Spotlight on...Fortaleza, Brazil
Date: 02/29/2008by Lee Harrison
Hundreds of miles of dazzling, white-sand beaches surround the city of Fortaleza in the northeast of Brazil. Its clear, tropical ocean waters maintain a year-round temperature of 80˚ Fahrenheit. Serving as the glimmering centerpiece for the state of Ceará, this capital city of almost 3 million people is now the No. 1 tourist destination in Brazil. Fortaleza boasts its own beautiful in-city beaches, sizzling nightlife, and great restaurants.
Yet you can still buy a downtown apartment with a sea view for $150,000 and lots (just off the beach) outside the city are for sale for as little as $15,000.
Fortaleza is popular with European travelers, expats, and investors, but completely off the radar screen of North Americans…for now.
Getting to Fortaleza from the U.S. currently takes 10.5 hours…but Europe is only 6.5 hours away. That’s why the Europeans are already here, albeit in small numbers. However, you can get from the States to Brazil in five hours…most of that 10-plus hours travel time is because there is no direct flight to Fortaleza from the U.S.
Brazil has not been popular as a beachfront vacation destination for Americans because there are appealing vacation spots closer to the U.S., and Brazil does little to promote its tourist industry to North Americans. This lack of travelers has resulted in little competition among the airlines, high travel prices, and few travel options.
But this is set to change. The world market seldom sees price distortions like the properties on the beaches around Fortaleza today.
This market will move upward once the U.S. buyer arrives. But for now you can still get great deals.
The vibrant hub of Ceará
Fortaleza has three sides: its old, original historic center and non-touristy downtown areas; a gleaming in-town stretch of beach with great waterfront restaurants and highrises; and quieter sections of beautiful, palm-lined white-sand beaches reminiscent of the Caribbean. It’s a combination of lifestyle choices in one city that’s pretty hard to beat.
If you’re a meat lover, you’re in for a treat. And the seafood is delectable, with a wide range of fresh fish and shellfish available in most restaurants. To top it off, you’ll find a good selection of fruit, vegetables, and nuts, some of which you may have never seen.
My favorite beach was Praia do Futuro, near the southeast end of town. The beach is wide, with coconut palms, fine white sand, and a smattering of seaside cafés and restaurants, as well as fresh-water public showers.
If you like to be at the center of the action, a two-bedroom apartment will cost about $150,000.
Heading west of Fortaleza for 30 minutes by car is the town of Cumbuco. Most of the expats who live here are from Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Over the past 10 years, these Europeans have come here, attracted by the cheap lots and the kite surfing.
Land here costs from $20 to $30 per square foot—for lots right on the beach—and you can buy a 1,400-square-foot condo, with an ocean view, for $187,550.
Another 25 miles from Cumbaco town is the up-and-coming hotspot of Taiba. Here you can buy large beachfront lots for less than $30,000.
While exploring the beaches outside the city of Fortaleza, we stopped for a late lunch in the small town of Fleixeiras, named for the female archers who used to fish there in times past. A terrific dinner of wood-grilled lobster with all the trimmings cost me $7, and the sunset was the most beautiful we’d seen anywhere in the country. Small houses in the village start at around $20,000.
This area is popular with folks from Fortaleza—less than two hours to the southeast—who want a second home on the beach. I know this sounds strange, given that Fortaleza is also on the water, but this is different. It’s remote and quiet, with miles of wide beaches interrupted only by tiny fishing villages and small groups of jangadas—the small sailing rafts used for lobster fishing by the local fishermen. No music, no vendors, and none of the other trappings of a major tourist destination.
Barra Nova is another beautiful little coastal village with cobblestone streets, charming barracas (beach bars), and stunning beaches. Located just 37 miles from Fortaleza, many residents come here at weekends to escape the bustle of the city.
A beachfront lot on a lovely stretch of flat beach here costs $17,500. The lots do not have road access or electricity. Our contact here, Fabricio Santos, has just four beachfront lots left and is selling them altogether or in pairs. Second-line lots cost $9,000. Get more information.
The best beach in Ceará
Staying southeast of Fortaleza, the beaches at Canoa Quebrada are generally wide with white sand. There’s an open-air beach café with a great view. The people here claim that this beach is the most beautiful in the state of Ceará—which has almost 360 miles of beaches—and they may well be right.
But what really made Canoa Quebrada unique was the village itself. It was clean and well cared for, with cobblestone streets, shops, boutiques, and small hotels. The main drag is a pedestrian street with at least a dozen nice restaurants along its length. This town would be a major draw, even if the beach weren’t here.
Canoa Quebrada means “broken canoe” in Portuguese, and it got its name when Portuguese navigator Francisco Ayres da Cunha shipwrecked his boat here in 1650. In order to study the craft, he gave the canoe to a local boat builder called Mestre Sebastão, who, until that point, had experience only in building balsa rafts. In turn, the master named this section of coast and village in honor of the broken canoe. You can buy a lot here for as little as $15,000.
Becoming a resident
U.S. citizens need a visa to enter Brazil as a tourist, which can be obtained at your nearest Brazilian consulate for $100, and is good for up to five years. Citizens of most other countries do not require a tourist visa. You can stay in Brazil for up to six months per year, so if you’re looking for a part-year second home, this will probably fit the bill.
If you wish to become a resident, there are several options available, none of which is particularly complicated.
The retiree’s visa may be best if you’re already on a pension. Without age restriction, the income requirement is $2,000 per month, which covers the applicant and one dependent. Additional dependents require another $1,000 monthly, each.
The investor’s visa requires an investment of $50,000 in a Brazilian company, which may be an entity you’ve set up just for this purpose. The $50,000 could be for a home, and I have one friend who even bought a Land Rover to meet the requirement.
Brazil also offers a health visa, for those whose health would benefit from living here, such as those who need warm weather or clean coastal air. You must have the medical condition certified by a doctor and the means to support yourself.
New residents are entitled to import their household goods duty free. If you leave the country, you must be abroad for five years before taking advantage of this again.
For detailed questions, contact attorney Rui Farias in Fortaleza. He does extensive work on property transactions, and is an expert on immigration and taxes. He also speaks perfect English.
SIDEBAR
The complexities of the Portuguese language
The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, with phonetics and vocabulary that are markedly different than the variety that is spoken in Portugal. In fact, it’s considered a different language by most language programs. To the casual listener, its sound will vary between Cantonese and French, and will include some sounds that are strange to the English-speaker. Reading it is not easy. According to Collins Publishing, “No transcription into English can represent with accuracy the complexities of Portuguese sounds, which are beyond the limits of English phonetics.” You’ll appreciate this fully when you get here…
Although English is the most common second language in Brazil, you’ll be lucky to find anyone who speaks it outside the tourist areas. Few people speak Spanish.
Learn more about Fortaleza
- White-sand beachfront lots for less than $20,000
- Where to invest your dollars in 2008: Our real estate insiders' top picks
- Brazil: Beachfront Lots for Less Than $18,000