Morro do Careca — Attraction in Região Geográfica Imediata de Natal

Morro do Careca (“bald hill” in Portuguese) is the main symbol of the city of Natal and the state of Rio Grande do Norte. It measures 120 meters (390 ft.). In the past, Morro do Careca was a spot for recreation and entertainment. The bathers and tourists would climb up the hill and come down with the help of a device called skibunda (“bunda” is Portuguese for “butt”—you’d sit on a board and ski down the slope). Since the end of the 1990s, it has been closed to visitors. The reason for the closure was to protect the dunes; the preservation of the vegetation will aid in safeguarding against erosion, ensuring that the sand does not slip and thus reduce the height of the hill. At present, all activity on the dune remains suspended. The scene also brings together a sea full of bathers, surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers, in addition to the stand-up paddle crowd. It is frequented by locals and tourists, who fill the tents on the boardwalk and the shore. The best spot for bathing is in the right corner, between the end of the boardwalk and Morro do Careca. There, the sea is calmer and also has the long-time restaurant, the Old...

I downgraded from five to three stars since something terrible occurred: the beach suffered a process of fattening by a Dutch company. This consisted of removing sand from the bottom of the sea at some 500 to 700 meters and dumping it to the beach, pushing the beach away by approximately 100 meters. Can it get worse? YES! The new sand contains calcareous residues of marine life that hurts one's feet. Or worse, if you try to rest horizontally. Only experts can swim, now, since where you can jump into the water the sea is deep and waves are high. The picture illustrates a sample of smaller shells and calcified algae that populate...

Go to the end of the beach where the sales man don't have easy access. There you will find a calmer, cleaner and peaceful space to relax.

In general the beach is very noisy and full of people saling you things. No jokes, all the time!

But it still possible to find areas to relax and enjoy. The water is clean (considering that you are in front of a big city) and the safety feeling is good enough.

I recommend it as an afternoon walk for couples or...