This guide is for you if you want to see the west coast of Ceará in one day from Fortaleza. Cumbuco and Lagoinha are two very different places: one is about wind, dunes and lagoons, the other is a quiet bay under low cliffs. The choices that shape the day are the month, whether to take a buggy, and where to spend the time you have.
When to go: wind or calm
The wind decides what Cumbuco feels like. Kitesurfers fill the water from August to January, when it blows hardest. Caucaia, the municipality Cumbuco belongs to, opens its wind season officially on 1 August, and August to October are the months most kite visitors choose. Gusts then average 45 to 60 kilometres an hour.
That is a show worth watching from the beach. Cumbuco has hosted mass kite parades that set world records: 596 kitesurfers riding together in 2019, and 884 in 2022. It also means sand blowing across the dunes, so pack sunglasses that wrap around.
The main rains in Ceará fall between February and May. Those months fall outside the windiest stretch, and the sky is less reliable. Everything on this day is outdoors, so a dry day is the one to aim for.
How the day fits together
You leave at 07:00 and are back by about 17:00. Cumbuco is first, about 50 minutes from the city, roughly 30 kilometres out. You have the early morning there, before the heat sets in.
Lagoinha is about an hour and a half further west along the CE-085. It is a district of Paraipaba, about 107 kilometres from Fortaleza. You arrive before midday and have nearly four hours: time to climb to the viewpoint, swim, and have a long lunch at a beach restaurant. At low tide, small natural pools form along the shore. The drive back takes about two hours.
The day can be cut in half. Either beach works on its own as a shorter trip; message us and we will price it. Because the car is yours, the time between the two can also shift on the day.
The buggy question
Both beaches have buggy rides run by local drivers. A ride lasts about an hour and a half to two hours, and you pay the driver directly. We take you to them and wait, and plan the rest of the day around it.
The choice is where to take it, because two rides would eat most of the day.
- At Cumbuco, the ride crosses the dunes behind the village to the lagoons. Lagoa do Cauípe has calm water where kite beginners practise. At Lagoa do Parnamirim you can slide down a dune on a board, the esquibunda. Lagoa do Banana has restaurants and activities such as a zip line.
- At Lagoinha, rides run inland to freshwater lagoons such as Lagoa das Almécegas, about 13 kilometres from the beach, where there are hammocks to rest in.
Before you set off in Cumbuco, the driver asks whether you want the ride "com emoção" or "sem emoção": with thrills or without. If anyone in the buggy would rather take it gently, say sem emoção, and agree what that means with the driver before you start.
If you want a buggy ride, tell us when you book. If you do not, Cumbuco becomes a walk on the beach and a look at the kites, and Lagoinha gets the extra time.
On your own, or with a driver
Cumbuco is easy to reach on your own: a metropolitan bus runs there from Fortaleza in a little over an hour. Lagoinha is more than three times as far, so check the bus options carefully before you count on them.
Doing both in one day without a car is hard to fit together. A private day joins them up, and the vehicle stays with you. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page. Buggy rides, lunch and drinks are paid on the day.
Water and cliffs: two safety points
The lagoons look gentle, and they are popular for swimming. The fire brigade points out one thing visitors forget: fresh water is less dense than sea water, so you float less and sink more easily. Keep children close, and do not swim after a beer at the lagoon bar.
The coloured cliffs at Lagoinha are on Ceará's official list of cliffs at risk of collapse, alongside others along the coast. A state contingency plan says falls are hard to predict. Enjoy them from the viewpoint and the beach, and do not sit or shelter right under the cliff face.
What to bring
- Swimwear and a towel for the sea and the lagoons.
- Sun cream, a hat and wraparound sunglasses against the sun and the blowing sand.
- A light layer or scarf for the buggy, which is open to the wind.
- Local cash for the buggy driver, lunch and drinks.
- A bag that closes, to keep sand out of your phone.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits anyone who wants beach and dunes in the same day, and kitesurfers who want to look at Cumbuco before booking lessons there. It is a ten-hour day with about four and a half hours on the road, so think twice if you have very small children. A shorter day at Cumbuco alone is easier for them.
If cliffs matter more than dunes, look east instead: our Morro Branco and Praia das Fontes tour is a shorter day, and our guide to day trips from Fortaleza compares all five.
Questions people ask
Can we add Jericoacoara?
No. It is too far to go there and back in a day, and it needs at least one night.
Can we take a kitesurf lesson?
Cumbuco has kite schools, but a first lesson takes time, and this day moves on to Lagoinha mid-morning. If you want to learn, ask us about a day at Cumbuco only.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking
Choose the wind months if you want to watch the kites, a dry day for the lagoons, and decide in advance where your buggy ride goes. The timings and what is included are on the Cumbuco and Lagoinha private day trip page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
