Stand on the Ponte dos Ingleses as the sun drops behind Praia de Iracema and you will see why this stretch of the Ceará coast sets the rhythm of the city. The pier has never worked as a port, but it has become the place locals and visitors gather at the end of the day.
Fortaleza suits travellers who want a tropical city with a working centre, a restored colonial waterfront and beaches within walking distance of each other. The stretch from Praia de Iracema through Dragão do Mar to Praça do Ferreira is steadily improving and worth a walk, and the museums, squares and green areas give you plenty to fill the hours between beach time.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, with practical notes on how to combine them, and a one-day plan that strings the best of them together.
Top things to do in Fortaleza
1. Ponte dos Ingleses (Metálica)
Construction of this pier started in 1923, but it never functioned as a port as intended. Its sunset view is reputedly the best in the city, and the pier is one of the three spots recommended for watching the sunset, along with Praia de Iracema and the beach by the fish market in Mucuripe.
Time your visit for the end of the day and combine it with a walk along the Avenida Beira Mar, which runs parallel to the whole stretch from the pier to the fish market and is very nice for an evening stroll.
2. Praia de Iracema
One of the two nice city beaches, Praia de Iracema is often the place for large events and gatherings, in particular the New Year celebrations. It sits at the western end of the beachfront stretch that runs east to the fish market.
A string of shacks lines the beachfront, mostly good for drinking and people watching. Some, particularly when serving in the sand, have up to three different menus with varying prices, so check before ordering. Unless otherwise stated, cross the street for food.
3. Dragão do Mar
The square at Rua Dragão do Mar is culturally a very lively place. Several artisans sell their work there, musicians perform, and there are bars and restaurants with international cuisine as well as night clubs of different styles.
The surrounding area offers some of the highlights of Fortaleza's nightlife, so it works well as an evening stop after a walk from Praia de Iracema.
4. Dragão do Mar Cultural Center
Opened in 1999, the centre holds an art museum, a library, a cinema, a planetarium, an amphitheatre, art workshops and the Culture Memorial of Ceara. It represents the contemporary architectural style among the city's buildings.
Pair it with the square outside, where the artisans and musicians gather, and with Mini Siará, which is right off Dragão do Mar.
5. Theatro José de Alencar
A theatre on the south side of the eponymous square, this is the architectural landmark of the city and is also declared a National Historic Landmark. Finished in 1912, it has performances almost every evening and represents the art nouveau style among Fortaleza's buildings.
Visits run every hour on the hour, except noon, last 30 minutes and cost R$ 4. Combine it with Praça José de Alencar, which has plenty of greenery and is the place to catch the city's best street performers.
6. Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza (Igreja da Sé)
Its sooty façade gives the cathedral a somewhat brutal look, but it still has nice mosaics, and the 75-m-high towers and its size are impressive. The main western façade has large windows, and the sun lights up the church during the evening mass. The French architect George Mounier was allegedly inspired by the Cologne cathedral, and there is a 40 year span between the initial works and the inaugural mass, noted above the main entrance.
Masses are held daily except Mondays, so plan around that if you want to attend rather than look.
7. Praça do Ferreira
The main city square, named after the pharmacist Antônio Rodrigues Ferreira, is surrounded by stores, restaurants, a movie theatre and plenty of benches. Inaugurated in 1829, it has been rebuilt several times and is surrounded by many buildings of historical importance. The square of today features a time column and a small garden, just like the original version.
It sits between the streets of Floriano Peixoto, Guilherme Rocha, Major Facundo and Pedro Borges downtown, and is the eastern end of the walkable stretch that begins at Praia de Iracema.
8. Mercado dos Pinhões
This former meat market was imported piece by piece from Europe and set up in 1897. Refurbished, it is now used as a handicrafts fair with a variety of cultural events five days a week, from Afro-Brazilian culture and art to contemporary dance and the local forró music style.
It stands at Praça Visconde de Pelotas in Praia de Iracema, two blocks inland from the shops at Rua Monsenhor Tabosa, which makes it an easy add-on to a beachfront walk.
9. Estoril
This mansion, built in 1925 as Vila Morena, was later used as a casino, a restaurant (when its current name was applied) and a rather political bar. It is of peculiar architecture, was virtually rebuilt in the 1990s, and is undergoing another refurbishment to be used for public cultural arrangements.
It is on Rua dos Tabajaras in Praia de Iracema, near Pirata Bar, so it fits naturally into a wander through that neighbourhood.
10. Parque Ecologico do Cocó
The Cocó Ecological Park is the city's largest green area, near the Iguatemi-mall, and one of the largest urban parks in South America. It is a piece of jungle in the middle of Fortaleza and the most important showpiece of Fortaleza's ecological heritage, popular for recreation among locals and a place to see local flora and fauna without leaving the city.
The park has a structure of visitation, with guides, ecological trails and equipment and events of environmental education and ecotourism, so you can join organised activities rather than simply walk in.
11. Praia do Futuro
The most attractive urban beach is about 5 km from Meireles, though it is unsafe to walk there. It is windy, with rather strong currents and undertows, so swimming can be a challenge, but for a dip it is fine.
Some 150 beach shacks line the sand. Chico do Caranguejo is clean, popular and good, specialising in crab, with live music sometimes. CrocoBeach draws plenty of gringos and holds an "After Beach" with live music on Sundays from sunset to around eight, with no forró; taxi drivers get a R$ 2 commission for each head they land there, so ask for a discount on the fare.
12. Museu do Ceará
Housed in a late 19th-century seat of state government, the museum explains the history of the state of Ceará and its capital. It represents the classical style among Fortaleza's buildings and is free to enter.
It is one block north of Praça do Ferreira, so it pairs easily with a visit to the square.
13. Museu de Arte e Cultura Popular
Located in an old prison, now the Centro de Turismo, along with a handicraft market and a tourist information point, the museum displays many fine examples of folk art as well as boats and other cultural relics.
It is on Rua Senador Pompeu 350. Because the handicraft market and tourist information share the building, you can shop and pick up local information in the same stop.
14. Mini Siará (Museu de Miniaturas)
More cute than really interesting, this tiny museum has about 25 scale models of Fortaleza's colonial buildings, and also a couple of scale landscapes. It is right off Dragão do Mar.
It opens Tuesday to Saturday from 14:00 to 17:00 and costs R$ 5, so it works as a short stop before an evening around the square.
15. Praça Portugal
Six blocks from Beira-Mar, this square is lined by elegant restaurants and shopping. Major public events are often held here; during the FIFA World Cup 2014 it was one of the venues for the FIFA Fan Fest. In the Christmas season you will find a huge Christmas tree in the middle of the square.
Use it as a meal stop or a shopping break between the beachfront and the downtown squares.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Praça do Ferreira, the main city square, then walk one block north to Museu do Ceará, which is free and explains the history of the state and its capital. From there, head to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza to see the mosaics and the towers, noting that masses are held daily except Mondays.
Afternoon. Move on to the Theatro José de Alencar for a visit on the hour, except noon, and take in Praça José de Alencar, where street performers and market stalls gather. Continue to Mercado dos Pinhões for the handicrafts fair and whatever cultural event is on, then walk the stretch through Dragão do Mar, where artisans sell their work and musicians perform, with the Dragão do Mar Cultural Center and Mini Siará both close by.
Evening. Finish at Praia de Iracema, where you can see the Estoril mansion on Rua dos Tabajaras, then walk out onto the Ponte dos Ingleses for the sunset view that is reputedly the best in the city. Stay on for a drink at one of the beachfront shacks, checking the menu prices before you order.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Fortaleza?
The rainy season spans January to July, with rainfall particularly prodigious in March and April. The climate is usually very dry from August to December, with very little rainfall, and December is the warmest month.
Where can I watch the sunset?
The sunset is worth seeing from Ponte Metalica, Praia Iracema, or the beach by the fish market in Mucuripe. The view from the Ponte dos Ingleses is reputedly the best in the city.
Can I swim at the city beaches?
There are two nice city beaches, Praia de Iracema and Meireles, and some people discourage bathing there, although they are often rated green by authorities. At Praia do Futuro, swimming can be a challenge because of strong currents and undertows, but for a dip it is fine.
How do I get around the main sights?
The stretch from the beachfront of Praia de Iracema, via Dragão do Mar and to Praça do Ferreira, is steadily improving and worth a walk. The whole stretch from the Ponte Metálica pier to the fish market is paralleled by the Avenida Beira Mar, which is very nice for an evening stroll. Praia do Futuro is about 5 km from Meireles and is unsafe to walk, so take transport there.
Use these notes to sketch your own route, check the current opening arrangements for the places you want to see, and start planning your days in Fortaleza.