesting city of all Brazil! If you can manage some portuguese I can give you the Orkut address of a friend of mine who can help you and show you so may nice spots all around the city! I've never bee to Fortaleza but I also think it is not a great place, whereas the beaches between Ceara and Piaui are really beautiful and wild! Flights in Brazil are really expensive; TAM and GOL have 90% of Brazilian market which means high prices, the only thing you may to to save some money is to avoid travelling during carnival week as well as to book your flight well in advance.
Good Luck

Fortaleza-Belém flights on Gol seem to be about R$250 one way - is that normal?We wouldn't need a flight to Olinda, as we could do that by bus from Natal.

Canoa Quebrada is closer to the main highway than is Jeri, easier to get to, and, in my experience, a bit more compact and crowded, but also with more clubs and restaurants, than Jeri. Jeri probably has more foreign tourists. Neither is a quiet fishing village. Ubajara Park, especially the famous cave, lovely, but not sure how easy it is to get to by public transportation.

p.s. I live in Fortaleza, and agree the beaches are not great, at least in terms of cleanliness, unless you go to Praia do Futuro (popular place for eating crabs on Thursday nights-- a tradition). Good place for shopping, at the mercado central. Probably worth a night stopover in any event, if you go to Jeri, Ubajara, etc. Mountains closer to Fortaleza (e.g., Guaramiranga, Pacoti) are not as high, or as nice, as Ubajara, but easier to get to if that becomes a factor. Price you quote for Fortaleza-Belem sounds about right. Prices can vary widely depending on dates, but flying in Brazil is never cheap, especially from Xmas to Carnaval (accommodations will be tough to get, as well, so book early).

Thanks - is this high season in the area?

Yes, Jan-Feb is definitely high season in Brazil.

My main doubt about Brazil is mostly related to those looooong bus journeys :-(

I was thinking of Belém cos in my naivety I thought Amazon tours might be a possibility, but from what I can see they aren't really. So I need something non-beach related (that area is clearly covered!) Nature stuff would be good - Ubajara is about 8 hrs by bus from Fortaleza, yes?

Jericoacoara is a great option, I prefer it much more than Canoa Quebrada. For me, Belém is just a sticky big city with nothing special and no jungle-Amazon atmosphere at all! The bus trip from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara takes approx. 7 hours but coaches are very comfortable (air-conditioning, DVD, toillets...) and time passes quite fast... its definitely worth!
I live in Jeri and can help with tips for accommodation, etc. If you plan a visit, get in touch: jeriathome@gmail.com