The Federative Republic of Brazil is the world’s fifth-largest country—larger than the U.S. if you don’t include Alaska. It takes up most of South America and borders every country on this continent except Chile and Ecuador. The climate is mostly tropical (it has the world’s longest tropical coast), with temperate climates in the south. Much of the coast enjoys a pleasant onshore breeze, though, which makes for generally agreeable weather and clean air.
After three centuries of Portuguese rule, Brazil gained independence in 1822 and became an empire—under Emperor Dom Pedro I—and remained so until it became a republic more than 65 years later. In today’s republic, the president is elected by direct vote, as are the members of the bicameral legislature. Brazil’s 26 states and many localities also have well-defined governments, much as in the U.S.
The state of Ceará (seh ah RAH) sits on Brazil’s northeast coast and is characterized by its beautiful beaches with white sand, huge rolling dunes, and sparkling waters fringed with palms. The city of Fortaleza is at the hub and serves as the commercial center for the region. Heading northwest (to what the locals call the “west coast”), you’ll find huge stretches of almost-deserted beaches dotted with small towns and fishing villages. Here is where I found my first beachfront lots for less than $20,000.
At Fortaleza’s “east coast,” you’ll again find nice beaches and some great towns to explore. Here is where I found my second beach lots for less than $20,000—some even available with financing.
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 that’s hard to beat in one city.
The weather is warm and dry most of the year, with temperatures perfect for lounging on the beach or swimming in the blue waters. Evenings are cool and comfortable, with a pleasant ocean breeze. Its wet season—February to May—rarely produces an entire day of rain, with showers in the morning and sunny afternoons.
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 fruits, vegetables, and nuts, some of which you may have never seen.
I didn’t like using the beaches in the hotel district of Fortaleza, pretty as they were. Like many tourist centers, both Praia Meireles and Praia Iracema hosted what I call “aggressive” tourism. I found it impossible to enjoy a drink in a seaside outdoor café, due to the constant stream of vendors, some of whom will take a seat right at your table.
On the other hand, the evening artisan market at Praia Meireles was well worth a visit, and I enjoyed joining the early-morning crowd as they took to the beaches at daybreak for some morning exercise.
Our 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 cafes and restaurants, as well as fresh water public showers
Apartments for less than $18,000
If you like to be at the center of the action, there are a couple of properties that may interest you. One is a small apartment (537 square feet), on the 15th floor of a building situated on the well-known Beira Mar beach. It comes furnished, and the asking price is $49,000. For a taste of the high-end, there’s a spacious 2,720-square-foot luxury condo for sale. Situated on the beach, the condo has three suites, plus a master suite and a stunning ocean view. The asking price is $570,000. Contact Fabricio Santos (details below) for more information.
Several blocks back from the beach, but with an ocean view, I found a two-bedroom apartment of 1,000 square feet on Rua Alberto Monteiro. Price: $17,600. Contact: Antonio at tel. (55)212-576-8236. (Antonio speaks only Portuguese.)
My preferred real estate contact in Fortaleza is Fabricio Santos, of Brazil Real Estate Beaches. Fabricio speaks excellent English, as well as French, Spanish, and Portuguese. E-mail: brazilrealestatebeaches@hotmail.com; website: www.brazilrealestatebeaches.com.
Remote beaches and $7 lobster dinners
On a day trip to explore the beaches northwest 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 $11,000.
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.
I had trouble visualizing this part of coast as a primary destination for an expat in Brazil, given the distance to the attractions of the city. The nearby small towns also lack amenities.
But the prices of properties here are attractive, and this alone may make up for some of the missing conveniences. My favorite property was a house directly on the beach in Mundaú, with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The asking price is $119,000, but even at that, one local area expert thinks it’s overpriced. For more information, contact Fabricio Santos (details above).
Fabricio also has some properties in the town of Uruau, with beachfront lots starting at $19,900; lots back from the beach start at $9,700. If you’d rather be part of a community, he has a condo project starting up near the fishing village of Guajiru, where you can buy single or double condos, starting at $94,000. Fabricio also has some tracts of land for sale in the area, ideal for developing.
The best beach in Ceará
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 cobble-stoned streets, shops, boutiques, and small hotels. The main drag is a pedestrian street, with has 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.
Early one morning, we fired up a couple of ’64 VW dune buggies, and sped down the beach to the site of a beachfront condo project slated to be built within walking distance of the village. (There’s also a road, for more conventional travel.) Condos start at $58,000 for a small, two-bedroom, one-bathroom model. For more information, contact Jon Chilean or Walter Cabral, e-mail: sales@beachfrontbrazil.net; website: www.beachfrontbrazil.net. (Both speak English.)
I found another development with beachfront lots selling for $15,350, with properties back from the beach ranging from $8,000 to $10,000, depending on how far back you go. The name of the project is Paraíso da Canoa, and the developer is offering five-year financing. The site plan was about the least imaginative I’ve seen, reminding me of a trailer park in Mesa, Arizona. But you can’t beat the cost—at this price, I’d consider buying a block of lots for my own personal compound. The developer spoke only Portuguese, but tells me he has a translator who can translate e-mails into English. Contact: Augusto; tel. (55)888-822-2046; e-mail: augustocanoa@hotmail.com.
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 are 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. E-mail: ruifarias@secrel.com.br; website: www.albuquerque.adv.br.
I’ve scouted only the tip of the iceberg in Brazil, but so far I’m impressed with the diversity, beauty, and culture in the state of Ceará. Our coverage of this big, beautiful country is just getting started. Next month, we’ll take a look at the lush mountain region nearby—for those who like spring-like weather—before we continue down the coast.
No, you can’t get by with Spanish (or English either)
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 varies between Cantonese and French and includes 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.
No more…please!
“Não, obrigado,” I said to the server as he approached. He had a succulent-looking 10-pound roast on a stainless-steel spit, the most recent in a long procession of such offerings. We were bringing to a close another marathon dinner at a local churrascaría, a meat-lover’s paradise. This may well be my favorite aspect of life in Brazil: the food. And that says a lot about the food here.
For an excellent and authentic churrascaría, try the Sal e Brasa at Avenida Abolicao in Fortaleza. When you see the huge buffet, you’ll be impressed. But that’s before an army of white-jacketed waiters starts coming around with 34 different sizzling meats, most of which are sliced from the roast at your table.
As is customary, you’ll be given a badge that says “Sim, por favor” on its green side and “Não, obrigado” on its red side. (That’s “Yes, please” and “No, thank you.”) The idea is that you turn the badge over to the red side when you’ve had enough, but as long as there’s one green badge at the table, they’ll keep coming around…and you’ll continue to be tempted.
If you’re worried about cholesterol overload, try Imperio do Sushi, a small, family-run sushi restaurant at Rua Leonardo Mota, 721.
The lowdown on getting around
Taxis are inexpensive and use meters. Many rides cost as little as a buck. The trouble is that, on 80% of my taxi rides, the driver pretended to get “lost” to increase the fare, even though, in one case, the entire trip was on the same street! If this happens, do what I did. Get out of the car and walk away without paying.
City buses cost about 40 cents. Interstate buses are comfortable and modern and run close to their published schedule times. Air travel is a good alternative, with frequent service between major cities.