Fortaleza

Dragão do Mar

The square at Rua Dragão do Mar is culturally a very lively place. Several artisans are selling their work there, musicians are performing and there are several bars and restaurants with international cuisine as well as night clubs of different styles. Then there's also the cultural center, described below.

Dragão do Mar Cultural Center

Opened in 1999, the center has 30,000 m2 of attractions including an art museum, a library, a cinema, a planetarium, an amphitheater, art workshops and the Culture Memorial of Ceara. The surrounding offers some of the highlights of Fortaleza's nightlife.

Estoril

This mansion, built in 1925 as Vila Morena, and later used as a casino, a restaurant (when its current name was applied) and a rather political bar, is of peculiar architecture. It was virtually rebuilt in the 1990s, and is undergoing another refurbishment to be used for public cultural arrangements.

Fortaleza railway station

Estação João Felipe

An all too common sight in South America; Fortaleza has a beautiful railway station... but traffic ended in 1975.

Iracema Statue

Estátua de Iracema

Also known as the Guardian of Iracema, this statue was constructed to honor the author José de Alencar. The statue depicts the protagonist in his novel Iracema. Another one stands in Messejena Lake in the south of the city.

Mercado dos Pinhões

This former meat market was imported piece by piece from Europe and set up in 1897. Refurbished and now used as a handicrafts fair with a variety of cultural events five days a week from Afro-Brazilian culture and art to contemporary dance and the local forró music style.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza

Igreja da Sé

Its sooty façade gives the cathedral a somewhat brutal look. But it still has nice mosaics, and the 75-m-high towers and its size (its capacity is 5000 persons) are impressive. The main western façade has large windows and the sun lights up the church during the evening mass. French architect George Mounier allegedly was inspired by the Cologne cathedral. Note the 40 year span between the initial works and the inaugural mass, above the main entrance. Masses daily except Mondays.

Mini Siará

Museu de Miniaturas

More cute than really interesting, this tiny museum has about 25 scale models of Fortaleza's colonial buildings, and also a couple of scale landscapes.

Tue-Sat 14:00-17:00·R$ 5

Museu da Escrita

The Museum of Writing was reopened in 2012. As the name suggests, you can see typewriters from different eras, pens, feathers, cartridges and books including a collections of Bibles.

Museu de Arte e Cultura Popular

Located in an old prison, now the Centro de Turismo, along with a handicraft market and a tourist information. Displays many fine examples of folk art as well as boats and other cultural relics.

Museu do Ceará

In a late 19th-century seat of state government. Explains the history of the state of Ceará and its capital.

Free

Parque Ecologico do Cocó

The Cocó Ecological Park is the city's largest green area, near the Iguatemi-mall. One of the largest urban parks in South America, it's a piece of jungle in the middle of Fortaleza and is the most important showpiece of Fortaleza's ecological heritage. The park is popular for recreation among the locals and the place for seeing some local flora and fauna without leaving the city.

Ponte dos Ingleses (Metálica)

Construction of this pier started in 1923, but it has never functioned as a port as intended. Its sunset view is reputedly the best in the city.

Praça José de Alencar

Plenty of greenery and the place to catch the city's best street performers. The square, which used to functioned as a bus station, is today frequented by small market stalls and food carts. On the southern side of this square is the eponymous theater building.

Praça Portugal

Six blocks from Beira-Mar, this square is lined by elegant restaurants and shopping. Major public events are often held here; for instance during the FIFA World Cup 2014 Praça Portugal was one of the venues for the FIFA Fan Fest. In the Christmas season, you will find a huge Christmas tree in the middle of this square.

Praça do Ferreira

The main city square named after the pharmacist Antônio Rodrigues Ferreira and is surrounded by stores, restaurants, a movie theater and plenty of benches. Inaugurated in 1829, it has been rebuilt several times and is surrounded by many buildings of historical importance. The square of today features a time column and a small garden, just like the original version.

Seminário da Prainha

A Catholic seminary with a neoclassical church from the 19th century. If you're interested in the city's local religious history or want to do some genealogical studies, this is the right place to visit.

Theatro José de Alencar

A theater on the south side of the eponymous square. The architectural landmark of the city, and also declared a National Historic Landmark. Finished in 1912, there are performances almost every evening. Visits every hour on the hour, except noon. R$ 4, 30 minutes.