Off the Beaten Track

Jericoacoara

Jericoacoara is the latest remote-and-primitive 'in' beach to become popular among backpackers, wind-surfers and hipper Brazilians. Situated on the Ceará coast, northwest of Fortaleza, Jericoacoara is a small fishing village, where dozens of palms drowning in sand dunes face jangadas (sailboats) stuck on a broad grey beach. Goats, sheep, cattle, horses and dogs roam the sandy streets at will.

You can boogie at the forró held every Wednesday and Saturday: just follow the music. You can also climb the sand dunes (perhaps to watch the sunset), hitch a ride on a jangada, or walk to Pedra Furada, a rock 3km (2mi) east along the beach. You can also hire horses and gallop along the beach.

Olinda

Olinda is one of the best preserved colonial cities in Brazil. With an enviable elevated location overlooking Recife and the Atlantic, the city's historical district is concentrated on its winding upper streets. However, this is no still life. Olinda is very much a living city, with a cultural scene that is alive and kicking, and its beautiful enclave of preserved colonial buildings is populated by artists, students and bohemians. Churches, museums, art galleries and convents vie with outdoor restaurants, there is music in the streets; and craft markets attract locals and tourists alike.

Carnaval in Olinda is a mega affair, with the historic setting and party-animal residents providing an intimacy and sense of security that other Carnavals lack, though some believe that it is becoming more comercialized.

Chapada dos Veadeiros

This spectacular national park is in the highest area of the country's Central West, just over 220km (136mi) north of Brasília. Its high waterfalls, natural swimming pools, dramatic cliffs and oasis-like stands of wine-palms have caused it to become a popular destination for ecotourists.

The park's animal life includes maned wolves, banded anteaters, giant armadillos, capybaras, tapirs, rheas, toucans and vultures. Most people stay at the former crystal-mining hamlet of São Jorge nearby, where there is a walking trail to Vale da Luna (Valley of the Moon).

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