It was only when the white sand dunes made waves through the desert, creating pools of sky blue watering holes that beaconed us that I realised that Jeri would be something I have never seen before.

Jericoacoara. I don’t even know how I could describe this magical place to you. This ‘lair of turtles’ can be found in the North of Brazil, a few hours from the city of Fortaleza. Originally a Fishermans town, the city is only accessible through sand dunes and without your typical car. The town itself has no roads and no street lights- leaving you to wander the sandy roads in the pitch black in the evening with only the stars to guide you.

The drive to the closest town with roads from Fortaleza is quite long, as the roads are worn down and highways are inexistent. During the trip, you pass by several rustic villages, where you must drive slow and pay close attention to the street dogs that cross the streets. The villagers live off their plantations of coconuts and sugar. Street vendors can often be found on the side of the road, offering 1 real per coconut (about 20 cents USD). When you get to the closest town of Jeri, you need to find a dune-buggy company that will keep your vehicle and take you to the village themselves. As you leave, be sure to pay the Jericoacoara tax as you will be visiting a national protected park.

The dune-buggy will then take you on a forty-five minute adventure. You start in the town, where locals will hop on the moving buggy for a free ride to the village. You will then pass through a capybara forest that will have you dodging bushes and trees that come flying in your direction. I recommend you use the restroom before this trip, as the potholes have you bouncing the entire ride and you can feel them first when you pass through the greenery.

Once out of the forest, you will be greeted by mountains upon mountains of white sand, flowing gracefully across the blue sky landscape and desert fields full of wild donkeys grazing peacefully on the little patches of shrubbery. Hidden down off the hills of white you will see oasis’s of crystal clear blue water. It was only when the white sand dunes made waves through the desert, creating those pools of sky blue watering holes that beaconed us that I realised that Jeri would be something I have never seen before. The sight is absolutely breathtaking and you really start to understand why Jeri is named one of the top ten destinations for the most beautiful beaches in the world.

The forty-five minutes pass quickly and slowly at the same time. Quickly because the landscape is just breathtaking, but slowly because by the end of it- you’ll be fed up with the bouncing of the buggy. The second we stepped off the carriage on four over-sized wheels, we were welcomed to our hotel by a momma donkey and her baby. They were so gracious and the sight of them was confusing at first. You’re at this beautiful destination and wild animals are the ones to greet you? As I grabbed our luggage off the back of the buggy, I looked around in search for a road or smooth surface to lay it all down- only to find there was none. There was nothing around us. Not a street, not a home, not a restaurant, not nothing. Across the way was a field with grass and a couple dogs resting in the shade of a tree. We were completely and utterly lost in this desert.

You can find several amazing hotels and accommodations via Booking in this link, and there is everything for all tastes and budgets If you opt for a high-end hotel, you will still pay quite cheap and will have beautiful lounge chairs by a pool with breakfast. You can also opt for something more rustic and have a more down-to-earth experience. We had middle ground. Our booking was a duplex apartment in a quaint condominium. Our room included a bathroom and shower that was completely open to the outside, with only wooden slats keeping us apart. When it would rain in the tropical outdoors, drops of water would fall into our shower and welcome in the little lizards and geckos escaping the cooler temperatures. Wild cats would hang around our front door and would meow for little pets and snacks in the evening, and the momma and her baby donkey would wait out front in the early hours of the morning.

We couldn’t wait to go out and explore the village- even if the weather app announced intense thunderstorms and rain. We changed and went back out with the intentions of finding a place to have dinner before calling it a night. The sun set on the quiet town and we checked the menus of the different and various restaurants as we walked through the sandy ‘streets’. By the time we found our choice restaurant- a burger joint, it had started to pour. The wild animals: including dogs, cats, horses and donkeys- scurried out of the village to find shelter under the few trees around the outskirts. Ananda and I enjoyed our dinner in the peaceful sounds of rain and the excited noises of the football game on the screen with Brazil winning. By the time we finished our food and drinks, the rain had stopped and we were able to leave without trouble and make our way back to our hotel in the pitch black of the night.

The next morning we woke up early and dug into our breakfast. I piled tapioca and pamonha onto my plate and poured a cup of coffee from the classic plastic thermos. Today we would be visited the virgin beach all the magazines had been talking about. The virgin beach that drove this sleeping village to tourism. We got dressed for the hike and made our way out for the day. The hike was through a sanded path- as expected. Scrubs grew on the sides and lizards and butterflies danced across our feet as we walked on.

As the sky was covered in gray clouds, we didn’t take our swimsuits. The hike was maybe an hour and fifteen minutes, and when we made it to the end, we were greeted by a cliff- the beach is down below the ledge. You will have to do the same as us, which is lowering yourself down the side of this steep mountain, practically sitting on your butt the entire way down.

When we made it to the bottom we had our look around. I would say the beach was gorgeous- I can’t deny that. Was it the most beautiful beach in the entire world? no. At least not in my opinion. But there are a lot of factors- the sky was gray, the breeze was cold, and the beach itself just had tourists taking pictures in front of the well-known arch. That being said, Jeri remains a must-see destination in my opinion, for so many other reasons. The view was wild and untouched, the sand is fine and white and the endless sight of water will have you wondering what’s on the other side of all of it.

We stayed at the beach for a little under an hour, exploring the shallow and rocky areas of the beach searching for crabs and other wildlife. To go back, you can go the way you came or take the path directly to the village. Fair warning- the walk to the village is uphill through the sand dunes. We walked down the beach and back up the other side. We were welcomed by the wild horses and this time- a wild baby sheep. I was grateful when we all decided to stop at a restaurant for some fresh coconut juice, as the walk to Jeri was like it or not- up the sand dunes. As I sipped on my coconut, I admired the local lifestyle and the random animals that crossed our sandy path. Jeri really was magical for its own special reasons.

Once we had finished our coconuts, we then decided to make our way to a bar for a refreshing beer. Thankfully there are many options in this small town, with bars and restaurants lining some of the streets. While seated, wild cats and dogs would take their turns wandering around the bar floor, waiting for someone to drop a snack. Luckily for them, I always had dog food on me while travelling in Brazil. I was always so surprised by the gentleness of the wild dogs, and their ability to eat so carefully from my hand. My tiny pug back home is less gentle than they were. It was only a couple hours after the hike to the beach that I started to feel what was coming.

I had caught a cloud-burn so intense I looked like a lobster/visible tourist/gringa. By that point, I was grateful that we decided to move on to dinner at a pizza place, where I could hide in the low lights with my shame and embarrassment. As my dress was green, I was decked out in Christmas colors as I got started on my well-earned pizza. That evening we once again walked back to the hotel under the stars and I took a freezing cold shower to cool off my burns.

The next morning we were already leaving Jeri. Our luggages were soon enough being tossed on top of one of the sand buggy’s and we were off. There was one final stop though- a blue lagoon. I had never seen a lagoon before. My childhood dream was to go to the Blue Lagoon at Disney World so I was very excited to get this adult experience. The ride through the dunes was longer this time since the destination was different. I covered myself from the sun and admired the fields full of sand, shrubs and wild donkeys. After maybe about an hour, we had arrived at our destination.

The lagoon had a few restaurants on the shore, so we took a seat at one of the tables in the sand and started ordering. Traditional Brazilian food was on the menu- with local juices and cocktails, rice and beans, barbecued meats and so on. I requested a caipirinha and to be apart of the plate full of food and quickly smeared on sunscreen. The water of the lagoon was WARM and fresh and I appreciated being away from salt water for a moment. Warm sand was the only thing under my feet, with the occasional snail crawling by below the surface. There were hammocks in the water to rest and as I laid there- I felt myself melt away in the moment.

My name was called for lunch, so I swam back to land and sat soaking in my seat to have my meal. I washed it all down with fresh passionfruit juice. With a full stomach, I asked Ananda to join me in a walk down the beach. I was curious to see what was further down and also to explore the tropical forest that seemed to line part of the shore. As we got started on our walk hand in hand, a storm rolled in. There we were- halfway down the shore with a complete shower falling on our heads with no where to find. Thankfully I was still in my swimsuit, but my wife was completely clothed. When I say it was a complete shower, I mean the water fell down on us stronger than an actual shower. We were soaked. As there was no place to take refuge, we ran into the lagoon since the water was warmer than the water drenching us to the bone. I believe this was the first storm my wife and I ever got caught in together, and I always find it so romantic. That being said- NOTHING is more romantic than being caught in a tropical storm on the virgin shore of an empty lagoon in the North of Brazil.

When the storm pulled back, we dried off in the sand before getting dressed to leave Jeri. As we pulled away, I looked out my window and got one last look at the place that will forever have me experiencing wanderlust.

Getting the chance to visit Brazil is a once in a lifetime experience in itself. I have never seen such a vibrant, colourful, welcoming country. The food is to die for, the views are exquisite and the people are amazing. If Brazil wasn’t already a blessing, Jericoacoara is heaven on earth. When you get there, think of me while you sip on your cocktail with the view of paradise right before your eyes.

All my love.

Want more Brazil travel? Check out my blog entry for Turtle Beach