Canoa Quebrada, Beach resort in Aracati, Brazil

Canoa Quebrada is a beach and seaside resort in the municipality of Aracati, Ceará, 163 km from Fortaleza. Red cliffs rise up to thirty metres above sea level behind a wide stretch of wet sand where thin lines of foam break. On the sand, two fishing boats rest side by side on a yellow-painted wooden frame, one dark red with a blue stripe, the other blue with a red lower section, a thin mast rising from the blue boat.

Canoa Quebrada grew from Vila do Estevão, a small fishing settlement. French New Wave filmmakers found it in the 1960s, and hippies arrived in the 1970s, some settling and marrying locals. The 1997 film Bela Donna, produced by Bruno Barreto and directed by Fábio Barreto, turned it into one of Ceará's main tourist destinations.

The main street carries the name Dragão do Mar and locals call it Broadway. In the evening, venues line up here where musicians perform and dishes with fresh fish from the region are served.

Temperatures stay around 28 degrees Celsius throughout the year and the water remains warm enough for swimming. From February to May, occasional rain showers fall, but most days remain sunny and dry.

The wind blows here almost every day with enough force to carry kitesurf kites into the air. The red rock walls along the beach are under nature protection and may not be built on or altered.