There is no such thing as the best season in which to visit Rio Grande do Norte because it is summertime all year round. Going south from Natal beaches soon appear one after the other. The first one is Pium, 18 kilometres from the capital. A little further on is Cotovelo where the locals tell tales of mysterious apparitions. Grottoes and labyrinths inspire superstitions involving the ghosts of princes and princesses that roam about at night pleading for help. Three kilometres further on are the beaches of Pirangi do Sul and Pirangi do Norte, the site of the world’s largest cashew tree.
Continuing along an old and narrow road 80 kilometres from the capital is the beach of Pipa, the wildest of all the beaches that still retains a natural charm that attracts those who want to get away from big city bustle. Here there are communities of “ex stressed-out” city-dwellers consisting of Germans, Argentinians and Brazilians, amongst others.
Travelling towards the north, separated from Natal by the River Potengi, the town of Extremoz and its beaches are like the main picture postcards of the state rolled into one. Here the beaches of Redinha and Genipabu with their shifting dunes, warm, clear water, lakes and coconut groves attract both Brazilian and foreign tourists all year round.
Buggy rides along the vast white sands are the highlight of the beaches at Extremoz. At Genipabu there is even a right and a wrong side so as to avoid accidents on the dunes. Safety is guaranteed by the drivers who are all registered with the Empresa de Promoção de Turismo do Rio Grande do Norte (Emproturn), the local tourism promoter.
The dunes that are scattered over kilometres of beach are also suitable for sand-skiing using a type of skate (without wheels) so that it is possible to have an exhilarating slide down the dunes.