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Fortaleza, capital of the State of Ceará,
is a booming city in Northeastern Brazil, surrounded by some of the country's
finest beaches.
The area around Fortaleza has been heavily disputed in the beginning of the 17th
century. In 1612 the first Portuguese colonists settled down in the area, some
years later the Dutch took over control, followed by the Tabajara Indians and
later on again by the Dutch. To defend their territories the Dutch built a fortress,
fort "Schoonenborch" (literally 'beautiful citadel'). Some decades later
the fortress was captured by the Portuguese, who renamed it to "Fortaleza
de Nossa Senhora da Assunção" (Fortress of our Lady of Assumption.
After the Portuguese re-arrival in the area, colonisation began in earnest, altough
it took still quite a long time before the area quieted down, due to heavy battles
with the native Indians.
A town emerged around the fortress, and this town took the name of the fort. The
fort still exists and it is part of historical itineraries that are obligatory
for all the tourists.
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The town became a trading post for cattle farms that were established in Ceará's
interior. Nowadays, the city is major fishing port, commercial center in the North
of Brazil and the fifth largest city of the country, with over 2 million residents.
Moreover, Fortaleza is used as a jumping-off point for Jericoacoara and many other serene palm-lined
beaches in its vicinity. Fortaleza itself is a lively Metropolis with a small
historic section. A city with lots of hotels, restaurants and bars, a large regional
handcraft area, where you can find clothing, hammocks, carvings, saddles, or images
of saints, and 25 km of marvelous beaches.
Fortaleza is an ideal tourist destination, with
warm Atlantic trade winds, low humidiy, warm seawater and temperatures in the
low 80's year round.
