Brazil has about 165 million habitants divided over 27 states.
Ceará is one of these states with well over 8 million
people. The capital of Ceará is Fortaleza. Fortaleza, with
about 1.8 million people, was founded in the 17th century by the
Portuguese and the Dutch. Nowadays, the population of Fortaleza
consists of Brazilians; a mixture of native Indians, North- and
South Europeans and descendents of the African slaves. This
mixture is a guarantee for extrovert, friendly, warm and creative
people with a lot "Couleur Locale".The local cuisine is spicy and divers, with a lot of exotic fruits. Of course Fortaleza has a lot of little shops and outside markets, but there are also a lot of gigantic shopping malls with luxurious shops.
Culturally,
Fortaleza offers a wide variety of monuments, like for example
the old prison, which is currently used as the Ceará
Museum, cathedrals, theatres, and the old cinema located in the
São Luis Theatre where many cultural festivals are being
held. And let's not forget the famous area of Irecema and Dragao
do Mar; here you can find a lot of restaurants and bars, fast
food shops, galleries and discotheques, with a lot of live music,
Forro (local music and dance) and dancing Brazilians. The most
famous local drinks are caipirinha and coconut water, served cold
in a coconut! The highlight is the Monday evening in the Pirata
Bar; a lot of music with thousands of happy dancing
Brazilians.
Fortaleza also has two beautiful beaches;
Praia Beira Mar and
Praia do Futuro. Praia Beira Mar is a wide, 3 kilometers long
beach, directly located at he famous boulevard in the center of
Fortaleza. On this boulevard, as well as on the beach, you will
find a variety of bars and restaurants. Especially at he end of
the afternoon and the beginning of the evening you will find an
excellent atmosphere in this area. .A lot of Brazilians are
walking and jogging on this boulevard. Here you will experience a
free and uncomplicated life style. The boulevard of Beira Mar is
a real happening and can be compared to the famous Copa Cabana in
Rio de Janeiro. According to the Brazilians, Beira Mar is more
impressive and has a better atmosphere.Praia do Futuro is the favorite beach of the people of Fortaleza. The beach is about 6 kilometers long and has a lot of bars and restaurants. Those restaurants are the ideal place to eat fresh fish, lobster and other seafood, and to afterwards dance the night away. Especially in the weekend and Thursday evenings there is a lot of live music.