The best areas to stay in Fortaleza are Meireles, Praia de Iracema, the city center, Mucuripe, and Praia do Futuro. Additionally, I recommend other towns in the region that will not disappoint you in this article.
If you intend to explore Brazil’s east coast, you could do a lot worse than consider a stay in Fortaleza. Nestling on the Atlantic coast of northeast Brazil, Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará and has a population of over 2,6 million.
Whatever your interest, you will find it in Fortaleza. A tropical coastal climate, with miles of sparkling, sandy beaches, beckons you to relax and chill out.
You can dance with the locals to the rhythm of the Samba, Bossa Nova, Forró and other Brazilian musical genres. You can soak up Fortaleza’s multi-cultural lifestyle with a visit to the city’s famous Barracas.
Little more than colourful, flag-adorned beach huts, they are an absolute must-visit day and night. And offer much more than just snacks and drinks.
So, to help you make the most of your stay in Fortaleza, have a look at these nine popular areas.
Where to Stay in Fortaleza: Best Areas and Hotels
1. Meireles, where to stay in Fortaleza for first timers
If your vacation must-haves include top-quality accommodation, the best of high-end restaurants and easy access to the places you want to see and visit, take a close look at Meireles for your stay in Fortaleza.
Situated along the coastal district of the city, Meireles is roughly 5km northeast of Jardim America and 3km northwest of Coco.
Within this 3.5km stretch of Atlantic coastline lies one of Fortaleza’s biggest draws: Meireles’ golden-sand beach.
Lined by rustling, swaying palm trees and buzzing beach bars, your days of relaxation are enhanced by enjoying fresh local produce and icy, colourful cocktails from the many beach bars.
In the evening, enjoy a stroll along the wide Avenue Beira Mar running parallel to the beach. Here you can breathe in the electric atmosphere of street performers, live music and dancers.
Eventually, you will make your way along the avenue to the big Feirinha de Artesanato open-air market, to look for those holiday souvenirs and special mementoes.
A little further afield, Meireles is bordered by the affluent areas of Mucuripe and Aldeota, and is considered one of Fortaleza’s most prestigious districts.
It is a mix of high-end apartment complexes, designer outlets, top-quality local and international restaurants, and luxurious hotels.
From Meireles, the popular districts of Fortaleza and Praia de Iracema are easily reached. As are the avenues of Dom Luis, Desembargador Moreira, Abolicao, and the districts of Mucuripe and Praia de Iracema.
For the culture vultures, there are numerous artworks along the beachfront, and the Cultural Centre of the Sea Dragon, over 30,000 square metres of museums, a planetarium, exhibitions, a library, theatre and cinema, can be found at Rua Dragão do Mar, 81, Fortaleza.
Although holiday accommodations in Meireles are primarily top-quality hotels and high-end apartments, there are also a few budget-friendly hostels, guest houses, low-range hotels, and serviced apartments.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN MEIRELES
2. Downtown Fortaleza, full of history, culture, markets and landmarks
If you’re thinking of a stay in Fortaleza on a tight time schedule, then the downtown area of Fortaleza may be the best place to book.
Central to many of the city’s attractions, you can immerse yourself in the culture and city lifestyle. You are close to many of Fortaleza’s landmarks, as well as cafes, bars and restaurants, while being just a short walk from the town’s stunning beaches.
Most of the city’s numerous attractions are easily walkable, such as the Fortress of Nossa Senhora da Assuncao. Built by the Dutch in 1649 during the town’s construction, the fortress was designed to defend the port against unwanted Portuguese attention.
From there, you are not far from the large markets of the Mercado Central and the Feirinha Beira Mar night market. Both sell an extensive range of handicrafts, lacework, leather goods and ceramics and are very popular with tourists looking for those take-home gifts.
If your preference is seeking out the buzzing nightlife, you are close to Praia de Iracema. A laidback, hippie style beach with live music venues, beachfront bars and a cool, laid back bohemian vibe.
Along with colonial Dutch and Portuguese architecture, museums, and historic churches, downtown offers plenty of local and international restaurants, bars, cafes, and live music venues to keep you boogying into the late hours.
If you feel the need to explore a little further afield, buses, taxis and tour pickups are generally plentiful and reliable in the city centre district.
Downtown accommodation is varied, ranging from backpacking hostels and guesthouses to apartments, budget lodgings, and a few mid range hotels complete with a pool.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN DOWNTOWN FORTALEZA
3. Mucuripe, a pretty coastal area with fishing boats and a fish market
While many love the adrenaline-fuelled buzz of mixing with large, bustling crowds, others prefer a more relaxed, less crowded style of holiday. If the latter group is you, take a closer look at Mucuripe.
Mucuripe is a pleasant fishing village situated south of Meireles. It is famous for its relaxed, casual lifestyle and popular fish market. With beautiful coastal scenery and fishing boats bobbing in the bay.
To further reduce your stress levels you can enjoy pleasant clifftop morning walks, jogging along the beach, and caught-on-the-day seafood dishes.
A nearby attraction is the Mucuripe Lighthouse, built between 1840 and 1846. You can also visit Mucuripe port to watch the maritime comings and goings.
In the evening, you will find plenty of local cafes, bars, and restaurants offering a variety of seafood dishes, traditional meals, and drinks.
If you want to explore a little farther out for a change of scenery, Meireles and Iracema are just a short cab ride or pleasant stroll away.
Mucuripe is, perhaps surprisingly, a relatively wealthy area, which is reflected in much of its visitor accommodation.
It is particularly popular with older families, couples and solo travellers, offering lodgings ranging from pleasant boutique hotels to high-rise apartment blocks with stunning views across the bay.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN FORTALEZA IN MUCURIPE
- ($$$) Hotel Gran Marquise
- ($$) Pauli Boutique Hotel
- ($) Hotel Netuno Beach
4. Praia Iracema, where to stay in Fortaleza for nightlife
Sitting between Downtown and Meireles, Praia de Iracema is a beach resort popular with water-sports and nightlife enthusiasts and a favourite with the younger crowd.
Up to 1947, Praia de Iracema was Fortaleza’s premier commercial and passenger port, until the harbour of Mucuripe took over the city’s growing maritime needs.
In the early 1990s, “Corredor Cultural” began transforming the coastal area of Praia Iracema into an attractive beach resort.
Full of cultural history, with a large promenade, pier, beach bars, restaurants, and music venues, Praia Iracema soon became a popular destination for the younger set, attracting locals and tourists alike.
That said, those looking for a culture fix are close to the Dragão do Mar Centre of Art and Culture, which offers over 30,000 square metres of cultural exhibitions, artefacts and art.
Night-times can be as quiet or busy as you want them to be. You can choose from small, family-run bars and diners, to beach side music and dance venues.
Today, Praia de Iracema is an increasingly popular holiday destination for all ages, thanks to its mix of coastal beauty, cultural attractions, nightlife and history.
A good selection of accommodations can be found in Praia de Iracema, ranging from hostels and guesthouses to budget and five-star hotels.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN IRACEMA BEACH
5. Praia do Futuro, Fortaleza’s most famous beach, fish restaurants and local vibe
Located close to Fortaleza’s downtown district, Praia do Futuro is a beach resort on the northeast coast of Brazil.
Popular with both local and international visitors, it is known for its over 5 km of pristine golden-sand beach, high water quality, and is an excellent venue for paddle-boarding, surfing, and kite surfing.
To the rear of the beach is a wide boardwalk, which will take you right up to the port area to the north of the city.
All along the walkway you will find Fortaleza’s famous barracas, where you can enjoy a beer or soft drink, rest awhile, and take the weight off.
Along the beach area you will find plenty of sunbeds and sunshades, generally managed by the barracas. And at intervals along the boardwalk, you will find showers and WCs.
If you feel a little adventurous, you can book a ride on one of the local fishing boats. For ‘boats’ read rafts, logs tied together with rope and pegs with one single sail. But fear not, it’s great fun and lifejackets will be supplied.
Evening entertainment can include drinking and dining at local family-run restaurants in town, or at one of the big entertainment barracas along the front. If a rhythmic Brazilian beat is your prime concern, then head down to the beach.
An excellent variety of budget-friendly accommodation around Praia do Futuro is available for your stay in Fortaleza, including guesthouses and hostels, self-catering apartments, serviced apartments, and four and five-star hotels.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN PRAIA DO FUTURO
- ($$$) Gran Mareiro Hotel
- ($$) Crocobeach Hotel
- ($) Marbello Ariau Hotel
6. Icarai, where to stay in Fortaleza close to the city in a laid-back sandy beach area popular with surfers
Praia de Icaraí is a small, urbanised coastal resort located in Caucaia, Ceará, and around 20km from Fortaleza. Popular with visitors wanting to get away from the more crowded areas, it offers many of the facilities available on larger resorts.
Its regular offshore trade winds provide smooth wave build-up, making it very popular with surfers and kite-surfers.
An area of stunning natural beauty, the bay offers fine golden sand, blue seas and a backdrop of coconut palms and sand dunes, formed by the regular offshore trade winds.
A little off the beaten track, much of Icarai remains just as nature intended compared to its more commercialised neighbours. Making it an ideal venue for those who just want to relax and recharge their batteries.
For those who prefer to mix the relaxation with a bit of light activity, you can hire dune buggies, do a little sandboarding, take lagoon rides, or explore the mangrove swamps.
To the rear of the beach you will find most of the tourist accommodation, along with small bars, restaurants, and local shops where you can buy most of your everyday needs.
However, if you don’t want to be driving back and forth to the larger nearby resorts all the time, ensure you have some cash, as many small establishments don’t take cards, and the ATMs can be a bit hit-and-miss.
Accommodation around Praia de Icaraí includes a good selection of hostels, budget apartments and all levels of hotel.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN ICARAI
7. Canoa Quebrada, a seaside village that retains its hippy-style ambience
Known for its quiet atmosphere, the pleasant seaside village of Canoa Quebrada lies in the county of Ceara, around 160km from the capital, Fortaleza.
Like so many of Brazil’s coastal gems, it started life as a small fishing village back in the 1600s. And pretty much remained that way until the 1970s, when a new breed of tourist arrived on the beach – the hippies.
It was the beginning of Canoa Quebrada’s transformation from a fishing village into a laid-back tourist resort, which has continued to evolve into a popular mainstream visitor attraction.
Tall, imposing red sand cliffs rise around the bay and provide enough updraft for experienced hang-gliders. Also, you will find, carved into the cliffs, a crescent moon and a star visible from the beach. It’s the town’s emblem.
To the rear, high dunes allow for buggy rides. Other popular pastimes include surfing and kite surfing.
Of course, if all this sounds a bit too energetic, there is plenty of fine golden sand, where you can lay your towel, close your eyes, and just chill.
Away from the beach, the streets to the rear offer pretty much everything you need. Take time out to stroll the streets and alleyways. Buy a drink, soak up the culture, and do a little people watching. It’s a great way to enjoy a couple of hours relaxation.
No doubt, on your morning stroll around town, you will come across the pedestrianised street, ‘Broadway’. During the day, it is a busy thoroughfare with locals doing their shopping.
As the sun goes down, it morphs into the centre of Canoa Quebrada’s nightlife, and is an evening must-visit if a little swaying to the beat is on your itinerary.
Accommodation options around Canoa Quebrada are varied and offer good value for money. Pick from guesthouses, beachfront hotels, boutique hotels, hostels and apartments.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN CANOA QUEBRADA
- ($$$) Long Beach
- ($$) Hotel Pousada Latitude
- ($) Pousada Solarium
8. Lagoinha, a picture-perfect coastal village of dunes, cliffs and lagoons
Located down the east coast, some 110km from Fortaleza, Lagoinha is another of Brazil’s picture-postcard fishing villages that has endured colonial sea battles and incursions by raiding French pirates in centuries past.
The beach is a deep crescent-moon shape of golden sand and blue/green sea. Red cliffs rise from the depths, and coconut palms rustle along the rear of the waterline.
It is another fishing village which, in the 1990s, began to change into a popular, trendy tourist destination, without overdoing the commercialism.
It is a resort preferred by visitors looking for plenty of time to enjoy the sand and the sea. And those who enjoy visiting places where others fear to tread, while being able to explore the area and enjoy new experiences, such as the sand dunes and freshwater lagoons.
Lagoinha also offers organised boat trips to explore the coastline, and Dune Buggy Tours, where you will be driven over the dunes to adjoining coves and villages.
For those who enjoy horse riding, some stables organise trips into the interior, along the beach and around the dunes.
Breakfast and dinner can be found in the many bars and cafes around the village, but don’t forget the barracas along the beach.
As you stroll the boardwalk, grab a table, and enjoy a Caipirinha cocktail. Sugarcane white rum, wedges of fresh lime, granulated sugar and crushed ice – shaken not stirred.
Lagoinha offers a good, varied selection of accommodations across all sectors, from backpacker/budget hostels and guesthouses to midrange and a few high-end apartments and hotels.
Although your tour operator will probably organise transportation from Fortaleza to Lagoinha, the journey by bus takes between 2.5 and 3 hours, or by taxi around 2 hours.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN LAGOINHA
9. Beberibe, a pretty coastal town popular with eco-tourists and culture enthusiasts
Originally inhabited by indigenous peoples who made a living from agriculture, hunting and fishing, the Beberibe district was largely untouched by the colonial wars that became prevalent further up the coast in the 16th/17th centuries.
The town’s name, ‘Beberibe’ in the local dialect, means ‘where the water flows’ and refers to the numerous freshwater springs running from the cliffs down to the sea.
As the population began to increase, so too did the fortunes of the town, but it wasn’t until the 1970s/80s, when the CE-040 motorway was extended, that Beberibe had its first real taste of tourism.
Nonetheless, in most instances, Beberibe is still considered to be flying under the radar and is a popular travel destination for trailblazers, eco-tourists, culture vultures, and those looking for an away-from-it-all beach break.
As you explore the many shops around town, you will find clear glass bottles and jars of all shapes and sizes. These are filled, often while you wait, with layers of the different coloured sands that are found on the town’s two beaches of Morro Branco and Praia das Fontes.
The stunning coastline of Beberibe and its surrounding beaches has often served as a backdrop for many Brazilian TV and film productions. It is also a favourite area for visitors to snap those special social media pics.
Around town and along the beaches, you will find plenty of friendly cafes, bars and restaurants offering local dishes and fish and shellfish specialities. Consider fish stew, or the dressed crab.
Various trips are available, including organised dune buggy trips, excursions to the freshwater lagoons, and boat trips to explore the surrounding coast, mangroves and nearby beaches.
Kiteboarding, paddle boarding, and surfing are also increasing in popularity.
Accommodation around Beberibe is reasonable and varied, including hostels, guesthouses, Airbnb, self-catering apartments, economy and mid-range hotels, and villas.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN BEBERIBE
FAQ about where to stay in Fortaleza
Meireles (great for first-timers)
The city centre (“Downtown Fortaleza”)
Mucuripe (coastal, fishing-village feel)
Praia de Iracema (vibrant nightlife)
Praia do Futuro (famous beach with local vibe)
Icaraí (laid-back beach area near the city)
Canoa Quebrada (seaside village, more remote)
Lagoinha (picturesque village with dunes & lagoons)
Beberibe (eco-tourist friendly, culture-oriented)
Meireles is the best place for first-time visitors. It offers high-quality accommodation, a nice beach, easy access to restaurants and stores, and is well located between other key districts.
Staying in the downtown area means you’ll be close to cultural landmarks, busy markets, historic architecture, and the beach too. It’s good if you want to immerse in the city’s life and walk to many attractions.
Mucuripe is as a more relaxed, less crowded coastal area with a fishing-village atmosphere. It’s still near the other major districts, and it’s especially popular with older couples, families and solo travellers who want comfort but a calmer vibe.
Praia de Iracema is the area best suited for nightlife, beach bars, water-sports, and a younger crowd. It also offers cultural attractions.
Praia do Futuro is a great choice if you are looking for less hustle. It has over 5 km of golden sand beach, good water quality, many beach “barracas” (huts serving food & drinks), and plenty of options for budget-friendly accommodation.
Yes. Icaraí is about 20 km from Fortaleza and offers a quieter, nature-filled beach vibe with activities like sand-boarding and dune buggy rides. Also Canoa Quebrada, Lagoinha, and Beberibe are further afield for more relaxed or nature oriented stays.
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