Maracajau

The further North you head the less 'touristy' it becomes. About 40 miles north of Natal is the small town of Maracajau which is famous, at least locally, for its reef. The town is set in a kind of a bay with a sweeping golden beach backed by coconut palms (see picture, left). I stayed for 4 nights in Maracajau for two reasons. One, because several agents are pushing the Porto Dos Corais resort very heavily in the UK and I was intrigued to see if it lived up to the blurb. Two, I needed a bit of relaxation and the town is such a laid back place. I stayed at a beach front pousada near the water park called Pousada Ponta Dos Aneis where £27 per night got me the largest chalet plus
breakfast for two. The pousada is run by a charming young couple who don't speak any English but are very good at sign language (as I am). The pousada's tariff is based upon a 'low season' which runs from March to November and aside from me and my partner there were only three other guests, all Brazilian. It seems that tourists are bussed in on a daily basis to snorkel or dive on the reef but come evening time the town is devoid of tourists. There is a sense of anticipation in that you feel the town is waiting patiently for its transformation into a fully fledged 'resort'. Personally, I think that the whole of the Northern coast will take off in a big way, maybe as far up as Touros - the only question in my mind is when?





No tourists on Maracajau beach in April 2007 - just a few wandering cows!