Where Should I Move To Retire & Kite?

[marioparacuru]

I'm brazillian Kitesurf instructor with hundreds of friends and clients around the world. I've been in some countries like Africa, Spain, Italy, USA for kitesurfing so I can compare.
First, lets have some considerations about Brazil and specially my sweet spot, Paracuru:

- you need $100k investment to get a permanent visa.
- if you want wind all year long, focus in the 300km coast from Fortaleza up to the north.
- If you like surf and kitewave, record this names: Taíba and Paracuru (70km away).
- Cumbuco is not good for kite wave. It's just the first and biggest spot you gonna find cause it's near the big city, Fortaleza. It's more dangerous than the other spots. It's more crowded than the other spots.
- Most of the beach towns are pretty safe. No one feel unsafe here. I leave my buggy on the beach with the keys and gear inside while I'm doing my sessions. Who does that and where?? So you can understand how safe it is.
- We can travel with cars and buggies on the beach between the towns which make the downwinds more interesting.
- We have absurdly amazing kitetrips options on the coast with 4x4 cars following us on the beach.
- You can have a decent lunch for $2.50 (my daily lunch) or pay some $10 for a top class restaurant.
- You can have a comfortable life with $1000 a month.
- You can live like a king with $2000 a month.
- There will be at least 180 windy days in a year (Paracuru).
- The average wave faces are 2m (6 feet). Its not crowded. - Wind start 7am and last all day long.
- Sunrise is 5:30am and sunset 5:30pm, all year long.
- Ocean is warm all year long.
- Temperature is between 25C and 32C all year long.
- You can buy a house starting from $30k.
- You can rent a house for $200/monthly.
- You can rent a VIP room in my house for $300/monthly (and this includes many services in a beautiful spacious house near the spot).
- There's 10km in secret wave spots between Paracuru and Taiba (I know it all).
- The best wave session is 7am with side-off wind although almost nobody go that early.
- You gonna need a 7m kite. I use a 5.5m kite almost everyday (I'm 65kg).
- Don't bring your fancy duotone board. You can buy a wonderful board, 3d epoxy made, decent quality for $400.
- Wind mostly vary from 17-25 knots.
- Wind probability is 95% from August till December.
- In the winter comes the big swells/waves so most of us go surf although I kite all year long with maximum 10m kite.
- Americans no longer need a VISA to come to Brazil. Just buy your ticket.
- The only brazillian female in the world surf league is from Paracuru... Wonder why?


About me:
I'm a local IKO kite instructor and I speak English and Spanish as well. I'm happy to help anyone but mostly those interested to know more info about Paracuru. I have a small Kitesurf project in town, I do repairs, sell kites (I buy mostly from USA) and I do kitetrips for one guy or groups of friends. The last 7 years I've been non-stop training wave kiting and I should have more than 2000h on it. Since last year I'm developing a method to coach wave. I'm shaping my own boards in order to improve as a wave rider. I'm happy to see people do a big improvement in such small period of time.

I can help you in any aspect of your trip to Brazil and advice you for free. No problem. Good business always come to me anyways.

The season just started and it's on fire !!!
I wanna do a complete post soon about Paracuru. Should I?

Any questions talk to me in Instagram @1minvibe and I will also try to answer your questions here if it's interest of all.

See you soon!

[hookedcook]

Maybe out there, but Cabo frio/Arrial do cabo/ Arauama Lagoon Brazil. My girl friend of a year lives in Tijuca/rio. I did the whole northern brazil trip and actually meet her in rio on the way out about 5 years ago. Have spent 4 months there this year. She has a beach place in Arrial do cabo, brought my kite gear but its an amazing place that when I spent some time there, I'm like how have I never heard of this place. A gigantic lagoon, with points so what ever the wind is doing, doesn't matter. Surf on the ocean side if thats your thing. Cheap and beautiful, her tenant moved out and spent a month fixing up her place to air bnb it only to realize you can rent a proper place for 20 bucks a night or 300 a month so now we just want to long term rent it. They are building some kite condos on the lagoon now, won't stay a secret forever. Check out Arauama lagoon or arubinha. The wind is not as consistent as up north but is always there. I was the only gringo when there was kiteboarders and had some most sessions to myself in flatwater dream conditions.

[Toby]

Water is colder there, right? I mean during winter

[hookedcook]

Water is colder there, right? I mean during winter

Absolutely, its not called cabo frio for nothing. But you have the baby lagoon and araruama which are shallow so stay a lot warmer than the beach. I'm from South Florida so all water below 80 degrees is cold to me. For the lagoon I just wear a thin shorty

[rnelias]

Water is colder there, right? I mean during winter

Absolutely, its not called cabo frio for nothing. But you have the baby lagoon and araruama which are shallow so stay a lot warmer than the beach. I'm from South Florida so all water below 80 degrees is cold to me. For the lagoon I just wear a thin shorty

Just a 2-3mm neoprene in the "winter" (we don't have winter in Rio de Janeiro ) and you're good to go... nothing absurd...

Here's Arubinha (Araruama's lagoon). The home spot of Reno Romeu (actually, here lives in Rio de Janeiro city, ~200km from Arubinha)

[hookedcook]

Top10 of

A simple question, have you been to any of these places?

[hookedcook]

Top10 of

A simple question, have you been to any of these places?

Spent the last year working in Mexico and flying back and forth to Brazil 3 times with my girl who can't fly to the US meet me in Cabo and Barra da Navidad. No issues no worries, just a normal life that doesn't involve internet statistics and safe spaces

[daspi]

I know this is about where to retire, but as posters have suggested, first go visit. Good advise.

I so want to visit Brazil but the crime stories kept me from going so far. It is probably overblown as you guys write. My worries circle around Police shake downs, abduction for ransom etc. I understand that everyday killings are often drug related, but as white faced non Portugiese speaking tourist I must stick out pretty badly. Don't get me wrong, I don't wear flashy stuff when traveling.

What would be the safest way to travel from Fortaleza to the spots north of it, like Paracuru or Jericoacoara? Which spot is better for kiting in waves and also which is the safer better experience for a first time visitor?

I would be traveling from Boston. Any suggestions about best flight connections are appreciated too. I see mostly 2 stop options to Fortaleza. I see direct flights from Miami or Orlando only fly from June to August. I would be inclined to go to Brazil in the late fall or winter month. Thoughts?

[Havre]

We just booked transport through the places we were staying. No issues. All of the different drivers just very friendly and service minded. Doesn't mean that it will always be safe, but as a Norwegian I would probably feel just as safe/unsafe in the US as I did in Brazil (I guess you always feel safer with what you are used to).

Jeri felt extremely safe. In for example Cumbuco you are definitely a bit more aware of your surroundings - even if I never felt unsafe there either. Some of the streets there are basically made for getting robbed though.

First time and if you want to go to the safest place I would personally recommend Jeri. And I doubt that any of the places that far North of Fortaleza is much different, but for that a lot of people on here got much more experience than me from that area.

[marioparacuru]

I know this is about where to retire, but as posters have suggested, first go visit. Good advise.

I so want to visit Brazil but the crime stories kept me from going so far. It is probably overblown as you guys write. My worries circle around Police shake downs, abduction for ransom etc. I understand that everyday killings are often drug related, but as white faced non Portugiese speaking tourist I must stick out pretty badly. Don't get me wrong, I don't wear flashy stuff when traveling.

What would be the safest way to travel from Fortaleza to the spots north of it, like Paracuru or Jericoacoara? Which spot is better for kiting in waves and also which is the safer better experience for a first time visitor?

I would be traveling from Boston. Any suggestions about best flight connections are appreciated too. I see mostly 2 stop options to Fortaleza. I see direct flights from Miami or Orlando only fly from June to August. I would be inclined to go to Brazil in the late fall or winter month. Thoughts?

You can do a tour as most of people, depending on the time you have available. You can hire a car transfer ($40 from Fortaleza to Paracuru) but I recommend you rent a car in the airport. Paracuru and Taiba are the only places for wave riding as I described in my post. Taiba it's a smaller town than Paracuru. We have a great night life in Paracuru Friday and Sat. In Taíba there's not such an option, the village is quiet and simple. From Taiba or Paracuru to Jeri another 170km. Jeri is super touristic, night life crazy although it's safe and beautiful. It's a must go. If you have plenty of time there's other spots like Icaraizinho, Ilha do Guajiru, Barra Grande, Atins. But no waves there. Wave paradise is Paracuru or Taíba although in Paracuru we have point break waves over a large reef (probably some 1km reef) and beach break options plus some secret spots in between taiba and Paracuru. It's awesome!

We all use WhatsApp to communicate. If you need more info you can reach me in +55 85 982242985

Someone said Rio de Janeiro? Well if the idea is to go kite, forget about it. Wind is far from good/constant there.