Discover Fortaleza: Design, Culture and Family Experiences

Fortaleza brings together design, vibrant culture and waterside experiences with a distinctive food culture. The city is a UNESCO Creative City of Design. You can choose different focuses for your trip: exhibitions and city history, green spaces and activities for children, or walks along the coast. Which of these aspects interests you most can also shape your choice of accommodation.

Design, Music and City History

The museums at Centro Dragão do Mar de Arte e Cultura feature a range of exhibitions. This makes the complex a destination for travellers who would like to explore several cultural themes as part of their visit to Fortaleza. Forró, in turn, is considered a traditional rhythm and part of the city’s cultural heritage. It is therefore part of Fortaleza’s cultural identity; this does not imply any particular event or regular music programme.

The Memorial do Paço explores the artistic, political and geographical history of Fortaleza and the state of Ceará in four halls. It is open to the public Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. These specific opening hours are helpful when planning a visit. The Museu da Fotografia de Fortaleza offers another perspective on the city: it holds nearly 440 works drawn from more than 2,000 collected images, including photographs by Cartier-Bresson and Sebastião Salgado.

Historic sites and collections also offer different perspectives. Casa de José de Alencar comprises a museum, two libraries and two art galleries, as well as other cultural facilities. It also includes the ruins of the former family sugar mill. Founded in 1844, Instituto do Ceará has a museum, a newspaper library, a library, auditoriums, an audiovisual area, and a restoration and conservation laboratory. Its collection comprises around 40,000 objects. Anyone interested in the history of the city and its surroundings will find various ways here to explore the past and cultural heritage.

Seafood Cuisine and Local Traditions

In Fortaleza, Thursday has a special culinary name: Thursdays are known as Quinta do Caranguejo. On this day of the week, several restaurants serve the famous Caranguejada. Avenida Beira-Mar has numerous restaurants serving typical cuisine, especially seafood dishes. Feirinha Beira-Mar adds to the scene with local handicrafts and traditional foods. This lets you cater to different interests on your trip, from sharing a meal to browsing handcrafted items.

Green Spaces, Activities for Children and Waterside Walks

Fortaleza offers families a range of experiences specifically designed for children and young people. Cidade da Criança has eight interactive trails and eight themed houses featuring educational, artistic and playful activities. At Parque Rachel de Queiroz, children and young people can use the walking path, a two-way cycle path, and recreational facilities and sports amenities. These include sports courts and a playground. Each of these attractions has its own focus: at Cidade da Criança, trails and themed houses sit alongside the opportunities for exercise and sport at Parque Rachel de Queiroz.

Parque Ambiental do Passaré is home to Zoológico Municipal Sargento Prata and Horto Florestal Falconete Fialho. Passeio Público is Fortaleza’s oldest tree-lined square and is considered part of the city’s historical, cultural and emotional heritage. At Praia de Iracema, you can walk along the waterfront promenade to Ponte dos Ingleses. These varied interests can help guide your choice of holiday apartment: if you want to focus your trip on culture and city history, your priorities will differ from those for outings in green spaces, family activities or waterside walks.

Find more destinations in Beberibe, Barreira, Eusébio, Santa Tereza, Costas, Fortim, Boa Viagem and Aracati.

For the regional travel overview: Ceará.