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The State of Ceará was the first province of the Empire to abolish slavery – in 1884, five years before the remaining parts of the country, and, for this reason, it’s known as the “abolition land”. This state represents the third greatest economy of the Brazilian Northeast Region. Its capital, Fortaleza (link para o texto de Fortaleza), has a modern architectural profile and represents an important tourism center.

After centuries of an essentially agricultural economy, the state has experienced an industrial development boom. The state’s clothing manufacture center is the second largest in the national ranking in terms of production and export. The industrialization is also present in the production of shoes, furniture, food sector, mining, as well as in editorial, printing and metallurgic areas.

As a land of caboclos, descendants of the miscegenation involving native, black and Portuguese people, the State of Ceará is also one of the largest cultural centers of Brazil, marked by popular religiosity and the presence of its intellectuals in the national literature and art segments. It’s the birthplace of writers, such as José de Alencar, one of the greatest novelists of Brazilian literature “Indianism”; and Rachel de Queiroz, of the most significant writers of regionalist novels.

With sunshine and hot weather all the year, and mild temperature at night, the State of Ceará has a diversified ecosystem made up of areas that include caatinga, Atlantic Forest, savannah and marshland. Following the industrial development, the tourism is the segment that has shown the highest rates of development there in the last decades.

The State of Ceará has so many beauties to show that it was divided in six tour macro regions:

Fortaleza / Metropolitan Region – It comprises nine cities, among which are: the capital, Fortaleza, and Aquiraz and Paracuru cities. This is the state’s gateway for those who like comfort, as the region has a rather urbanized coast. In the interior, there are mountain ranges with parts of the Atlantic Forest, where many people come to hike and be in contact with the nature. It’s also perfect for events and business trade shows. This region has complete infrastructure, attracting visitors for its exciting nightlife, with innumerous bars, restaurants, show houses, theaters, museums and thematic parks – there three at the seaside, in Cumbuco and Porto das Dunas.

West Coast / Ibiapaba – It’s the largest of all, and has a wide variety of landscapes. The sea, the backwoods and the mountain ranges get mixed to compose one of the most beautiful sceneries of the state. The most famous beach is Jericoacoara, a true post card scenery that still preserves the features of an intact paradise. It’s excellent for the practice of nautical sports and surf. Towards the interior, it’s possible to find a purely ecological area. Highlights to the National Park of Ubajara, at the border of Ceará and Piauí States, at Ibiapaba Mountain Range. The park has a very good structure for the ecotourism, including visits to caves and hikes through untouched woods, and baths in rivers of crystalline waters. Among the several attractions of the region, special emphasis to Camocim, Itapipoca and Sobral Cities.

East Coast / Apodi – This region is far from the large urban centers. The beaches in this part of the state are perfect for those looking for tranquility during the day and exciting nightlife. It comprises 190 km of coast, where movable dunes, rocky coast of colorful sand, rows of coconut palms and lobster fishing are great attractions. For those who like old architecture, the cities also offer good tours, such as visiting sugar and flour mill and the historical places of Aracati, Cascavel and Icapuí. The Valley of Jaguaribe River is another good option, with bath and fishing included in the tour. This region is known as the Coast of the Rising Sun.

“Wet” Mountain Ranges / Baturité - Its greatest attraction is the pleasant climate of the 13 cities that compose this macro region. It’s at 600 meters above the sea level, and offers an excellent air quality, making this tour unique, especially for those who like to be in direct contact with the nature. It has tens of waterfalls, mineral water springs and parts of the Atlantic Forest. But even so, the cultural influence is intense. The cities regularly promote acting and music festivals, besides the architectural patrimony, among the most preserved in all State of Ceará. Highlights to Baturité and Guaramiranga Cities.

Mid Backwoods - This is the state’s region of ecological and rural tourism. It includes 20 cities located in the backwoods of Ceará, places with some of the most beautiful rocky formations of Brazil, such as Galinha Choca Rock and Monumental Valley. Located between Quixadá and Quixeramobim, the Valley is the most important preserved ecosystem of the semi-arid region in the Northeast. There, a short hike can reveal caves, trails, small lakes, canyons and huge monoliths, such as Letreiro Rock, with rupestral inscriptions of high archeological value. Besides, the hills have turned this region into one of the best in Brazil to practice free flight. There are options for religious tourism too, as the City of Canindé promotes one of the largest processions that happen in the country, in honor to St. Francis of Wounds.

Araripe / Cariri - Composed of 47 cities, it comprises all the South part of the state. It has good infrastructure and two airports. The religious tourism is the strongest attraction of this macro region. The City of Juazeiro do Norte receives about 1,5 million people who go there to pray for Priest Cícero every year. There are options for the cultural and scientific tourism too, especially for those interested in archeology. This region has an important patrimony to be visited, the City of Santana do Cariri, with one of the largest fossil sites in the world, where prehistorical plants and animals, such as dinosaurs, have been found. Other cities the visitors might want to see include Barbalha, Crato and Santana.

Jericoacoara
This is a beautiful place where the contact with nature is intense and the beautiful scenery is stunning.

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Links & Sources:

• Brazil Tourism Portal
• Ceará State Tourism Department: +55 (85) 3488-3900