Whatever your leanings are with regard to outdoor activities, Fortaleza would seem to have something to suit, and with sunny days for the greater part of the year, it’s hard not to enjoy any pursuit that involves being outside. Traditional water sports are popular at the city’s beaches but kitesurfing is the big attraction and the one to try if you are in the market for a new experience. The beaches are great for the little ones too, while the huge water fun centre at Beach Park provides fun for all the family.

Aqua Park
Part of the massive Beach Park tourist complex, Fortaleza’s Aqua Park is Latin America’s biggest and best water theme park. The park’s 35,000-m² area features a variety of attractions with something to appeal to all members of the family. For thrills and spills, the park’s water slides are the big attractions, with the appropriately titled ‘Insano’ offering the biggest kicks and boasting the reputation of highest water slide in the world. Seaquake, Treasure Island and Noah's Ark, meanwhile, are on offer for those preferring less adrenalin-charged activity. 
Phone: +55 85 4012 3000; www.beachpark.com.br/english/waterPark/aboutThePark/aboutThePark.asp

Beaches
Fortaleza has some excellent beaches where families with small children and beach sport enthusiasts alike can enjoy the benefits of sand and sea. Praia de Iracema and Meireles are among the best beaches on offer and Praia do Futuro is perhaps the most attractive to be found in the urban area. Water sports can be practiced at all of these beaches.

Big Game Fishing
Local fishing tours company Fishing Brazil offers well organised deep-sea angling excursions. All equipment is provided and no previous experience is necessary. 
Phone: +55 85 8885 4804; www.fishingbrasil.com/

Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing is popular among the locals at Fortaleza’s best beaches and is a pursuit that involves use of a kite, wakeboard and a harness. You needn’t be experienced in the sport to give it a go as Fortaleza has numerous kitesurfing schools available, at which both instruction and equipment are provided.

Sargento Prata Zoo
This modest zoo is just 11 acres large but is worth a visit all the same, especially if you have little ones in tow. Residing in the zoo’s grounds are around 220 animals representing up to 55 different species, most of which are native to South America. The zoo has been a feature of the city since 1954 but is a relatively low-key affair.

Schooner Cruises
There are local tour companies providing excursions from Fortaleza’s main beaches to destinations off the coast of the city. Tours are usually 2 hours long and make stops for swimming and snorkelling. The trip to Cumbuco is considered one of the better options as it lasts the day and presents a more interesting itinerary.

For anyone not of Latin American origin, just getting into the thick of Brazilian life is an enlightening experience in itself and when you add to that the excellent selection of cultural venues that Fortaleza has to offer, you’ll appreciate that this is a destination that has much to offer culturally inquisitive visitors. The Dragon of the Sea cultural centre is undoubtedly the highlight of the venues on offer, while the Museum of Art and Popular Culture is also one not to be missed.

Dragao do Mar (Dragon of the Sea)
Fortaleza’s Dragao do Mar is a Cultural Centre that was inaugurated in 1998 and has been the city’s main facility for cultural affairs ever since. The 30,000-square-metre area includes attractions such as the Museum of Art, the Office of Art, the Planetarium, the Theatre of the Sea Dragon and the Memorial Cearense of Culture. 
Phone: +55 85 3488 8600

Memorial Da Cultura Cearense
Located within the Dragao do Mar Cultural Centre, the Memorial da Cultura Cearense is a museum with a collection of artefacts relating to the popular culture of the state of Ceara. Among the most interesting things to see are the permanent exhibitions focusing on the Padre Cícero cult of Juazeiro do Norte and on the cowboys of the interior. 
Phone: +55 85 3488 8611

Museu de Arte e Cultura Popular
On the floor above the Centro de Turismo (Tourism Centre), the Museum of Art and Popular Culture is a facility dedicated to presenting the folk art of Brazil’s indigenous people. Included in the museum’s permanent collection are various handmade items from Ceara including puppets, wooden sculptures, weaving looms and traditional instruments. 
Phone: +55 85 3101 5508

Parque Ecologico do Coco
Established in 1991 as a response to the threats to the mangrove swamps from industrial development, the Parque Ecologico do Coco is a protected area that provides Fortaleza with its most popular outdoor recreation area. Park rangers organise various activities aimed at promoting environmental awareness, with the boat trip along the Coco River offering the best opportunity to appreciate the park’s diverse flora and fauna collections. 
Phone: +55 85 3452 1892

Teatro Jose De Alencar
The building housing the Jose de Alencar theatre dates to 1910 and is impressive in its appearance, presenting a mix of both classical and Art Nouveau architectural styles. The theatre regularly hosts cultural events and performances, with Friday and Saturday nights offering some of the liveliest shows. 
Phone: +55 85 252 2324

Fortaleza’s cuisine follows most of the culinary styles associated with Ceara, the state of which it’s the capital. With a coastal location, it also naturally incorporates large amounts of fish and seafood in it dishes and indeed most of the signature dishes are based on ingredients from the sea.

Sea salt roasted pargo fish served with rice and salad is the one dish to make sure you try if you want something typical of the city. Also popular is the fish in lemon and garlic with vegetable stew known as peixada Cearense. Tapioca stuffed with coconut and cheese or served with chocolate or fruit also appears on many a menu.

The city has a wide range of eateries, with everything from roadside vendors to classy restaurants. The vendors gather in beach areas and other busy locations around the city and offer traditional fare at very affordable prices. For both Cearanese and international cuisine of a high standard, try the restaurants of the city’s more upmarket hotels, while for the best seafood in the city, head for Delicias do Mar, an establishment voted Best Seafood Restaurant in Fortaleza by Brazil’s Veja magazine.

Shopping can be a fun and interesting experience in Fortaleza, with the city offering a wide selection of retail establishments. Locally produced handicrafts are widely available and make good souvenirs or gifts to take home for friends and family. Morro Branco Market is one of the best locations for handmade goods, and where you’ll find wooden products, leatherwear, decorations and jewellery; similarly stocked are the shops on Avenida Beira Mar.

Mercado Central is the city’s main shopping centre and the place to find everything from food to clothing to household products. Prices are cheap for local goods, so any essential items that visitors forgot to pack are best picked up here. For covered shopping with well-known brands, head for the Iguatemi and Aldeota malls.