Jericoacoara Beach, National park beach in Jijoca de Jericoacoara, Brazil.

Jericoacoara Beach sits within a protected national park on the northern coast of Brazil and stretches along a bay with white sand dunes and turquoise water. The coastline shows shallow tidal zones, scattered rock formations, and natural freshwater lagoons that form a few kilometers inland.

The beach appears on a 1629 map of Ceará by João Teixeira Albernaz, o Velho. Until 1985 it was inhabited only by fishermen and cut off from the outside world, when tourism began. In 1994 The Washington Post named it one of the ten most beautiful beaches on the planet; the area became a national park in 2002.

Fishermen pull their boats onto shore each morning and sell the fresh catch directly on the sand, while visitors wade through shallow tidal pools between the sandbars. The name comes from the indigenous Tupi language and means turtle hole, a reminder of the animals that once nested here.

Reaching the area involves flying into Jericoacoara Regional Airport or Fortaleza, followed by roughly a four-hour journey through sand and unpaved tracks in specialized vehicles. Wind blows year-round, especially strong between July and December, which suits kitesurfers but also kicks up sand.

Regulations forbid artificial street lighting throughout the village, so eyes adjust to starlight and moonlight at night. Some paths remain so dark that visitors bring flashlights or follow locals who know every trail.