Brasil in Nov/Dec

wylieflyote · Mon Aug 22, 11 8:49 am **Brasil in Nov/Dec**

Going to Ilha do Guajiru in mid-November for a month. Please PM me if you are interested also. It'd much more fun with some NWK riders along. Staying at windyaddiction.com. Some of you remember David from many years of KB4C efforts.
Let's Go!
Kip Wylie

retz · Since 06 Aug 2007 132 Posts west linn Stoked

I now head to Brasil a couple times a year for work and am looking for the best kite spots around Sao Paulo or Rio. Would love your insights and info. Just got back a couple weeks ago and I'll be down probably Jan/Feb with more time to kite. Thanks!

wylieflyote · Mon Aug 22, 11 2:20 pm

retz · Since 06 Aug 2007 132 Posts west linn Stoked

My ten year visa cost over $300.......luckily it went on my expense report!

nickdward · Since 11 Aug 2008 130 Posts Seattle Stoked

Hey retz, I'm out here at Ilha do Guajiru as we speak. Jan/Feb is the tail end of the season in Ceara but will still be windy unless you get a rainy day. Now its windy 7 days a week, but maybe only 5 in Jan/Feb.

I dont know about kiting spots in Sao Paulo, but have been to Ceara 3 times, which is the place to be if you like strong winds (increases as you go north).

It'd be worth your while to just take a week or tow jaunt out there after working (this is what I do).

Feel free to PM with questions about the NE coast.

Here's a couple shots from yesterday on my 5.5m kahoona all day.

Sella · Tue Aug 23, 11 11:44 am

nickdward · Since 11 Aug 2008 130 Posts Seattle Stoked

Prices arent bad out here north of fortaleza. 3R for a Caiprinha, huge dinners for 10-20R, pousada rates from 40-80R with breakfast, etc. I'd probably spend a lot more on some other vacation (not including airfare)

retz · Since 06 Aug 2007 132 Posts west linn Stoked

nickdward,

Nice pics, thanks!
Glad to hear the prices are better up north! Sao Paulo and Rio are spendy!
I may have to push my trip earlier to catch better wind.
Is it possible to just travel with 2 kites and rent a surfboard?
Strapless waves are my thing. Any down the line wave riding or is it all flat water?

Thanks for all the help, glad to hear Brazil has good potential!

retz · Since 06 Aug 2007 132 Posts west linn Stoked

Found the site for info :

www.ilhadoguajiru.com

Cheers!

cnett · Since 23 Aug 2010 115 Posts PDX Stoked

nickdward · Since 11 Aug 2008 130 Posts Seattle Stoked

For waveriding there are a few decent spots: Paracuru is the most well known and people actually surf there. Up in Prea/Jeri it will be nuking and you get fun waves from the wind.

Brazil isnt epic for waveriding...WA/OR coast beats it anytime. But you cant beat the warm water and consistent breeze. I personally dont mind practicing surfboard tricks in flatwater...those pics were on the side not exposed to the ocean with tiny chop.

You may be able to rent a surfboard in paracuru, but I wouldnt count on it without somehow confirming...In paracuru peoploe ride surfboards, but everywhere else I am usually the only one and people are bewildered by it.

Flying domestically they are only concerned with excess weight, not size, so at least you wont get reamed for having a surfboard. You should check out getting an airpass, which is a hell of a deal if you will have 4 or more flights in your trip (100$ per ticket regardless of where you fly to within BR)

With the airpass you get the same baggage restrictions as your international flight, which for me was two 70 lb bags (korean). TAM and GOL both have airpasses, but the TAM one is easier to book, you dont need an agent

retz · Since 06 Aug 2007 132 Posts west linn Stoked

Nickdward,

Thanks for the info, very helpful!
I ride everything, surfboard, skim, twin.....depending on the conditions.
Sounds like a blast down there and the pictures look amazing.
I do love the Oregon coast but warm steady tropical conditions sound killer too,
especially if I can tack it on to a business trip.

Enjoy your time down there and I'll be sure to hit you later when I get my next trip scheduled to Brazil.

Cheers!

MasViento · Since 03 Mar 2009 235 Posts 97031 Stoked

Cumbuco tends to be a bit more crowded due to its proximity to Fortaleza airport. This means more low end tourists (euro trash) that attract drugs and working girls. Not really gonna bug you if you stay away from that crew.
Car rentals can be expensive, and a rip-off. I heard more than one story of people getting over-charged. As far as transport I just asked the inn keeper wherever I was staying and they never failed to find me a driver to wherever I was going. Most rides from town to town were about and hour and a half or more. From Fortaleza Airport to Cumbuco a cab will cost you about $ 50. Ask around there are plenty of pirate cabs that do it for less. Guajiru to Fortaleza is about $ 120. And Fortaleza to Jeri will cost you about $ 200. This is still cheaper than renting a car believe it or not. There is a bus that goes from FOR airport to Jeri and only cost like $ 17 but it takes like 7 hrs. Only 3.5 hrs by cab.

-Take the bus REDENÇÂO to Jericoacoara at the Fortaleza's bus station at 10:30 am or 6:30 pm daily, or in front of the Hotel Praiano at Iracema's beach at 09:30 am and 5:30 pm. If you are going directly from the Fortaleza's Airport, REDEÇAO Bus stops there as well. Bookings at Velas Tur travel agency (phone 85 3248 4645) or in the airport - Aeroway phone 85 3392 1352.

I liked staying at Furaifun guest house (pousada). They run a nice place , but breakfast is a little weak. He takes credit cards. Duro beach does also, but its a bigger hotel that attracts crowds. Expensive for what you get.

-Stay away from Ilhe de Guagiru ( the inland sea) - sharp rocks, and only kiteable on high tide , limited difficult access to ocean. Windy Addiction needs work, small windowless rooms, mattresses covered in plastic, bugs in rooms, food is poor, kiting is across the street but no designated launch area so you have to launch from behind an old restaurant rough rocky beach with kite slicing shells. This area is a huge tidal pond basically. Access to the ocean is difficult at best and requires you to go about 2 miles downwind and then hike back upwind on return or climb over a large dune with your kite in the air and board in hand. Not optimal. There are MUCH better places to kite in Brazil. Skip this one.

-Kiting not that great in Lagoinhas (windshadow). Paracuru is 5 km. from beach, no facilities on beach.

-Cauipe lagoon (very close to Cumbuco / Fortaleza) is small and full of locals throwing unsafe tricks in tight quarters. If you go make it on a weekday.

Get money before you leave Fortaleza and Cumbuco. A working ATM is as rare as a three legged leprechaun. neither Jeri nor Prea have machines.
I found ATM's in : All airports ( best bet) , Fortaleza airport, Cumbuco gas station (sole machine in the town) , Itarema, Trairi, Cruz, and Gijoca ( 20 min. from Jeri).

Most Posadas ( bed and breakfasts ) DONT have credit card readers. I made sure I stayed at the ones that did so I didnt have to carry lots if cash. There are NO large hotel chains anywhere along this coast that I saw. Thank god. I only went to two restaurants in Jeri that took cards. Dont bring US dollars or travelers checks both worthless here.

The best places I stayed were Rede beach and Villa Prea. Villa Prea has GREAT rooms and awesome staff. The food is outstanding !
Rede beach is a bit simpler on all levels but also very quaint. Prea is the the place to stay since most downwinders start here. You can almost always hook up with a bunch of other kiters here and hit a good downwinder.

Tatajuba is a good lagoon to kite in however only in the morning. In the afternoon it is very gusty and nowhere to stay near there. So its a good day trip. Food there is pricey as it is a daily tourist destination (read as TRAP).

I stayed at these in order traveling north from Fortaleza to Jeri :

HTTP://WWW.POUSADACUMBUCO.COM/

http://www.rede-resort.com.br/map.php

http://www.vilaprea.com/

http://villamango.com.br/en/index.htm

You cant really kite IN JERI. I found this weird. Most folks that stay in Jeri take a bus or get a ride to Prea to kite everyday. You can also ride just downwind of Jeri and go northwest. The beach just on the other side of the dune in Jeri is very gusty.

- I would just spend a bit more ( $80/night) and stay in Prea at either Villa Prea or Roncho do Peixe.
Most people wear maybe a rash guard and thats it. Its very warm . Im a wimp so I did bring a super thin 0.5 mm long sleeve top for the sunset downwinders which bring a little chill to the air.

I used buggy drivers most everyday.

Hope this helps !
Let me know if you have other questions.

Wishing you warm winds,

e

retz · Since 06 Aug 2007 132 Posts west linn Stoked

another great info post, thanks e!

nickdward · Since 11 Aug 2008 130 Posts Seattle Stoked

To each his own Mas Viento, but I'm having a great time in Guajiru. I'm a friend of Dave so take it for what it's worth:

This is my 3rd time staying with Dave at Windy Addiction. In fact he has put a lot of work into the pousada since last season, which was the first season he ever opened. Rooms now have windows and better ventilation.

It's more of a family style pousada. Dinners are home cooked and everyone eats together at a big table. It's quiet and wont have music blasting all night. Go to Jeri for the party, go to Guajiru for the hospitality.

You have to walk a whopping 20 seconds across the street to kite. By a beer at Beaufort 7 and they'll let you use the air compressor and grass to launch.

Kiting conditions are sick man, you just have to wait for high tide. If you're smart you'll check the tide predictions and visit Guajiru when high tide is around 11am (when the wind starts getting really good), then for the next week high tide will be mid day when you want to kite inside.

Yeah, there's shells, but it's not a problem at high tide unless you regularly kook out near the beach. Or you could wear water shoes.

Or do downwinders in the ocean that are sick high or low tide.

Each place is unique and worth checking out.

Sounds like you had a bad time though, bummer dude.

wylieflyote · Sat Aug 27, 11 5:58 pm