I flew (American Airlines and TAM) from LAX connecting a flight in Miami, Florida to my first destination in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. After spending a week in Cabo Frio in Rio de Janeiro, I flew to Florianopolis, Brazil. We then had a bus arranged to take us on a 2-3 hour bus ride, depending on the traffic, to Ibiraquera. It is a narrow, busy, paved but bumpy road. I advise you to be careful if you rent your own car in Brazil. The driving there is pretty wild, but I come from Maui where it’s really chilled out and simple driving. It was quite a change for me in Brazil! From the airport in Florianopolis its one road (BR 101) that you follow straight down to Ibiraquera. It’s about 50miles/80km.

TAM airlines is, very good with the extra baggage. It cost me a flat rate of $25 a bag. I didn’t have any problems with American Airlines either. It was $80 a bag to fly international. I think it’s pretty reasonable considering the bags were so big and heavy!

The best time to visit for wind & waves is from July to November although you could stretch this to December. The winds come from storm systems off the south of Argentina. About 80% of the time it is port tack with northerly winds and the other 20% is starboard tack with southerly winds. The wind can be light to super windy with over 25 knots.

The waves in Ibiraquera are swell driven rather than just from the local wind. The best conditions for wave riding are a northerly wind with a south swell. With these conditions the waves wrap around the little island in front of the beach forming long breaks that peak from the island. The water is a brown colour during the northerly winds. The south winds bring the ‘blue water’ but the starboard tack waves are messy with less force. The winter (June-Aug) is best for waves and during the summer (Dec-March) the wind is better but with less swell. The PWA contest was held in September at the end of the swell season although this choice of date probably had more to do with fitting it into a busy calendar rather than going during the ‘best time’.

For beginners to free riders there are several lagoons close by the beach with very flat water and lighter winds than on the sea.

Sea Temperature

During the winter months the water is cold and a wetsuit is needed. I went during the end of winter (Aug-Sept) and the water temperature was 18`C. I had a long leg and long arm 3.2 wetsuit. But during their summer (Dec-Mar) you can use your surf shorts or even sail in your bikini! Note: the south winds bring colder sea temperatures than the north winds.

Wipeout Factor

When I was windsurfing my board and sail separated and my board washed to shore while I swam with my sail back in. I felt safe though because I knew I would end up down wind and just have to do the ‘walk of shame’ home. Watch the shorebreak – it’s a kit destructor!

There are a few pousadas (vacation rentals) that offer windsurf equipment to use in Ibiraquera. The best choice to rent windsurf equipment would be at Open Winds or Windcenter in Florianopolis next to where you first arrive in Florianopolis. They have a ton of equipment to choose from.

Open Winds: www.openwinds.com (48 3232-5004)
Windcenter: www.windcenter.com (48 3232-2278)

Guest houses in Brazil are called Pousadas and offer basic accommodation and breakfast. There are quite a few places to choose from and are fairly close to the beach or the lagoon. The first one listed is the one I stayed at; Pousada Raia 1. It is located right on the lagoon, which you can sail down to get to the beach, walk across the beach and into the ocean! It’s a fun and easy way to get in the water. They also had storage for equipment, which was very convenient too. It is clean, cozy, beautiful and cheap when it’s split between three friends. The price was around $10 a night. The second one listed is a little more expensive but a step above the one I stayed at. I heard it was very reasonably priced. All the other listed are around Ibiraquera too. It’s a small town so everything is close to the beach.

Pousada Raia 1 www.pousadaria1.com.br (55 48 3355-0065)
Pousada Ibiraquera Park www.ibipark.com ( 55 48 9924-8544)
Sefton Natural Parkwww.naturalpark.com.br/reservas/htm (55 48 3355-6488)
Pousada Ibira Wave www.ibirawave.com.br (55 48 3355-0223)
Pousada Ilha Do Batutawww.pousadailhadobatuta.com.br (55 48 3255-5991)
Pousada Lagoa Mar www.pousadalagoamar.com(55 48 3355-0640)
Pousada Toca Da Lagoawww.tocadalagoa.com.br (55 48 33550 154)

There are two main restaurants and a supermarket that we always went to. Tartaruga was my favorite and always fun to go to after a long day sailing. You would never leave there unsatisfied. They also make their own chocolate mousse that is amazing! It is cheap to eat out but it’s cheaper to make your own meals. To go out the average total was $8 including drinks, dessert, fish, rice, beans, french fries, fried banana, salad and more.

Since Ibiraquera is a small quiet town there is no nightlife, just a few beers at Tartarugua.BUT there is a really cool nightclub close by called Mar del Rosa. It’s a huge place with techno music, couple bars and a big dance floor. The party doesn’t start until midnight and ID of 18 years old and older is checked at the door. The local drink that Brazil is famous for is Caparinas. The local beer is Skol.

If you go during Jan/Feb then just sit back and watch Brazil’s most beautiful and most famous people wander up and down the beaches looking cool. If this doesn’t interest you then the surfing is awesome and the whale watching is even better than Maui if you are there between September and November. We caught a bus to Imbituba where there were some awesome world class waves, hitchhiked to the Mormaii Factory in Garopaba, hiked up and around mountains to Praia Rosa and rode our bikes around the little town of Ibiraquera. There are tons of places to go shopping in the towns outside of Ibiraquera.

This place is Jeri with bigger waves, less sailors and a lot more style!

Tatiana Howard 

Local Beach: Ho’okipa, Maui.

Fortaleza is the closest airport – only two hours away. We flew with TAM Brazilian airlines via Sao Paulo. TAP Air Portugal also has regular flights from Europe to Fortaleza International Airport via Lisbon.

The transfer is two hours in a 4WD with the last part of the journey being slightly off road! There is no point hiring a car, as the roads are extremely hard to navigate.

If travelling from Jericoacoara the best and most scenic option is to take the “Buggy Adventure” provided by Club Ventos. In true beach-search style, the journey takes you in dune buggies right down the coast, passing some truly deserted locations. Our buggy journey was with Carlos who must have been an ex Formula 1 mechanic . He already had the bonnet up just outside Jeri and then went on to navigate through some seriously tricky river marshes. At one point we went ploughing into what looked like a puddle. We all jumped out while the engine was still running. Luckily, we managed to lift the buggy to safety!

The journey also includes two river crossings. The road appears to end; after a few beeps from the driver, a guy and his son either punt or drive a wooden raft across the river for the buggy to travel on. A truly Brazilian experience!

The Conditions

Due to the large tidal range, Icaraizinho offers a massive range of conditions and generally you don’t have to share them with many people.

At low tide, the reef is revealed creating what we called “ the swimming pool” – perfect flat water with a nice sandy bottom at just over waist depth – freestyle heaven! The reef is just flat rock – we sat on it most days to film. If you want, there is a small pathway through the reef to get you to the open ocean.

As the tide rises, the reef creates some gentle waves pushing all the way into the beach. There are plenty of markers to see that the reef is deep enough to sail over.

It is best at high tide with nice, organised chop and small waves flattening off at the inside. Unlike Jeri there is no wind shadow on the inside at high tide making Icaraizinho one of the most perfect all round locations.

There are also lagoons about 45 minutes by buggy offering even more perfect flat water conditions.

The Wind

North Eastern Brazil is one of the most reliably windy places in the world. If you go between June and December and want to take time off the water, you will miss a windy day!

In Icaraizinho, it is windy from first thing in the morning, building until lunch time and staying until well after sunset. The wind is side-shore and is generally considered to be a little lighter than Jeri, making it ideal for all levels of windsurfing.

During 10 days in Icaraizinho, I sailed my 4.5 most of the time and my 5.1 and 3.9 just once.

Club Ventos Icaraizinho

Club Ventos is situated right in the perfect launch location and stacked with all the latest kit from JP and Neil Pryde. They also have a range of Starboard stand up paddle boards to use. They have a fully qualified English-speaking instructor who you can book on-site. The centre also provides kit storage for anyone travelling with their own gear.

COMBO Vacation

Being only 2 hours apart, Icaraizinho and Jeri are perfect for a combined holiday. Icaraizinho is a lot more chilled than Jeri with less people on the water and easier conditions. However, Jeri is great because of the general upbeat vibe of the town – bustling but still chilled. They both compliment each other well and it would definitely be a shame not to make the most out of the combo option. The “Buggy Adventure” is the way to do it and is a hell of an adventure that’s for sure! It can be tailored to your exact needs by Club Ventos so you can spend as long as you like in each place.

In terms of staying right on the beachfront, the Club Ventos resort is perfect. The rooms are mainly separated into different sections on the grounds giving you a private feel.

There is also a five star pousada further down the beach: Villa Mango has hot tubs in many of the rooms and has an absolutely stunning view.

• www.villamango.com.br

If you are on a budget, there are small rooms in town that can be rented on arrival.

Icaraizinho is still a very small town with only four main streets. There are enough restaurants to keep you well fed, however.

For those on a tight budget, you can always grab a “prato feito” – chicken / fish, beans and rice for 6 reais (just over £2). If you have a bit more to spend, there is a great choice of European-style restaurants that offer a range of dishes from meat and fish to pizza and pasta. A particular favourite, nearby Club Ventos offers fresh fish or filet mignon cooked on a hot stone.

There is an amazing selection of tree-ripened exotic fruit available that is incomparable to what you can pick up in Tescos. Club Ventos Hotel offers it for breakfast everyday.

Also worth a mention is fresh Acai. Only available in Europe in the form of supplements that claim to help you with anything from weight loss to sluggishness. It is the perfect lunch snack to get you back out on the water fast. Acai is served frozen, mixed with banana and topped with granola.

There is one supermarket in the town so you can stock up with water, beer and other essentials. You can self cater but you would be hard pushed to beat the restaurant prices!

Pretty much non-existent. There is a small bar at the end of the beach where you can grab a Caiprinha but you will probably be so knackered from all the sailing that you won’t get past 10pm!

Apart from the obvious sun bathing by the pool or chilling under the trees reading a book, there is also a kayak tour through the mangroves, which can be organised through Club Ventos and is well worth experiencing. The tour lasts three hours and takes you through the Mangue Seco River allowing you to peek into the peaceful lives of the inland natives.

To book off-road transfers, Club Ventos kit rental, accommodation and the combo package, get in touch with Sportif (www.sportif.travel). Icaraizinho is an absolutely amazing location. I was actually considering writing a bad review to keep it secret!

Max Rowe K448 ( www.maxrowe.co.uk )
Bryan Metcalfe Perez
Alistair Nichol

You’ve got to fly! The destination airport isFortaleza, and it cost Chris £680 return in Sept 08 with TAP air compared to £650 paid two years ago.

Don’t also forget the Fortaleza to Jericoacoara Bus & a 4WD vehicle; £7 each way.

www.TAP.com

Or try London to Sao Paulo/Rio and then a Brazilian internal flight to Fortaleza.

Transfer to Jericoacoara is 4hours in a 4WD, the last 45minutes off-road through the sand. If you book your holiday through Sportif, ( www.sportif.travel ) they will sort out the transfer.

A local company called Koala also runs transfers,www.koalapasseios.com.br or emailkoalajeri@yahoo.com.br Tel: 55 88 621 6666

The good thing about Jeri is that once you are there you don’t need to hire a car, so you save costs that way compared to somewhere like the Canaries or Cape Town.

Taking your own kit

Board volume should be between 75-90L depending on your weight. A ‘pocket wave’ board would suit better than a traditional down-the-line shape. Sail sizes between 5m to a 3.5m for the autumn and maybe chuck in a 5.4m if going in early summer.

Excess Baggage

This entirely depends on who you are travelling with. Make sure you check it out and if needs be, book it on before you fly.

Chris: With TAP air, they work on a piece baggage system, rather than weight. You are allowed two pieces of baggage with a max weight of 32kg each, but they can only be a max length of 158cm. TAP run a sporting goods allowance, which is 100 euros for a surf board, or 160 euros for windsurf kit. I got round this by having a double board bag with 2 boards, and masts in, and then putting booms and sails into a quiver bag and strapping it up so it was about 158cm long. I told them that the board bag was a surf board, and the quiver bag was small enough to go as one of the bags in the free allowance. So all the windsurf kit only cost me 100 euros each way! This price was only because I had insurance. They do a discount if you have it, but make sure you have the certificate on you as they need a copy.

The wind is both Trade and Thermal with the windy season running from June until December.

In the original Jeri report two years ago Tanya sailed 30 out of the 33 days in August/Sept on a 4.0 or 4.6.

During Lou’s 17 day trip (in November) the winds were strong with Lou on a 4.4m her husband, Bill, on a 4.7m. Some days were 3.3m weather.

No surprise to find that in the six weeks that Chriswent to Jeri he sailed every day but for three and that was to give his body a rest!

In Jeri the wind increase during the morning and peaks around mid-day to early afternoon. The wind became gusty at high tide due to the wind shadow caused by the headland and the new apartments being built by Club dos Ventos.

NEW Lagoons!

Chris: I visited two lagoons whilst I was there: Tatajuba, and Lagos Azul. To do this you need to hire a buggy for a day, at around 150rais. These can be found all along the main street. Tip: take some roof rack straps with you as usually the buggy drivers only have string to tie it on the roof.

Lagoa Azul: About 30 mins from Jeri, Azul is perhaps the smallest lagoon. The wind blows down the length of the lagoon, which means the runs from side to side are pretty short. It’s amazingly flat; this is a must for any freestyler. There is a restaurant and bar there, and when we visited we were the only ones on the water!

Lagoa Tatajuba: About an hour from Jeri, Tatajuba is much, much bigger. The journey there is interesting, as you have to take the buggy on a raft over a river. The wind blows across the lagoon, so you don’t run out of room on your runs. Because it’s bigger than Azul, it gets quite choppy in the middle, but this lagoon does get windier than Jeri. I was overpowered on a 4.2 and freestyle board. There is a bar there, but the only food is fish from a bbq. There is also kit hire. Again, we were the only ones on the water.

Tip: because the only way here is mainly along the beach, the buggy’s can only get there and back at low tides. It’s a good idea to plan your trip when it is low tide for most of the day.

The water state is very much dependant on the time of year and the tide. Summer-time sees smaller waves than the autumn months. The swell increases from September on wards, and the biggest waves you will ever get are around November time, when you can get the odd mast high day. At any time of year spring tides seem to noticeably increase the wave height.

Jeri is perfect for jumping and a good introduction to waves. When the tide is out there are no waves at all, just chop. When the tide is high, it becomes even flatter on the inside, but out back there are lots of ramps and big swell.

On a spring tide Tanya noticed that the waves did get bigger; but when we were there in August, they were never more than a couple of feet.

There is another small beach a few minutes sail upwind where the waves break bigger, but be sure to check it out at low tide first so that you know where the rocks are. Chris agrees as the rocks outside Club Ventos do move. Better to walk kit down the point and launch away from the rocks in clean wind.

During Louise’s November stay they experienced every size from a foot or two to mast high on a big spring tide with outside rolling swell of up to 1-2m, again depending on the tide and wind strength.

The beach is sandy at low and mid tide. At high tide there are small rocks and pebbles and the water breaks right up to the steps of the hire centre.

Watch out for the constant rip running left to right. This is strongest during spring tides and can be up to 6 knots.

Chris: The main windsurf centre is still Clube Dos Ventos, (also known as Vela) and they have a huge range of the latest JP/Neil Pryde kit hired out on a ‘pool system’. You can hire kit and also store your own kit there. They run lessons from beginners to freestyle and wave if you specify. All the prices can be found at www.clubedosventos.com

You can now also hire surf boards and SUP’s from Clube Dos Ventos.

There are also some NEW places around the corner from the club that rent Tabou and Simmer:

Brazil Windsurf

Anywhere you stay will be close to the beach because the village is so small. Since Jeri is a National Park they cannot build buildings above a certain height, and there is a restriction on hotels, therefore there are none as such. Accommodation comes in the form of Pousadas (meaning guesthouse in Portuguese) and they come in all different shapes and sizes!

The cheapest you can find will be around 10 Reais (£2) a night.

Chris: I stayed at CASA Do JOHN
It is a complex of 4 apartments, two up two down, with a pool and BBQ. The apartments are capable of sleeping 6, have a fully furnished kitchen/lounge, sky TV, DVD player, and 2 double rooms with en-suite. They are also cleaned every other day. From our experience, the apartments are some of the nicest in Jeri. John was very helpful during our stay, and helped us with the transfer and kit storage. His wife Leticia also gives Portuguese lessons. These apartments are obviously a bit more expensive than some pousadas, but it was definatly worth paying extra for a bit of luxury! For prices, check out the website.

You can also book your Jeri hotel through UK operator Sportif (www.sportif.travel)

Other Pousadas

• Pousada do Norte: This is close to the Casa do Turismo. The rooms are of a higher standard with a swimming pool for guests.Contact email: reserves@pousadadonorte.com
• Pousada Surfing Jeri: This is again located by the Casa do Turismo and is run by a couple of Italians. The rooms are more like little bungalows and cost 80 Reais (£16) per night. It also has a pool but no sea views.Email: surfingjeri.brasil@jericoacoara.it
• Mosquito Blue Hotel 5 star: This hotel is in its own resort.Web site:
  www.bitourism.com/hotels.asp?action=showHotel&hotel_id=2024
• Other accommodations available in Jeri:
  www.2.uol.com.br/mochilabrasil/gheb_ce_jeri.shtml or try www.clubedosventos.com

You can book a Pousada through your travel agent, or get on the internet and contact them directly. Or you can just turn up to the village. People swarm each bus of new arrivals to sell ‘their’ Pousada to you.

Please note: no camping allowed as it is in a National Park.

Kit storage

If you are taking your own kit then Clube dos Ventos store kit at a price, but there are other smaller places which do it as well.

Tanya stored hers at Carla’s which is next to Naturalmente (on the beach with a Naish flag on the deck outside) There are also a couple of pousadas on the beach who store kit.

Lou stored hers at Ou Guarderio do Lado next to Clube dos Ventos. Email:artesyanapraia@hotmail.com

It costs between £25-£100 per week to store your kit depending on the time of year and where you store it.

Chris: Look for the words Preito Feito if you want a cheap meal. This means handmade dish, and usually you can have either fish, beef or chicken, with rice beans and salad. If you fancy pizza, look out for quero pizza on main street. They also do takeaways.Jeripan is a bakery/grocery over on the 3rd street. This is open 24 hrs a day, and sells fresh bread. You can buy a meat pastry here too, for about 40p. Perfect place on the way home from a night out! There is also another bakery right at the top of 3rd street called san antonio. This is only open from 2am till 8am, and sells fresh bread with different fillings. I recommend the banana bread!

Tanya: Self-catering does not really work in Jeri, nor would you want it to once you’ve tried a few of the restaurants! Although it is a tiny village, there are around 20-30 restaurants to choose from. You can eat like a king for about £3.50. The most expensive restaurant is Chocolate, and we had 4 courses for the equivalent of £10 each. There is a huge range of restaurants, and we did not get bored once in 5 weeks. You can have pizza, steaks, fresh fish, Italian, Sushi, Mediterranean, and I recommend it all. Our favourite restaurant was Todo na Brasa, located on the main street. Also try Casa das Trufas for your desert. They serve huge truffles in a variety of flavours for 70p each. This can be found on the main street by the beach opposite the sushi restaurant.

Lou: There are a variety of restaurants in Jeri for all budgets; here are a few we tried:

Todo Na Brasa: Very popular with windsurfers, the choice is good, and either rice or chips and beans accompany meals. Good portions and cost per person including drinks was 30 Reals (£6)

Del Casa (just up the road from the Todo Na Brasa): You won’t get a better pizza in town, also plenty of pasta dishes.

Sabor Da Terra: An excellent seafood restaurant where the locals eat too. Still cheap, even the fresh lobster.

The Sabor d’labor: It serves local cuisine with pizza, chicken and fish.

Leonardo De Vinci: Avoid this one. It is a pasta and pizza place that seems too expensive for what it is.

There is also a variety of small restaurants which locals have set up from their houses. They look basic, but they were always busy and are the cheapest places to eat.

There are a few local supermarkets where you can get some supplies, but shop around as they do vary in price. There are also various Internet cafés serving snacks.

The windsurf center provides a help-yourself buffet from midday until 5pm. You just weigh your plate and put it on your tab (if you are hiring or storing you kit at the centre).

Happy hour is from 5-6pm each night, where you can enjoy a cocktail and / or beer, and watch the sunset – a perfect end to the sailing day.

Note: Do not drink the tap water.

Chris: You wouldn’t think it at first, but Jeri has a busy nightlife. If you want a big night out, then don’t head out till around midnight. Nowhere gets busy until then and the party’s go on until morning, so you’ll hit the wall too early! Everyone seems to head down the beach where there are loads of cocktail stands. Look out for this kid, making cocktails (picture) he makes them pretty strong, and cheap! There are 2 clubs in Jeri, and one is a salsa club. Can be funny after a few drinks! The biggest party’s are at full moons, where they have capoeira displays and live music on the beach.

The national drink is Caiprinha. It is recommended to take it slow and build up your tolerance to them. They are simply fresh lime juice, sugar, and Brazilian rum. At the stalls on the beach they cost 50p, but in the most expensive bar they charge about £2.

A beer at most bars and restaurants costs 30p.

Other than windsurfing there are a range of activities you can do….

• FOOTBALL!! Be warned, as soon as you place a ball in the public eye, within around 15 minutes, you will have three full teams of Brazilians strutting their stuff. So if you are after a quiet kick around then find a secluded area within the dunes!
• Hire sand boards and hike up the sand dunes for £1 an hour. (Tip: do NOT go anytime near midday, you’ll fry)
• Hire a buggy for the day and see the local landscape and chill out at some of the lagoons.
• Gohorse riding
• Tanya: We took our surf boards, but you can also hire them. If you have a mini mal or a long board and enjoy a bit of a sunset surf when the tide is high, then it’s worth chucking it in the bag. We mainly surfed around at the smaller wave beach.(Steve: you can now hire them from Clube Dos Ventos)
• Kayaking: Club Ventos surf kayaks are great fun in the small waves
• Just chill out in a hammockwith a cold beer and watch the locals rip!

As you can tell, it’s not quite the same as being on a big island or near a city, so you do have to entertain yourself if you don’t windsurf and don’t like sun bathing!

Chris: I had an amazing time in Jeri. The place is full of windsurfers so it’s not hard to meet like minded people! It was just crazy that there was wind every single day. I learnt loads, and because of the standard of sailors it really helped me push myself. The atmosphere, combined with the amount of windsurfing you can do and the nightlife, makes Jeri one of the most enjoyable places for a windsurfing holiday.

If you want an easy life with travel, then use Sportif (www.sportif-uk.com). They were very good and took the hassle out of the holiday. You can book direct, but we found there was not much difference in the costs.

Pictures and video were taken by Chris Hughes, Lou & Bill Mason and Chris Wootton.

Your NEW September Tourist was…

Name: Chris Wootton
Local beach in UK: Hill Head
Years sailing: 5 years
Last windsurf moved cracked: one-handed ponch

Your August tourists were…

Name: Tanya Saleh & Chris Hughes
Tanya’s sponsors: Fat Face, JP, NeilPryde
Local beach in the UK: Southsea, Portsmouth
How many years sailing: Tanya: 6 yrs, Chris: Total beginner before trip

Your November tourists were…

Name: Lou & Bill Mason
Local beach in the UK: Hayling Island
How many years sailing: Plenty but never enough!