Guaramiranga

The Baturite massif rises high enough above the Ceara plain to catch moisture off the Atlantic, and the result is a brejo - an island of humid forest, coffee and cool air sitting in the middle of dry caatinga country, with temperatures that can drop into the teens at night and regularly surprise people who have come from Fortaleza. Guaramiranga is the main village, at around eight hundred and sixty metres, with a small colonial church, guesthouses, trails through the surrounding environmental protection area to waterfalls, and a Benedictine monastery on the ridge nearby. It has built a reputation on festivals - a jazz and blues festival each Carnival and a theatre season - which is what fills the place and what most visitors come for.

What to look for

• A forest island in dry country - humid brejo forest surrounded by caatinga.
• Genuinely cool nights - temperatures that drop into the teens.
• A Carnival jazz festival - the event the village is known for.
• Trails and waterfalls - walks through the protection area around the massif.

When to go

All year; Carnival for the jazz festival. Two days.

Practical notes

The village is small and quiet outside festival weekends. During the festival everything is full and prices rise sharply. The road up is steep and winding. Cloud and drizzle are frequent, which is the price of the cool air.

Nearby

Baturite is below; Fortaleza is two hours down on the plain.

Key facts