Jijoca de Jericoacoara

Jericoacoara is a virgin beach hidden behind the dunes of the west coast of Ceará, Brazil. Selected by the "Washington Post" as one of the Top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, Jeri, as it is called colloquially by locals, consists of deep blue lagoons, calm seas and huge dunes.

Since 1984, the area around Jericoacoara was declared an Environmental Protection Area (APA) and became a National Park in 2002. This brought many building restrictions and tourism controls to help preserve the area.

The distance to bigger cities and the difficulties of access also helped to keep the beach and the village isolated. Only 15 years ago, Jeri was a fishing village, without any contact with modern civilization, where electricity was generated by diesel engines and street illumination came from the moon and the stars. After the Washington Post selection was published, tourism grew rapidly and the beach village became one of the most popular destinations on the Brazilian coast. Electricity arrived in the village in 1998 and today, hot showers and air conditioning are no longer luxuries. However, since the illumination of the streets is forbidden by local law, the moon and stars still give street illumination. The trip to Jeri represents a natural obstacle but it is part of the experience. The road from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara presents beaches and rustic villages. The last 45 minutes you complete off-road "on-sand", among dunes and along a beach.

The village has streets covered by the sand, which comes from the dunes in front of the sea. Jericoacoara is also used for windsurfing and sailing.

External links

* [http://www.jeri-brazil.org/english.html Jericoacoara]
* [http://www.pvv.org/~bct/brasil3/jericoacoara.html A recent photo tour of the area]
* [http://www.brazilpictures.net/?keyword=jericoacoara Brazil Pictures - Jericoacoara]