Canoa Quebrada is in the north-eastern Brazilian state of Ceara. The nearest airport is Pinto Martins located in Fortaleza, 166 km from Canoa Quebrada and 85 km from Shelby White/ Praia das Fontes. Pinto Martins is a modern airport of international standard. It was refurbished and upgraded in 1998 and can accommodate 2.5 million passengers annually. Once you arrive at Fortaleza, there are three modes of transportation to reach the Canoa Quebrada beach - taxi, car or bus.
Canoe Quebrada Transportation GuideGetting to and around Canoa Quebrada
By Air
The Pinto Martins airport in Fortaleza was completely refurbished in 1998. Telephone: +55 85 3392 1200. The airport offers several facilities like the post office, health authorities, internet café, tourist information, travel agencies and the federal police. You can catch flights to every major city in Brazil and also to South American capital cities via Sao Paulo.
You can even take weekly charter services to European airports:
FlyBrazil to Amsterdam - http://www.flybrazil.nl/en-EN/FlightSearch.asp
Air Italy to Rome and Milan - http://www.airitaly.eu/
The waiting time for immigration formalities is about an hour. If it is a busy time of the day with many incoming flights, it may take twice the time.
For transport from the airport to the city (or from the city to the airport), we recommend Green Path Transfers, who offer eco-friendly airport transfers in hundreds of destinations around the world.
By Bus
The main bus station in Fortaleza (Telephone: +55 85 3230 1111) offers buses to almost all locations in the country, either direct or via connecting routes. The biggest bus operator is Expresso Guanabara, which has an extensive network. Across all operators, the last bus to depart within the entire state of Ceara is between 6 and 7pm.
Another smaller bus station is in the western suburb of Antonio Bezerra. Almost all lines from here go via the main bus station. A third bus station is planned for the southern suburb of Messejana.
The bus terminal in Canoa Quebrada is referred to as Rodoviária and if you can manage its name, it is Terminal Rodoviario Engenheiro Joao Thome. The bus routes from Fortaleza are very convenient. The bus terminal is just 1.5 km from the International Airport, 3 km from the city centre and 5 km from the Praia de Iracema. If you want to head towards Aracati, the names to look out for are Northeast (85-3256-2342) and Guanabara (85-3433-6400). From Aracati, you could take taxis or vans to Canoa Quebrada.
Schedules for round trips:
Fortaleza to Canoa Quebrada and back:
Departures from the Fortaleza bus terminal are at 6:00 am, 8:30 am, 11:00 am, and 13:40 pm and 17:30 pm. The travel time is 3.5 hours.
You could take the St. Benedict route because it runs from Fortaleza and takes you all the way to Canoa Quebrada. Other operators take the road to Aracati, which is 10 km away from Canoa Quebrada. From there, you would need to take a taxi, also known as topik in the local parlance, to reach Canoa Quebrada.
If you wait at the front of the recreation centre at Canoa Quebrada, you can catch return buses leaving at 6:00 am, 9:30 am, 12:30 pm, 14:30 pm and 17:30 pm. The travel time would be 3.5 hours.
By Taxi
Just outside the main gate of the airport at Fortaleza, you'll find taxis queuing up to take you to any destination, including Canoa Quebrada. You could request the hotel to arrange for a pick up or strike a deal with the cabbie to take you to your hotel for a particular price. Sometimes the price quoted may be high, so try negotiating. The travel time from Fortaleza to Canoa is two hours and it is a very pleasant journey.
By Car
If you are coming from Natal (RN), the road to take to Canoa Quebrada is BR304. If you are coming from Fortaleza, take the BR116 to Boqueirão Cesario and then take the BR 304. Once you are on this road, whether you are coming from the north or south, just follow signs to Aracati and then the Canoa Quebrada beach will be clearly signposted all the way.
Leaving Canoa Quebrada
If you are travelling by bus, buying your ticket in advance is the best option. Bus services here are on schedule, so arrive at least 15 minutes before departure time. If you are taking the bus from St Benedict, you must wait in front of Pólo de Lazer in Canoa Quebrada, right next to Hotel Tropical. While using other modes of transportation, get to the Aracati bus stop to catch services to Fortaleza and Natal. Check the timings with your hotel concierge.
If you want to get to the National Park of Jericoacoara, which is not far from Canoa Quebrada, your best mode of transportation would be a buggy. Unfortunately, there is no other form of transport ation to this park. Majorlândia, however, is well connected by road. You could even stroll along the beach to reach it.
