Brazil

The Route of Emotions in Brazil

Do-it-yourself emotion route: itinerary and tips

Watch the sunset aboard a 4×4, swim in a natural lake in the middle of the desert, run over the dunes, and dive into the ocean. Dine at one of the most contemporary Brazilian restaurants in Jericoacoara, enjoy a sunrise on the beach, try surfing and kite surfing, eat an ačai, rent a bicycle and ride along the waterfront in Fortaleza, admire hundreds of scarlet ibis in Parnaiba, stop to laze around in Atins, get lost in the Lençóins Maranhenses desert, and visit the World Heritage city Sao Luis. This is much more is the Emotion Route, a journey from Sao Luis to Fortaleza or vice versa, which as the name implies, will thrill you with every view.

The course of emotions

Even the name makes it clear that it will be an unforgettable adventure. The excitement refers to that mix that characterizes all of Brazil. That sense of cheerfulness, those endless landscapes, the kindness and welcome of the local , tourist organization, music and that craving for freedom and carefreeness that only Brazil can give you.

It is a route from Fortaleza to Saint Luis or vice versa, which if you are short on time can be done even in 4-5 days, but which in my opinion deserves at least a week, because during the thrill route you will also have to laze around, sunbathe, sleep in the hammock at the water’s edge, read a book under the umbrella and take long baths.

Do-it-yourself emotion course

There are several options, you can arrange it directly from Italy with a travel agency, as several travelers I have met have done. You can join Adventures in the World’s trip to northern Brazil or do it with We Road. My advice, as always, is to organize it yourself, perhaps keeping an extra day in mind if something should go wrong.

All along the route there are many private connections, such as buses and mini-vans that shuttle, and you can book a route by contacting the Brazilian agency directly on WhatsApp. In my mini-guide to Jericoacoara you will find some directions. You can choose to move from one day to the next without organizing too much by booking a bus in the evening for the morning. The only route that is a bit uncovered is the one that involves Parnaiba, so for the Parnaiba-Jericoacoara and Parnaiba- Barreirinhas connection there are no buses or mini-van every day, but only some days of the week and only the Rota Combo agency takes care of that.

This agency has a site translated into Italian and several whatsapp numbers to which they respond very quickly and accurately. I have organized only some routes with Rota Combo and specifically those to and from Parnaiba, but for the others I have used other local companies, which are cheaper. Rota Combo has an agency in Jericoacoara, so very convenient for organizing your trip if you are coming from Fortaleza and your first stop is just Jericoacoara.

São Luís

Saint Luis is the starting or ending point of your approximately 1,000-kilometer adventure. This city has over 800,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the state of Maranhão. There are over 3500 historic buildings and that is why it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That said, I would spend a morning or afternoon there, to take a walk, have a coffee, and visit the Palácio dos leões, the residence of the Governor of the state of Maranhão, where every half hour they organize a guided tour in English or Portuguese.

Despite the beauty of the historic buildings decorated with many colorful tiles, it seemed to me a city

which offers little to visitors. The center which is really very nice with small streets, glimpses of the sea view, theaters and cafes, I found it a bit abandoned and perhaps not the safest place at night. So I would opt to sleep on the waterfront which is instead a more lively and well-maintained area. Then this is my experience, compared to the places I saw along the emotion route, Sao Luis itself seemed to me to be the one to devote less time to, despite expectations.

Atins

Atins is a magical place and if you have to choose where to sleep for this stage, I recommend Atins over Barreirinhas. This is because Atins is a small village on the sand, there are no paved roads, it stands right in the desert, with a few restaurants and hotels, still with an authentic flavor. Perhaps the more famous Jericoacoara used to be like that.

From the center of Atins you will be able to take a desert hike that will perhaps be the most beautiful and characteristic way to view the Lencois Marhanenses Desert. There are several tours and some last an entire day. Once in Atins you will find that you may need at least two days to explore the surroundings. And if you have time do it, not least because you’ll want to devote one day to Atins Beach, where you can try your hand at kite surfing, or you can watch others do it while you enjoy an ačai, the typical Brazilian blueberry-like plant from which a kind of ice cream is made that can be topped with fresh fruit, dried fruit, chocolate and other yummy deviltry.

There are many excursions you can take starting from Atins, all in a 4×4. Wear your swimsuit, Havaianas, sunglasses, sarong and beach towel, because the idea is to go from one desert lake to another, across the dunes. The most popular is the one that takes you to discover Lagoa Verde. Then you can visit Lagoa Tropical, which is often less crowded. A popular destination is Canto do Atins, a small village where you can stop and eat grilled shrimp, and if you want to take a longer full-day excursion, I recommend choosing the circuit das Lagoas that includes Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Bonita. Another interesting tour is the Rio Preguiças (Caburé), which combines dunes and river, taking you to Caburé, a strip of sand between the river and the ocean.

I chose Lagoa Verde and swam in three lakes in the middle of the desert and admired the sunset in the desert, which is something you can’t miss. So my advice is to make sure your excursion includes sunset.

Parnaiba

I loved this leg, I found it very romantic in its own right. Most people skip it because the Jericoacoara-Barreirinhas connection is more frequent and so if you don’t have a lot of time, adding Parnaiba can get cumbersome. But if you have time and are taking a slow trip, I recommend stopping on the Parnaiba delta.

You have two excursions available, one that takes place in the morning and allows you to cruise the river, stop to swim and admire the dunes. And the other in the afternoon that always includes boating, the huge sand dunes and the sunset. The special feature of this boat tour, lies precisely at sunset, when you can admire hundreds, indeed thousands of scarlet ibises that after a day hunting for food, make their way back to a small island, where hidden among the dense vegetation, are their nests and their young. If you’re wondering what scarlet ibises are, that’s normal, I was wondering that too. They are deep red-colored birds, due to feeding, particularly on crab.

The two excursions overlap by a half hour, so you can’t always do both in the same day. I was able to arrange one behind the other but with great difficulty, talking to several companies and looking for the one that returned to Port Dos Tatus a little earlier so I would have time to have lunch and get on the other boat. My advice is to do only the afternoon excursion. Also because the sailing part, although spectacular on both tours, is similar. This way, you could also arrive in Parnaiba in the morning and leave the next day, otherwise you can sleep in Parnaiba two nights, the first when you arrive and the second after the tour.

I made a Google Maps guide with pin and description dedicated to the Route of Emotions with travel agencies, bars, restaurants, hotels and posadas. You can find a lot of useful information and by purchasing my Mini-Guide, you will support my travel writing project.

Jericoacoara

Jericoacoara deserves its own chapter, which is why I wrote an article on Jericoacoara complete with a Mini-Guide, on bars and restaurants and a guide to the small town in the middle of the desert. Some people complain that it is too gentrified, and maybe it is, because there are upscale restaurants and hotels, stores selling boho-chic clothes, Jericoacoara logo T-shirts, and expensive but beautiful swimsuits. There are also spas, massage centers, and rooftops where you can have drinks.

In my opinion, it still retains its charm, the sunsets are always spectacular, and you never get tired of seeing the same beach and sea. You can always choose to have an authentic experience by sleeping in a traditional posada and frequenting the clubs that where those who live in Jericoacoara go.

Fortaleza

Photo by Jaime Dantas on Unsplash

• Photo cover by Roi Dimor on Unsplash