Discovering Jericoacoara

I traveled to Jericoacoara for the first time in the fall of 1998 with my girlfriend Sanghita. We arrived in Fortaleza just a few days after one of the first windsurfing World Cup events to ever be held there. We could still feel the dissipated tension and excitement in the air.

Jericoacoara is built on a sand dune with streets of sand to where the beach merges seamlessly with the village.

In a local "Guardaria" Manfred a German immigrant recalled details from the event. He and his Brazilian partner owned the shop and storage facility, that turned out to be an important local meeting point.

Transfers Daily from Fortaleza Hotels to Jericoacoara
Bus R$ 75,00 or Private Pickup R$ 550,00

It was our first day in town and Manfred told us in no uncertain terms that the spot to visit, better than the sailing sites in town, was a mystical place by the name of Jericoacoara!

Discovering Jericoacoara

We took his advise to heart and that very same evening we were on our way by bus to Jeri. The bus trip we were warned would be long, but worth it. In Jijoca we changed from the comfortable tour bus to a pick-up with bench seats on the back to take us the remainder of the journey over the dunes.

Best Hotels in Jericoacoara

With nothing but the light from a full moon to guide us, or so it seemed we finaly arrived in Jericoacoara somewhere around 3 a.m. in the morning. An amazing number of the locals came to greet us in the village square with offers for us to stay at their homes or pousada.

Windsurfing in Jericoacoara

It was an incredible setting as we made our way to the Pousada dos Ventos with just the lanterns of the local guides to follow and the bright full moon overhead.

Windsurfing in Jericoacoara

The wind built throughout the morning like clockwork and sometime in the afternoon I got to sample the sailing, strong winds and a bit of a swell wrapping around the point. Photos & Text by Silvan Wick

Sleeping in was not an option for me. I woke up early, excited about getting out and exploring our new found paradise. Looking out from our room on the front patio you could see the immense dune just a few hundred yards off directly in front of us.

Discovering Jericoacoara

Just to the right in a flat area was a lovely palm grove and beyond it I could see the ocean, a long sweeping bay alongside the dune at its base and in the far distance extending again into the hazy early light of day.

Jericoacoara was completely quiet except for the slight breeze causing the palm leaves to stir gently. I settled into a hammock in front of our simple room and let the surrounding tranquility wash over me.

silvan wick jericoacoara

I would soon discover that Sanghita was equally taken by this magical place and the spectacular surrounding scenery. Days later this would not change despite a limited array of shopping opportunities. When you travel as a windsurfer/ kite surfer it is always a challenge to find a spot that is equally liked by the non wind or kite surfing spouse.