A hideaway in the north of Ceará, almost on the border with Piauí, left me with my jaw dropped: Baía das Caraúbas. Think of a bay of deserted beaches, surrounded by spectacular dunes and where the life of the fishermen determines the rhythm. This paradise is eight kilometers from the historic center of the tiny town of Camocim. A diamond in the rough, still untouched, between the trendy Jericoacoara and the Parnaíba Delta.
You know that place where you walk for miles and miles and find no one but nature? Occasionally, a fisherman arriving from the sea appears in the distance or a few kites that color the horizon. Nothing else. Just the sea, the natural pools, the dunes and the wind. If beautiful refuges are your thing, then Baía das Caraúbas will enchant you, just as it enchanted me.
Baía das Caraúbas, Ilha do Amor
I divided my stay between the Baía das Caraúbas Glamping (right on the sand, with only 7 bungalows and impeccable service) and Casa de São José (in the historic center of Camocim, with 10 very elegant suites), which are part of the select e-group. They are eight kilometers from each other, and it was perfect to explore this region blessed by mother nature. Starting with the Ilha do Amor, full of dunes, separated from the city of Camocim and the Bay of Caraúbas only by a branch of the Coreaú River that meets the sea and can be easily crossed by boat. About twenty kilometers further on, going in the direction of Jericoacoara, are: the Lagoa da Torta, Lagoa Grande, the village of Tatajuba and dry mangroves.
Baía das Caraúbas Glamping, bangalô
In the opposite direction, going from Baía das Caraúbas toward Bitupitá, on the border with Piauí, you will pass through fifty kilometers of beaches, dunes, and totally wild mangroves. Here is a Brazil that fascinates for its greatness. Start by exploring the endless beaches of Baía das Caraúbas and walk to the fishing village of Maceió. Go to the dunes of Barrinha. Stop at the fishing village of Xavier, where many wind turbines remind you that wind is pure energy! When you arrive in Barra dos Remedios there will be a ferry crossing over the river. Continue to Curimãs where I suggest you have lunch at the Brilho do Mar restaurant, owned by the French chef François Bourhis. The menu is very Brazilian, but with a French touch. Another four kilometers and Bitupitá will mark the border of Ceará and Piauí. Cross the estuary of the Timonha and Ubatuba rivers, cradle of the friendly manatees, if you want to go to Piauí, or go up the river until you find the city of Chaval, with many salt flats and a “bed of stones” that houses 21 archaeological sites, 4 of them already listed as heritage. Be sure to visit the Casa de Pedra (stone house) to see the cave paintings dating from 6,000 to 9,000 years old.
Baía das Caraúbas, Curimãs, Ceará
With this untouched place full of energy, I wish you a wonderful week.
XoXo
