← Maratona Internacional de Fortaleza·Day trip

Cumbuco: A Day on the Sand After the Marathon

A day at the beach village of Cumbuco, 25 km north-west of Fortaleza, with flat sand to walk on and nothing that asks anything of tired legs.

DurationDay trip
TransitAbout 25 km by road, with hotel transfer on the organised excursion
DepartsFortaleza

After the Maratona Internacional de Fortaleza: Cumbuco

The Route: Fortaleza → Cumbuco → Fortaleza Logistics: Organised excursion with hotel pick-up, or taxi or private driver, about 25 km each way. Marathon Month: April Duration: Day trip

Fortaleza hotel ──(about 25 km by road)──> Cumbuco ──(same road back)──> Fortaleza hotel

Cumbuco is a fishing village of around 1,600 people on the Atlantic coast, about 25 km north-west of the city. Behind it rise sand dunes, in front of it is a beach with wooden barracas selling fish and cold coconuts, and between the two sits a small square with a fish market. Kitesurfers made it famous. On the Monday after a 04:00 marathon you will not be joining them.

April in Cumbuco: April is the wet end of Ceará's calendar, and showers can arrive fast and leave fast. The trade winds that fill the kites blow hardest from July to January, so in April the water is calmer and the sky is quieter than the postcards suggest. Treat the day as flexible. Carry a light rain jacket, wear sunscreen anyway, and ask the operator what happens if the weather turns.

The Day

Several operators sell a Cumbuco day excursion from Fortaleza with hotel pick-up. Girafatur lists one. The product page does not set out pick-up times or the return time, so confirm both before booking, and ask for a late departure, since few runners want to be at a hotel lobby early on the day after a marathon. A taxi or private driver is the alternative and gives you control over when you leave.

The road runs north-west out of the city and is straightforward. Once at the village, the flat stretch of beach is the best asset for recovery. Walk it at the waterline where the sand is firmer, for as long as your legs allow, then stop at a barraca and sit. Fish, shrimp and coconut water are the usual orders. Prices vary by barraca, and some operate a minimum spend for a table, so ask before you settle.

The dunes behind the village are the tempting part. Dune-buggy rides are sold everywhere and the surface is soft, steep and bumpy, which is hard on quadriceps that are already sore and jarring for a stiff lower back. If you want to go, take a seat in the buggy and keep it to an hour at most. Do not climb the dunes on foot. Soft sand with a steep gradient is a harder exercise than it looks, and the descent is worse.

A swim is gentle, but check the flag and local advice first. Atlantic beaches here can have a strong shore break, and a tired runner should wade rather than swim.

Getting Home

Return to your hotel in Fortaleza the same way you came. From there, Pinto Martins International Airport (FOR) is the airport for your flight home. Ask the hotel to arrange a transfer for the following morning if you fly early, and avoid booking a flight for the evening of the excursion day, in case the return runs late.