Cumbuco is a small, fisherman’s village in the northeast coast of Brazil, located about an hour drive from the city of Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará. It’s known for beautiful beaches, kite surfing and waste sand dunes situated behind the village. I’ve just got back from my 3-week vacation in this beautiful village in Ceara, and I have so much to tell you about! I put together this blog post with the best things to do, places where to eat and where to go. I hope you enjoy this travel guide to Cumbuco, Ceara.

When is the best time to visit Cumbuco?

If you want to kite surf, you will probably look for a windy season. From June until December, the winds are constant and strong. During this time, Cumbuco becomes a popular destination for kite surfers. It’s also dry season, which makes it the high season in Cumbuco. I came to Cumbuco at the end of October and stayed until mid-November, the winds were constant. At the end of November, the winds can be less reliable.

Where to stay in Cumbuco?

Cumbuco has a small, but busy center built around the main square, it’s good to stay near that area, to be close to all the restaurants, beach bars and a few stores that the city has to offer. We stayed in an Airbnb located in Vila Cumbuco. If you’re looking for a bigger hotel or an all-inclusive resort, they are spread out farther from the city center.

Book a hotel in Cumbuco >>

What to do in Cumbuco?

Spend time on the beach

Besides the kite surfing destination, Cumbuco is well known among Brazilian tourists, who come here for their summer vacation. If you’re looking for beautiful, sandy beaches with turquoise, clear waters, this is one of the top places in Brazil. Because of the extreme winds, you may experience some big waves, so aware of them, especially in the afternoon. In the morning, the waves are lower, which make it more suitable for swimming.

There are many nice restaurant and beach bars in Praia de Cumbuco. My favorite drink in Brazil was “coco gelado” which means “iced coconut”. You can buy it at almost every restaurant or store. It’s natural and tastes great, don’t forget to try it out!

Learn how to kite surf

Cumbuco is the center of the world’s best kitesufing, and during high season, the village fills up with surfers from all over the world. The freeride surfers prefer the beach of Cumbuco, because of the big waves and extreme, direct winds. For freestyle kite surfers, Tabuba, Taiba and Cauipe area the best lagoons. I’ve never tried kite surfing before and I was learning in Brazil. It was hard at the beggining (and still is), but so fun! Taiba and Tabuba were the best spots for learning and my favorite ones. I especially liked Taiba, because of crystal clear waters and surrounding dunes.

Rent a buggy

If you love adrenaline, and you want to be able to get to the most hidden, adventurous spots located between the sand dunes, you need to rent a buggy. It costs about 150-200 $R per day, but it’s definitely worth the price, since most of the roads and lagoons require this type of automobile. It was so fun riding our buggy, especially on the dunes in Cumbuco!

Sunset on the beach near Taiba with our buggy

Go to Fortaleza for a day trip

Fortaleza is a vibrant city with great culinary scene and nice beaches. It’s located only 45 min away by car. It’s full of contrasts - on one hand you see very poor districts and favelas, and on another, modern skyscrapers and fancy restaurants, it’s very interesting to see. I don’t recommen doing into the less popular area, just stick to the beachside area, it’s more safe!

We went to Fortaleza twice. For the first time, we took our buggy and for the second, we took Uber from Cumbuco (it was super cheap, around R$60). In Fortaleza, we watched sunset from Praia de Meireles and nearby Pier, the view was amazing! Later on, we had delicious dinner in the restaurant Illa Mare, we loved it. Don’t forget to stop at the beachside market to buy souvenirs and Brazilian nuts or cashews.

Where to eat & drink in Cumbuco?

Cumbuco is a quite small village, but it has some good restaurants and cafes. Here are my favorite ones:

Eita Food Cumbuco (good hamburgers and barbaque)
Muda Restaurant and Bar (beautiful boho decor, they have the best pizza in Cumbuco)
Exil Restaurant (German cuisine + the best gyros/pita in Cumbuco)
Oraculo Cafe (great breakfast and dinner options, they have delicious coffee)
La Sala (delicious dinner and drinks)
Acai Cumbuco
Street food stands on the main street!