Natal

Natal is experiencing a tourist boom. Only a decade ago it was the forgotten city in the north of Brazil, overlooked by tourists. Since then hotels, bars and restaurants have sprung up all over the city due to the growing demand from tourists arriving to take advantage of the tropical beaches, warm sea, high dunes and lush Atlantic forest that sweeps along the whole coastline. It is a city and locale begging to be explored.

During the dry season, from September through to March, it is visited mainly by Brazilian couples and families drawn by the beaches and nightlife. Now, an increasing number of European tourists, especially Scandinavians, are visiting Natal for Brazilian sun, fun and incredible scenery.

Natal sits on the northeastern tip of Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean, and is the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. It lies 296km (184 miles) north of Recife and 535km (333 miles) south of Fortaleza. Natal is mainly flat with high sand dunes rising up around the beach areas on the southern end of the city. It is flanked by the Rio Potengi on the northwest and the Atlantic beaches on the southeast.

There are several beaches to choose from, the main three being the surf beach of Praia dos Artistas to the north, then Praia de Areia Preta, with Praia Ponta Negra to the south. Areia Preta and Ponta Negra are separated by an 8km (5 miles) long stretch of sand, known as Via Costeira because of the hotel-lined coast road that runs along it. Ponta Negra is the most scenic as it is backed by the 120m (393ft) high Morro do Careca sand dune. There are information booths situated on all the main beaches and beach goers can head off on beach buggy excursions, camel ride across the beach, snorkel, dive, windsurf, kitesurf or try skiing or tobogganing down the sand dunes.

The Parque das Dunas is made up of protected Atlantic forest and has many hiking trails, with plenty of wildlife. Holidaymakers can head into the old part of the city (Cidade Alta) to visit one of the many museums. The most popular is the Museu da Câmara Cascudo (Avenida Hermes da Fonseca 1398), which features a collection of Amazon Indian artefacts. The Forte dos Reis Magos or ‘Fort of the Wise Kings' (Praia do Forte) at the mouth of the Rio Potengi was where Natal was founded.

Due to the many beaches, Natal makes a good family resort. Brazilians love children so families are always made welcome in restaurants and hotels alike. Families tend to stick to the beaches and go on buggy and camel trips. Children will enjoy capoiera (an acrobatic martial art dance) played on the beaches around Natal. Areobunda Jacumã (Lagoa Jacumã, Litoral Norte, Km 35) has an improvised zip wire into a lake.

The best place to shop is in the air conditioned mall of Natal Shopping (Avenida Salgado Filho, 2234), where all the top Brazilian brands can be found under one roof. Smaller Praia Shopping (Avenida Roberto Freire, 8790), close to Ponta Negra, is more central. The best place to buy local handicrafts is at Vilarte (Avenida Roberto Freire, 9028), or ArtesaNat (BR-101 Highway at Avenida Governador José Varela), another handicraft shop run by the Natal city government.

Ponta Negra is the area everyone flocks to for the bars and restaurants to get the evening started and then into the centre of Natal close to Praia dos Artistas for hardcore clubbing or to get a taste of the traditional music called Forró. Nova Kapital (Praia dos Artistas) is a great club for playing current Brazilian pop music plus appearances from famous local bands.

Ponta Negra and around Praia dos Artistas has the best fish and meat restaurants in Natal serving a fantastic range of regional foods. Eating out in Brazil is always a very social experience, great for families and friends looking for a good value meal. Japanese, Italian and Arabic restaurants can be found in both areas.

Natal is a sprawling city, with wide open streets. It is very easy to get around by bus between the two main districts of Ponta Negra and Cidade Alta, including the city beaches. Taxis are another cheap way to get about with taxi ranks situated around Praia dos Artistas and Ponta Negra. Hire cars are an option, but with such a good bus and taxi service, it's not really necessary. However, buggy rental with a driver is a fun way to go exploring the beaches and off-road options in and around Natal.

The beaches and coastal villages outside of Natal are an explorer's delight. Take a buggy excursion and hit the tall white dunes and warm lagoon at Genipabu north of Natal. Or head south towards Tibau do Sul, a large river estuary where you can take a kayak trip into the mangrove swamps. Below Tibau do Sul is the pretty town of Pipa, which used to be a tiny fishing village but in a decade has grown into a great destination with its boutique shops, great fish restaurants and beaches where dolphins frolic.

Natal is relatively cheap for western Europeans, so splashing out is an easy thing to do. Don't skimp on the fish and seafood. The northeast is famous for its enormous shrimps so take advantage by visiting the famous restaurant Camarões (Avenida Roberto Freire, 2610 or Rua Pedro Fonseca, 8887). A trip to Natal would not be complete without visiting Feitico Mineiro (Praia do Meio) - a smart restaurant with a wide range of cachaças (distilled sugar cane spirit) from all over the country. Casual wear is suitable for both.

Natal Airport (NAT)