Maracajaú is a small village of fishermen with approximately 2,000 inhabitants. Located 37 miles north of Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte, it is known for being a paradise of diving. The options of leisure during the day are several, from calm moments in a hammock under the palm trees of Pousada Barulho do Mar, through fishing, horseback riding, raft rides, walks, Ma-noa Park and beach buggy rides through desert beaches. You may also want to go diving on a shipwreck, or snorkelling in natural swimming pools formed by corals, which can be practiced even by people who don't know how to swim. That attracts a great number of visitors on the days it can be practiced.

The beach buggy rides through typical dunes of Rio Grande do Norte or along countless beaches that cut the coast Potiguar (adjective meaning ‘from Rio Grande do Norte’) always reveal unforgettable landscapes. Around the area there are also several lakes of transparent water and interesting points, such as São Roque Cape, the closest Brazilian point to Africa. For those who have adventurous spirits, we recommend taking an extraordinary ride north of Maracajaú, passing by miles of wild little-known beaches and interesting points, such as Marco beach, the place where the Portuguese left the first mark on Brazilian lands and that disputes with the state of Bahia the registration of “the place of discovery” of Brazil.    

Maracajaú economy is based on fishing. It is common, when walking on the beach, to observe fishermen pulling their nets full of lobsters, shrimps and fish. In case you are a fisherman, it is not difficult to arrange to fish with the native ones, either by angling, diving or with a fishnet. 

Some more landscapes may also be explored by riding horseback, no matter if it is on the dunes, along the seashore or through paths that lead to several lakes of the area. But if you are in shape, you should go horseback riding along the seashore until Punau, 9 miles from Maracajaú, where the waters of Punau River meets the sea, in an area of dunes and many palm trees. It is such a beaultiful place that several  commercials were recorded there, such as Kaiser Beer and Prestige (Nestlè’s chocolate).

Among so many options, a day of  “rest” may come in handy. For that, we reccomend the Aquatic Park Ma-noa, with several swimming pools, water slides and waterfalls, just in front of the sea.