Morro Branco

The cliffs behind Morro Branco beach are soft sandstone banded in something like eighteen natural colours - white, ochre, red, violet and brown - laid down in layers and then cut by rainwater into narrow passages that local guides call the labyrinth. Walking them means turning sideways in places, with the walls above head height and the colours changing as you go. The sand itself became a craft: workers funnel the coloured layers into glass bottles to build up pictures of jangada sailing boats and palms, and the bottles are sold along the cliff top. The beach below has jangadas drawn up on it and natural springs seeping from the cliff base. Buggy rides between Morro Branco and neighbouring Praia das Fontes are the standard local excursion.

What you actually see

• Banded sandstone cliffs - around eighteen natural colours in visible layers.
• The labyrinth - narrow rain-cut passages you walk single file.
• Sand bottles - coloured layers funnelled into pictures and sold on the rim.
• Springs at the cliff base - fresh water seeping onto the beach.

When to go

July to December, the dry half. Half a day. Morning light is better in the passages.

Honest expectations

It is small and busy, and guides at the entrance are insistent. The buggy tours are the main local sales pitch. Passages flood and close after heavy rain. Half a day is enough.

Nearby

Praia das Fontes is next along the coast; Fortaleza is west.