Iracema

Iracema Beach is not so much for daytime use, but for its over-the-top night scene. During the day, you can walk along the sandy beach and admire the ocean (blue and vast). A few beach bars at the entrance to the main area (as you enter Iracema from Meireles Beach) serve cold beer and lunch with a view of the ocean, both day and night. There are some interesting stores and surf shops in this area, and you can walk out to the pier for a great view of Fortaleza, so it’s not all bad during the day. Don’t get wet, however, because here the ocean is polluted and not appropriate for swimming (the same is true of all the beaches to the west of the lighthouse).

Around sunset is when Iracema opens its arms (at the least) to visitors. Many people watch the sunset from the pier before choosing a restaurant for dinner. Around the pier area is a feast of restaurants and bars with a number of dance clubs thrown in to boot. There are crowds every night, sampling the diverse cuisine, which runs the spectrum from pizza and beer (mostly around the pier) to sushi and Brazilian churrasco (barbecue). Just walking around the area to choose a restaurant is an experience to remember. On the streets you’ll find artists, performers, and a lot of people trying to lure you into their restaurant.

For singles, the Iracema scene presents a wide variety of options—from bars to dance clubs. But be warned; prostitution is the norm in clubs here. Ladies of the evening enter clubs early to avoid cover charges, then spend hours hanging around the windows, to tempt single tourists inside. You’ll see bars and clubs with nothing but single women inside until around 11 p.m., when men start entering.

Finally, Iracema is where most of the economical hotel options are located, including the city’s youth hostels. Some of these options are not half bad.