Rota das Emoções in the northeast promotes intimate contact with nature

The Rota das Emoções unites Lençóis Maranhenses, in Maranhão, the Parnaíba Delta, in Piauí, and Jericoacoara, in Ceará, in a single trip.

Rota das Emoções in the northeast is to face a dirt road in a 4×4 vehicle, take a chance on windsurfing, face the ups and downs of the dunes to reach a kind of oasis, dive in a river side by side with sea horses, try it out fish and flavors typical of the Brazilian Northeast and finally, when you decide to rest in a hammock, have a stunning beach to frame the view.

This sequence of activities can be done in a few days or over a week, but it doesn't matter: it's the adrenaline dose needed to live up to the name Rota das Emoções.

Created by the Ministry of Tourism and by Sebrae, the itinerary comprises three main and already established destinations in the Brazilian Northeast: Jericoacoara, in Ceará, the region of Delta of the Parnaíba, in Piauí and the Maranhenses Sheets.

map of the Route of Emotions in the Northeast

Each one stands out in its own way, but all have nature as their biggest attraction.

Video Route of Emotions in the Northeast

Route of Emotions in the Northeast

Route of Emotions - Guide07:01

Route of Emotions in the Northeast - Tourism Guide

In addition to the classic tours through lagoons, dunes, beaches, trails and rivers (such as the Preguiças River), the program includes stops along the way – usually covered in a four-wheel drive car – in villages and small towns to discover handicrafts. , gastronomy and the culture of local communities.

The practice of extreme sports, such as windsurfing and kite surfing are also attractions of the script.

The official route lists 14 municipalities (Araióses, Barreirinhas, Paulino Neves, Santo Amaro and Tutóia, in Maranhão; Jijoca de Jericoacoara, Barroquinha, Camocim, Chaval and Cruz, in Ceará; and Cajueiro da Praia, Ilha Grande, Luis Correia and Parnaíba, in Piauí), but nothing on this trip is inflexible.

The agencies that promote the tours have been working more and more with personalized itineraries.

Route of Emotions map — Route of Emotions

“The agencies had been selling this script for a long time with Jeri, Delta and Lençóis, but not in such an organized way.

In 2005 the project began to be born and in 2007 the brand and the name 'Rota das Emoções' gained strength and support from the government and Sebrae”, explains Karin Goidanich, articulating consultant for the entire circuit since 2005.

The time available, specific interests, the profile of tourists and, of course, the price will determine what type of trip will be made in the region.

The route can be done in seven days or in twelve, including the 14 municipalities or just the three main ones – or even passing in another nearby city that is not on any standard route. The means of accommodation are also quite varied: in the region, there are from cheaper inns to luxury resorts.

Contact with nature on the Route of Emotions

Despite all the rustic atmosphere that Rota provides, make no mistake about the price of the adventure. It's a trip that requires a complex structure, as most packages include all transport (boat, 4×4 car and transfers), so it's not too cheap.

But by having this customized profile, the script can be planned in a way that fits in your pocket.

Even so, interest in the region has been increasing – growth is around 20% a year. “The number of tourists is still small, but it leaves a lot of revenue, which is well distributed among the local population – artisans, owners of inns and restaurants”, says the consultant.

As it encompasses three important Environmental Protection Areas, the itinerary should not be explored without a minimum of care for the preservation of the environment. In addition, the entire program revolves around contact with nature and the social with the community.

Knowing all this, the tourist's mission to travel along the Route is much easier: just enjoy each landscape, enjoy all the flavors and let yourself be involved with the stories and simplicity of the local people.

Pmain attractions of the Route of Emotions

Jericoacoara

The town of Jijoca de Jericoacoara (280 km from Fortaleza) is the gateway to the village of Jeri, an ancient fishing village hidden behind the dunes. Jijoca has a good structure of inns and the blue waters of Lagoa Paraíso.

The beaches of Jericoacoara invite long walks in the morning and in the late afternoon: to Pedra Furada and Serrote, for example, on a trail over rocks, or in the opposite direction, towards Guriú and Tatajuba.

Thanks to its winds, the destination is very popular for those who want to practice windsurfing and kite surfing.

Its beaches, dunes, lagoons and sandbanks have the status of Jericoacoara National Park, managed by Ibama. In 1984, Jeri had been transformed into an APA (Environmental Protection Area), a condition that contributed to its conservation.

Delta of the Parnaíba

The Parnaíba Delta is the only delta in the Americas that flows into the open sea and the third largest in the world. Its branches, arms formed by the river before meeting the sea, form an archipelago with more than 75 islands, dunes, freshwater lagoons and a tropical forest.

Delta do Parnaíba is located in the north of the state of Piauí, close to the border with the state of Maranhão, its main divisions delimit the territory of the largest islands in the region, with good infrastructure for visitation: Canary Islands , Igaraçu, Ilha do Caju, Ilha da Melancieira and Tutoia.

On the country's shortest coastline (66 km long) the atmosphere of tranquility is present, as its beaches are visited almost exclusively by local residents.

Clear, transparent water and some gusts of wind bring fishermen, bathers and kite surfers in search of adrenaline, combining the pleasure of the sport with the contemplation of the idyllic coast.

Maranhenses Sheets

O Lençóis Maranhenses National Park it is formed by thousands of lagoons in white sand dunes, in an area of 155.000 hectares, with about 70 km of deserted beaches.

In Lençóis Maranhenses, the force of the rains causes so much water to fall in the first half of each year that there are still billions of liters left, neither evaporated nor absorbed by the sand, to form the natural pools that are the highlight of the place.