Kentucky Christian University's Young Library Summer Forever Virtual Vacation

Welcome to Fortaleza, Brazil!

After watching this video, you will immediately want to learn Portuguese and relocate your family..

Located in Northeast Brazil, this costal city is situated against the Atlantic ocean. While a good 250 miles away from the equator, this is Brazil's closest city to the center of the earth. In Portuguese, "Fortaleza" literally translates into the English word "fortress." The city has definitely earned the name "Fortress" throughout its history...

Fortaleza started off as a Portuguese settlement in 1603 when Pero Coelho de Souza built a fort called São Tiago. The surrounding town became synonymous with the structure. During this period of colonization, the original fort was destroyed, and the Dutch took control of the land. Skipping the history lesson, the Dutch and Portuguese colonists continued to war with each other until Portugal regained possession of the land - and the fort, which had undergone a few name changes and reconstruction phases during this period.

When visiting Fortaleza, it's important to keep the region's 2 seasons in mind. As you may have read at the start of this guide, there may not be Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, but there are wet and dry seasons. If you visit in June, you will be coming in on the tail end of the wet season and into the dry season. Don't worry! June in Fortaleza still means you get plenty of sunshine, and the temps fluctuate very little, staying between 73 to 86 degrees on average.

Let's explore what kind of fun Fortaleza offers its residents and visitors:

• Cumbuco Beach

When your city meets the Atlantic Ocean, you HAVE to have a beach day. Cumbuco beach is a coastal village in the greater metropolitan area with hundreds of miles of coast line, pristine sandy beaches, perfect temps, fast-blowing trade winds, and sand dunes to explore! This beach is a premier spot for kite fliers and kite surfers because of the Trade winds that blow across Fortaleza's coast from June to January. Do some virtual wind surfing below.

• Dragão do Mar

For those looking for a mentally stimulating experience, this is the first place you should check out. Dragão do Mar literally means "dragon of the sea," and this area lives up to its exciting name. There's plenty of restaurants, live music, a planetarium, and a pair of great museums - the Museu de Arte Contemporânea and the Memorial da Cultura Cearense. Click here to learn more...there's even an Instagram page if you want to explore!

• Parque Ecológico do Côco

In English, Cocó Ecological Park contains a wide variety of plant and animal life, preserving Fortaleza's ecological history, including their endangered mangrove ecological system. Many of the plant and animal species are endangered, so this is a must-see for any visitors with an interest in biology and ecology. The park offers rides along the Cocó river, so the visitor has a chance to explore nature just outside this massive city. Even if you're more inclined to urban exploration, visiting this park is a welcome break from the sun and heat, and just so happens to be Fortaleza's most popular physical attraction.

Before we leave South America, be sure to enjoy these local Brazilian dishes. Although Fortaleza is famous for their sabores (ice creams) - of which there are hundreds of varieties - the recipes below are achievable no matter your geographical location. Click the name of the dish to link to its recipe!

Churrasco (Brazilian-style skirt steak on skewers)

From thespruceeats.com: "Churrasco is a very popular food in South America and is the traditional Brazilian way to barbecue. And no wonder it's a favorite, as these strips of steak are sliced thin, and then grilled to absolute perfection. Tender, juicy steak that's dressed in a chimichurri sauce, consisting of olive oil, onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, with a touch of spices and herbs. Just delightful!"

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)

From curiouscuisiniere.com: "This comfort food is sometimes called the national dish of Brazil. It owes its name to its main ingredient, black beans (feijão). It is a rich stew traditionally made from different parts of the pig, such as feet, ears, and bacon, as well as other smoked meats. (But don’t worry, I have some substitutions for you if you’re not up to cooking with pig ears and feet!). For our recipe, we are using bacon, pork ribs and 2 kinds of sausages, Mexican chorizos, and linguica. Enjoy!"