Natal

Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, is a city on the Atlantic coast. Natal has some great beaches, historical sites, and nature areas, and it is a frequently used base for exploring the paradisiac beaches and nature of the Rio Grande do Norte state.

Districts

 * South: The most affluent area of the city and also where most tourists stay. Contains the Ponta Negra beach and most upscale hotels, shopping malls and restaurants
 * East: Contains the city's Historical Center, impotant sights such as Forte dos Reis Magos and Ponte de Todos, and beaches that mix visitors and locals such as Praia do Meio and Praia dos Artistas. Also contains the entrance to Parque das Dunas
 * North: An industrial/working class area which is now the most populous of Natal. Contains the Redinha beach, which provides some nice views of the city and with very local feel
 * West: A mostly poor and in some parts run-down area, it contains the intercity bus terminal that can be used to reach other cities, like Tibau do Sul

Understand
Natal was founded on 25 December 1599, hence its name (Natal means Christmas in Portuguese). Unlike other Northeastern capitals, it did not quite benefit from the economic boom resulting from the region's sugar cane production. Instead it grew moderately and more organizedly, burgeoning on the state's cattle-raising activities and salt and oil extraction.

Nowadays Natal is one of the 8 most visited cities of Brazil. Unlike other large cities of the Northeast of Brazil, like Recife or Salvador, Natal does not have a fascinating Historical Center or a vivid nightlife. In contrast, it is regarded as being significantly calmer than other large cities in the region, and as having a superior quality of life. Many rich Brazilians and foreigners alike have summer houses in the city.

One of the primary reasons to visit Natal is to use it as a base to explore the wonderful state of Rio Grande do Norte, including beaches like Pipa, Baía Formosa, Barra do Cunhaú and Genipabu, and lakes like Carcará and Coca-Cola (See ). The city has many lodging options and a couple of good and reasonably priced restaurants.

Climate
Natal is a sunny and warm city with a pleasant tropical climate. The rainy season occurs between the months of March and July. Temperatures never reach extremes, thanks to the trade winds coming from the ocean, with averages between and, stable throughout the year.

By plane


There are numerous direct flights from Brazilian cities, including Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Campinas, Fernando de Noronha, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Salvador, and São Paulo. TAP flies daily to Lisbon.

To get to the city, take the Natal bus at the doorstep of the terminal. To get to Ponta Negra, get off after about 15 minutes at Natal Shopping, cross the pedestrian bridge and take any bus with Ponta Negra in its name for R$4 (June 2021).

A taxi to Ponta Negra costs a fixed price, possibly a few R$ cheaper on the meter. It takes about 40 minutes.

You may also want to consider flying to the airports of Recife or João Pessoa. From there you can take an intercity bus or a shared ride with Blablacar to Natal.

By bus
Natal's bus station is about 3 km southwest of the city center, and some 5 km northwest of the Ponta Negra beach. Bus No 66 does the same run in about 45 minutes.
 * From Fortaleza 8 times daily (3 of these stopping in Mossoró) by Nordeste. 8-10 hours. Also by Guanabara.
 * From Recife by Progresso, 4½ hours.
 * From João Pessoa every hour.
 * From Pipa there are direct buses. Alternatively you can take a minibus to Goianinha for R$4.50 (May 2021) and then a minibus to Natal for R$10 (May 2021). If you want to go to Ponta Negra in Natal, exit at Natal Shopping. Go over the pedestrian bridge and take any bus that says Ponta Negra on the windshield.

If you want to go to the Vila de Ponta Negra in the south-east, take the bus line 73 from Natal Shopping.

By ride-sharing
From João Pessoa, Fortaleza, Recife and Pipa you can find rides on Blablacar.

By bus


For finding local bus connections, Moovit covers the city.

(As of June 2021) a bus ticket in Natal is R$4 and you don't need a bus card. Without a bus card you don't need to find a way to get and to recharge it. With a bus card it's possible to get a second bus without paying if this is done in less than one hour after the first one.

From the shopping centres Midway Mall, Via Direta and Natal Shopping you can find a bus to almost everywhere in the city. The "Line R" bus of Trampolim da Vitória company goes from Midway Mall to the International Airport for R$2.50 and is the only one going there.



By e-hailing
Uber and 99Taxi are available.

By car
Renting a car may be convenient if you, as many visitors, plan to use Natal as a base for day trips outside the city. Even the beaches at the neighbouring municipalities of Parnamarim and Extremoz are complicated to reach using public transport.

By buggy
You may explore the coast on the beach rather than a road, by hiring the service of a dune Buggy driver. You can book a vehicle or join a group. You may find services that are cheaper than others, but be aware of unlicensed drivers; accidents caused by unskilled buggy drivers sometimes occur.

By urban trains
They are cheap, but do not reach any major tourist sights.

Historic Centre
Natal's Historic Centre is in the Cidade Alta e Ribeira neighborhoods, including also some buildings of Tirol e Petrópolis. It was declared a national heritage site in 2010. Although the city dates from 1599, most of the historical buildings were constructed in the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, in different styles including colonial, neoclassic, art-déco and modern.

Beaches
As in the most of Brazil, in Natal's urban beaches you may use the chairs and tables provided by kiosks. It may be free as long as you consume, or you may be charged a fee (like R$15). This should be negotiated up front to avoid misunderstandings.

Do

 * Hire a buggy with a driver and travel along the coast, both North and Southwards. The coast of the State of Rio Grande do Norte affords a rare combination of dunes, lagoons, sandstone cliffs and vegetation in between.
 * Watch the sunset by Potengi River. A good spot is near the Army base and there are some ships on the river.
 * The To a Toa Boat Cruise  at the Potengi river to watch the sunset. You will see the city from different angles, pass through historical places and neighborhoods, mangrooves, river beaches. Recorded guiding in English and Portuguese.
 * Genipabu - Dunes, fresh water lagoons and dune buggy rides.
 * Genipabu - Dunes, fresh water lagoons and dune buggy rides.

Buy
There is no Bradesco bank in Ponta Negra. The nearest is on the way to Natal Shopping.

Supermarkets are somewhat scarce in Ponta Negra. In the north west you find Fazendinnha. It closes already at 19:00. In the south east there are Ligzarb and São Francisco. The latter closes at 20:30. In the center there is the Mercadinho Express which has some more variety of products than the other small mercadinhos. A hypermarket called Extra exists on the way to Natal Shopping.



Eat
Plenty of seafood restaurants with outdoor seating can be found along the beaches.

The most typical beach food is "ginga com tapioca" and the best is served at. (Don't go there on Sundays as it's very crowded.)

Drink
Ponta Negra nightlife has concentrated along Rua Dr. Manoel Arauju, aso known as Rua da Salsa, a few blocks inland from the beach at kiosk 11. A lot of holiday prostitutes blend in. Near the city center is the Ribeira district with quite a few options. A nighttime cab to Ponta Negra runs close to R$ 50. Buses 46 and 54 do the stretch in about 45 minutes.

Sleep
Most tourist lodgings are in Ponta Negra, heaps and heaps of them. Posted prices are negotiable in low season.

Stay safe
The main tourist areas, as in other Brazilian tourist destinations, are relatively safe. It is Brazil, so you should be aware of the recommended safety precautions: watch your belongings, travel well lit streets at night, don't go wandering off to deserted places you don't know and try to avoid walking around alone. If you are driving and following the GPS, pay close attention to where you are going to make sure you aren't entering a slum of sorts. Tourists should be particularly careful in the beaches of the East Side and North Side - in particular, one should never walk alone from Praia do Forte to Forte dos Reis Magos - the area is scarcely policed. Go to Forte dos Reis Magos by taxi or by a guided tour. It is relatively safe to walk around Ponta Negra, though, since that is the main tourist spot. Ask for safety tips where you are staying, the locals always know best and will tell which places to avoid.

Go next
The distances are given from Ponta Negra.


 * Parnamirim – 20 km. The visitable Barreira do Inferno rocket launch center, the biggest cashew tree of the World, and well-known beaches like Pirangi do Norte. A regional bus goes there from Ponta Negra.
 * Extremoz – 30 km. Contains the renowned Genipabu beach and the quieter Pitangui. Both beaches are surrounded by natural dune parks where it is possible to various activities such as sandboarding, dromedary rides and buggy rides
 * Nísia Floresta 40 km. 22 transparent lakes and beaches, Praia de Búzios being the most well-known
 * Tibau do Sul – 80 km. Several kilometers of amazing beaches surrounded by cliffs, including:
 * Praia de Pipa – 80 km. One of the most famous beach village of Brazil's Northeast. If you have time, it is worth staying more than a day trip. In Pipa are hostels.
 * Barra do Cunhaú – 90 km. A beautiful beach.
 * Ceará-Mirim – 40 km. A historical/coastal town that prospered in the past during the Sugar Cane era
 * Baía Formosa – 100 km. At the border with Paraíba, is the most unspoiled and preserved paradise of Rio Grande do Norte's South Coast
 * João Pessoa – 180 km.