Nossa Praia

Lagoinha sits on the western coast of Ceará, a few hours from Fortaleza, where red and white dunes tumble straight into the sea and fishermen's jangadas still push off at dawn. This is no place of big resorts — it's a village of sandy streets, brightly painted houses, and the freshwater lagoa (the little lagoon that gives the beach its name) tucked between the dunes and the ocean.

The rhythm here is set by the tide and the wind. In the morning the boats come back heavy with fish and lobster; in the afternoon the strong wind that sweeps this coast fills the sails of the kitesurfers who found the region only in the last few years. Even so, Lagoinha keeps its simple fishing-village ways — chickens in the streets, nets drying in the sun, live music on the weekends.

Climbing the dunes at sunset is still the simplest and most beautiful thing to do: from up there you see the lagoa, the river, the sea, and the whole village all at once, the light turning gold and then pink.

The neighboring villages — Flecheiras, Mundaú, Guajiru — are only a few minutes away by car or buggy, and together with Lagoinha they make up a stretch of coast that still holds much of the old Ceará.