Route of Emotions – Episode 3

This is Episode 3 of the adventure road trip in Brazil, the so called “Route of Emotions”. I will be travelling from Camocim to Jericoacoara. Pretty much all of this adventure road trip in Brazil is done driving on the beach. It also includes a couple of river crossings including some rudimentary ferries.

After one night in Jericoacoara, the Route of Emotions will take me to Fortaleza done mainly on highways.

Getting ready

It is very important that when driving on sand to deflate the tyres somewhat so they would have a better grip.

In the meantime, the ferry was returning from the other side of the river.

Map of my adventure road trip in Brazil

Check out the route we did driving from Camocim to Jericoacoara. It took us some 4:30 hours to do that stretch.

Sorry about the hand drawn red line but I could not find any related map anywhere on the internet.

Camocim

After crossing the river on the ferry we stopped for a moment for a panoramic view of the dunes ahead of us and a last glance at Camocim.

Continuations of the Route of Emotions

From this point on all driving was on the beach. But we first had to get there.

It is common practise for safety reasons to team up with another car just in case of any problems on the way.

Driving on the sand is great fun

I have to admit that I am a great fan of beach driving or in general driving on the sand. Check out my related posts on more beach driving in Brazil or dune bashing in Abu Dhabi.

But … a little deviation was necessary

Having said the above, there was a point where we had to go a little inland due to the high tide that had created patches of quicksand on the beach. Luckily, our drivers were well informed.

Tide is an issue in Brazil

By the way, the tide is really an issue when driving on the beach in Brazil. Keep this in mind if you ever decide to do such an excursion. Get informed before hand otherwise you go might not enjoy a great experience.

Back onto the beach

This deviation lasted only a very short while. And, I have to say, it added a bit to the adventure seeing Brazil off the beaten track.

Pitstop in Tatajuba for lunch

At a certain point, the stomach needed to be filled so we made a stop in Tatajuba. I would compare this place to an amusement park. Plenty of slides and chairlifts ending up in the water.

Lobster Brazilian style

There were also a couple of restaurants where I had a great lobster lunch. It was served the Brazilian way: grilled with side dishes of feijoada (black beans mixed with rice), tomato salat and farina (corn meal powder to be sprinkled on the meal).

On the way to Guriu

It was then time to continue our drive. Before reaching Guriu, we passed a couple of very simple but absolutely heavenly settlements.

Route of Emotions – Guriu

It is hard to explain Guriu. It was beautiful and fascinating but a bit unsettling due to all this dead mangroves on the left and right. But judge for yourself.

Time for the next really “rudimental” ferry on this “Route of Emotions” tour

This is the second river crossing we had to do on a ferry. Actually, I would rather call it a raft which was pushed by a couple of strong guys.

Check out how our car got on and than off this raft. I found the wooden planks quite fragile but it worked out fine.

Distance from the river crossing to Jericoacoara was some 10 km.

Jericoacoara

Jericoacoara has had a huge increase in tourism since the nearby airport was built. Due to the big influx you need to be in possession of a voucher in order to enter this little town.

Despite all the development that had taken place here, there are no asphalt roads in Jeri. This adds to the charm of the place.

Jericoacoara by night

Its all about restaurants, bars and shops. As you can see it gets pretty crowded

Jericoacoara to Fortaleza

Every trip comes to an end eventually.

In this case is was the drive from Jericoacoara to Fortaleza. I am going to spend the last night here before returning to Natal for another two weeks enjoying the great beaches in that area.

Six hours on the highway

It took some 6 hours to get to Fortaleza. Initially, the two lane road was bumpy with heavy traffic. This changed half way through the drive. It turned into a four lane road in good condition.

I knew we were close to Fortaleza when I started seeing some elevation on the horizon.

End of the Route of Emotions Episode 3

After ruffing it for several nights I had decided to treat myself to a beach front 5* hotel on Av. Beira Mar. This avenue is flanked on one side by the fancy high-rises and on the other side by the sea.

I am not getting any further into anything about Fortaleas. I guess, it deserves a post on its own.

Conclusion on my experience doing the Route of Emotions

I guess, firstly I have to recommend the travel company. The drivers were perfectly on time, the cars in very good condition (including the tyres), my captain was the nicest person ever and very knowledgable.

Would I do it again?

Would I recommend to do this trip? Yes. The Parnaiba River Delta crossing was extremely interesting, but it was probably a bit too long. An option would be to choose Parnaiba as starting point. Also, best time to visit Lencois Maranhenses is June to September. Beware though, it will be very crowded.

To have a complete picture of the Route of Emotions Episode 1 and Route of Emotions Episode 2.

And, check out my post on the crossing of the huge Parnaiba River Delta.