Nísia Floresta

Nísia Floresta is a municipality of Rio Grande do Norte just south of the metropolitan area of Natal in Brazil. It is a popular destination due to its beaches and lakes, the most famous being Búzios and Carcará respectively.

Understand
The town of Nísia Floresta originated from a colonial village called Papary, originally populated by native Brazilians and Portuguese settlers. The name "Nísia Floresta" was a given as a tribute to a famous writer from the region that lived in the XIX century.

For such a small town, Nísia Floresta offers many attractions, including the various lakes and beaches, the historical constructions and the seafood restaurants, with the shrimp being the local speciality.

Get in
From Natal, you can take BR-101 to reach the town and the lakes (the entrance to Nísia Floresta is located at São José de Mipibu), or RN-063 (alongside the coast) to reach the beaches.

Get around
Nísia Floresta is a rural area, so you need a car to properly explore it. Of course, you may go around with a bicycle if you have the time and disposition.

Lakes
The municipality contains 22 lakes with clean, transparent waters. Some of the most famous are Carcará and Arituba. Both contain moderately warm waters excellent for swimming, an infrastructure of kiosks, and kayaks and paddle boats for renting.

Buy
Check for local handcrafts, such as bobbin lacemaking.

Sleep
Most visitors to Nísia Floresta stay in Natal. The beaches have a couple of B&Bs.