What should you to know about
Cumbuco
Cumbuco is a small fishing village situated about 25 kilometres (16 mi) North West from the city of Fortaleza,
in the state of Ceara, along the north east coast of Brazil. The population is around 1600. The village is regarded as picturesque and scenic and is attracting both domestic and international tourism.
Cumbuco has a beautiful and quiet beach near Fortaleza on one side of town and the famous sand dunes on the other side. There is a small and busy village centre built around the main square adjacent to the beach which has a fresh fish market, tropical palm trees, and several beach restaurants (barracas).
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Cumbuco has soured to the top as a kite surfer hot spot because of the of steady winds.
In September 2019 the beach entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most kite surfers
at one time, 596 kite surfers participated in the event.
The views of hundreds of colourful kites littering the skyline is mesmerizing.
From June until December the winds are constant, becoming an extremely reliable destination for kite surfers.
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Things to do in Cumbuco
Sand dune tour
Trips into the sand dunes that serve as a backdrop to the village take about 2 – 3 hours.
During the trip you will visit spots to sand board, places to zip line down a dune and into one of the lagoons and bars perched at the top of the dunes overlooking the rivers and caatinga forestry.
Bring extra cash to the tour to enjoy these extra activities.
Wear a lot of sun protection because you will be under the sun for up to 4 hours.
You can opt for a sand buggy “com ou sem emoção,” (with or without excitement).
The city carves 2 routes into the dunes.
One will hurl you over 45° hills at an adrenalin-spinning speed.
The other buggy meanders gracefully through the maze of dunes.
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Jangada boat tours are available
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Jangadas are a traditional Brazilian fishing boat common in the Northeast. In Cumbuco you can join
touristic boat trips to natural pools.
A famous jangadeiro of Ceará (a jangada sailer) is Dragão do Mar who led strikes by a group of
jangadeiros in 1881. The group refused to transport enslaved people to be sold in other regions of Brazil.
Three years later the state abolished slavery entirely.
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Jangada trips are more common in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas.
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Cashew fruit harvest is January and August
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The best period for harvesting caju, which is the pseudo fruit of the cashew tree (the fruit being the cashew nut) is January and August. The rest of the year much of the fruit used will be frozen not fresh. Ceará contains 55% of the caatinga a type of Brazilian biome that features the enormous cashew trees. It is squeezed between the glistening white beaches of the Northeast coast and the sand dunes that separate it from the semi-arid sertão.
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