Mucuripe beach
Mucuripe beach.
Mucuripe is a continuation of Meireles beach, southwards; there is no clear separation between them. The walkway in Mucuripe is narrower than in Meireles, but even so attracts many strollers, joggers or simply watchers.
Along the beach, mostly near the fish market, one can see the jangadas, which made Fortaleza famous. The Tourism Board has put a few "to be photographed by tourists" jangadas across the city, but in Mucuripe one can see the real thing. Several fishermen still depend on jangadas to make their living; depending on the time, you can see the manual (and laborious) job of taking the jangadas to the sea and bringing them back to the beach.
Mucuripe is also the departure point of the boat trips. There are a few kioskes where the boat operators sell the trips; these are the same trips sold by the hotels, at a higher price.
At the southern end of Mucuripe, there is a fish market, and further south, the Port of mucuripe.
Below, some photos of Mucuripe beach.
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The main beach avenue is lined with modern hotels. Above, from left to right: photo 1: the Othon Hotel Fortaleza; photo 2: the Grand Meliá Marquise - former Caesar Park Fortaleza (brown building, side view), the Scala Residence Flat Hotel (white building, stair-like shape); photo 3: front view of the Grand Meliá Marquise; photo 4: front view of the Iracema flat, with the statue of Iracema in front of it. |
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The walkway in Mucuripe. There are a few restaurants, but not as many as in Meireles. Instead, in Mucuripe there are more play-grounds, sports courts, contemplative spots, etc. |
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Like Meireles and Iracema, Mucuripe is not recommended for bathing (the best place for swimming in Fortaleza is Praia do Futuro). The photo in the middle above shows part of the coral reefs which prevent the formation of bigger waves in the Mucuripe bay. To the right, an image of the beach with the Port of Mucuripe in the background. |
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The Jangadas. Towards the southern end of the beach, there are several rustic boats and jangadas. The art of fishing in jangadas has been taught from father to son over several generations. With the growth of tourism and general improvement of social conditions, more and more young people are failing to follow their parents' profession. Fishing in jangadas is a tough job, and not well paid; most jangadas are very old (the sails may be new, sponsored by some company), and most fishermen are poor. |
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The fish market, with about twenty kioskes selling fish, shrimp, octopuss and lobster (notice that catching lobster is forbidden from January to May). This is where the fishermen sell their catch, meaning that this market offers the cheapest and freshest seafood in Fortaleza. Not by coincidence, some of the best restaurants in Fortaleza, specialized in fish and seafood, are located around the market. |
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Mucuripe beach: more info
Other sites about Meireles:
The lighthouses of Fortaleza are located near the Mucuripe beach.
Port of Mucuripe. Official site.