# Fortaleza - Praia de Iracema — Fortaleza, Brazil

The Aterro da Praia de Iracema is the wide sandy beach reclaimed from the sea in the centre of Fortaleza, next to the Avenida Beira Mar, between two stone breakwaters. It is a very busy urban beach, with beach bars, umbrellas and lifeguards, and has no kite school: it is for independent riders with experience.

In Fortaleza, kite is only allowed in the sections established by Municipal Decree 13.942. At Praia de Iracema there are two: this one, between Rua Ildefonso Albano and Avenida Rui Barbosa (the Aterro, about 560 m), and another further west, between Rua João Cordeiro and the Ponte dos Ingleses. The Aterrinho, between the two, is not included, and outside the sections the practice is prohibited from the sand to 100 m beyond the break. Beginner lessons cannot be given on Saturdays and a local guide indicates that the practice is prohibited on Sundays and public holidays.

It works with the trade wind, which blows almost daily from July to January, stronger from August to November and in the afternoon; here it comes in side-onshore. The drift goes towards the west, towards the double breakwater of Ildefonso Albano and, further on, the long breakwater of João Cordeiro and the Ponte dos Ingleses: gain upwind as soon as you head out. From May to July the trade wind comes more from the southeast, parallel to the shore and very gusty after passing through the buildings. Set up the kite on the shore, away from the umbrellas, and stay away from swimmers. There are showers, toilets, beach bars and a car park next to the Rui Barbosa breakwater. In case of emergency call 193 (fire brigade) or 192 (SAMU).

Photos: "Praia de Iracema 1" by Mizunoryu (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Praia de Iracema - Fortaleza-CE (8432880377)" by Joao Carlos Medau from Campinas, Brazil (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "Paraia de Iracema - Fortaleza-CE (8433976130)" by Joao Carlos Medau from Campinas, Brazil (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf
- **Difficulty:** Advanced
- **Location:** Fortaleza, Brazil (-3.72129, -38.50627)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** E (90°), SE (125°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 14–28
- **Best months:** July, August, September, October, November, December, January

## Wind by month (% of days per strength)

| Month | <7 kn | 7–13 kn | 13–20 kn | 20–35 kn | >35 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7 | 92 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 8 | 92 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 19 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| April | 31 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 10 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 3 | 96 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 1 | 98 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 0 | 91 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 0 | 83 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 0 | 64 | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 0 | 80 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| December | 0 | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Alísio del este** — E (90°), 15–28 kn. The trade wind that blows almost every day from July to January, stronger from August to November and in the afternoon. From August to December it comes from the east; from November to January, slightly more from the east-northeast. At the Aterro, which faces north-northeast, it comes in side-onshore.. The drift goes towards the west: towards the double breakwater of Ildefonso Albano and, 400 m further on, the long breakwater of João Cordeiro. Gain upwind as soon as you head out.
- **Alísio del sudeste** — SE (125°), 14–24 kn. At the beginning of the season (May to July) the trade wind turns east-southeast and southeast, it is usually lighter and gustier. Here it comes in parallel to the shore after passing through the buildings of Meireles.. Very gusty near the shore due to the buildings, and if it turns more south it blows offshore: do not go out with southeast if you are not familiar with it.

## Zones

- **Launch** — Launch zone
- **Parking** — Parking
- **Praia de Iracema** — Navigation zone
- **Rua Ildefonso Albano breakwater** — Restricted zone
- **Rua Rui Barbosa breakwater** — Restricted zone
- **Rua João Cordeiro breakwater** — Restricted zone

## Points of interest

- **Rua Ildefonso Albano breakwater**: Double stone breakwater at the western end of the authorised section. It is downwind with the trade wind.
- **Rua Rui Barbosa breakwater**: Stone breakwater at the eastern end of the authorised section.
- **Rua João Cordeiro breakwater**: Breakwater about 500 m out to sea, 400 m downwind from the launch. Do not ride towards it.
- **Ponte dos Ingleses**: Pier on stilts with pedestrians, 1 km downwind.
- **Lifeguard tower 5**: Lifeguard tower in the centre of the Aterro.
- **Shower**: Free public shower next to the Ildefonso Albano breakwater.
- **Toilets**: Public toilets at the eastern end of the Aterro.
- **Aterro beach bars**: Beach bars (Conchas, Bom Pastel, Brilho do Sol, Marisol) at the eastern end of the Aterro.

## Hazards

- Very busy urban beach, with swimmers in the water and lifeguards
- Stone breakwaters at both ends; the long breakwater of João Cordeiro and the Ponte dos Ingleses are downwind
- With southeast, strong gusts due to buildings and offshore wind if it turns south
- Outside the authorised sections kite is prohibited from the sand to 100 m beyond the break

## Obstacles

- Umbrellas, tables and swimmers all over the sand
- Stone breakwaters at both ends of the beach

## Facilities

- Restaurant
- Showers
- Toilets
- Parking

## Restrictions

- El Decreto Municipal 13.942 de Fortaleza solo permite el kite en la Praia de Iracema entre la Rua Ildefonso Albano y la Avenida Rui Barbosa (el Aterro, este despegue) y entre la Rua João Cordeiro y la Ponte dos Ingleses. El Aterrinho, entre los dos, no está incluido. Las clases para principiantes no se pueden dar los sábados y una guía local indica que la práctica está prohibida los domingos y festivos.

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/fortaleza-praia-de-iracema-j3xz0KQZprZWrfU1VhZ6?lang=en)