A Complete Travel Guide for Visiting Natal in Brazil

Have you ever heard of Natal in Brazil? Well, while the south steals a lot of the spotlight for the best places to visit in Brazil, there are so many incredible places to explore in the north, especially in Rio Grande do Norte.

I first visited Natal in 2017 to visit one of my friends that I made working on cruise ships, and after my first visit I fell in love. Ever since, I have visited a couple of more times, exploring new things each trip!

In this article we're going to share all of the best things to do in Natal, Brazil, how to get around, and everything else you need to know to have an epic trip. Let's dive right in!

📍 Where is Natal in Brazil?

Natal is the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte. It is located along the coast of Brazil, all the way in the north west corner of the country.

Entry Requirements for Brazil

Whenever traveling to a new place, it's important to know the requirements for visiting the country. Here are a few of the things you need to know for visiting Natal, Brazil.

🛂 Visa Entry Requirements for Brazil

US citizens used to need a visa to visit Brazil, but now it is no longer necessary, and all you need to visit is your passport. 

Other countries that are exempt from needing a tourist visa in Brazil include Andorra. Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, The Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

People that are a part of the Mercosur region don't need to bring their passport in order to visit Brazil, and they just need to bring their ID card. The countries that are included in the Mercosur region are Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

Things to Do in Natal, Brazil

Now that you know almost everything you need to know about the basics of visiting, here are the best things to do in Natal, Brazil.

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🏖 Hit the Beaches

There are no shortage of beaches in Rio Grande do Norte, and Natal is home to many of them! Long stretches of golden sand, turquoise waters, and palm trees line the coast, making Natal in Brazil a great beach destination.

There are a ton of beaches, many of which you can find tables and chairs with umbrellas for shade, as well as fresh coconuts, snacks, and souvenirs being sold by local vendors.

Tabatinga Beach

One of our favorite beaches that is outside of Natal is Tabatinga. It has a few beach clubs for relaxing and grabbing a bit to eat, as well as natural pools formed by the rocks in the ocean. This is where our friend has her beach house, and is somewhere you'll find more locals than anything.

Another thing that we love about Tabatinga is that there is an area of cliffs above the beach where you can have a picnic or enjoy the sunset.

Jenipabu Beach

Just north of the city, crossing the bridge out of Natal is the beach town of Jenipabu. It has beautiful turquoise waters, long stretches of sand, and plenty of amenities and tours offered along the beach and the area around it.

Morro do Careca

This is one of the closest beaches to the center of Natal that is on our list of favorite beaches in Natal. It is unique because there is a huge sand dune that slides right into the ocean, making it a distinguishable location to check out.

The beach offers a bunch of fun water activities, such as surfing or stand up paddle boarding, making it the perfect place to spend a beach day.

📸 Take a Picture at the Natal Sign

While this isn't normally something at the top of our list, you can't help but take a photo in front of the colorful letters of the Natal sign right next to the beach.

In addition, there is a set of colorfully painted stairs right across from it!

🛍 Browse the Artisan Market

Want to grab something to bring home to your family and friends? Head to the artisan market where you can find local crafts and souvenirs! It is located right in the heart of Natal's Ponta Negra, and is easy to reach by foot from the beach.

🌊 Explore the Lagoons

Another wonderful landscape that scatters the area of Natal in Brazil are a number of lagoons. Typically they are found with full beach clubs including hammocks, tables, chairs, umbrellas, food, drinks, and more. They are the perfect place to swim and relax. Here are a few of them to add to your list.

Lagoa de Arituba

This lagoon is located south of Natal, and makes for a perfect place to check out if you are heading to the other beaches south of the city such as Pipa Beach.

Lagoa de Jacuma

Located in the dunes of Jacuma, this lagoon is packed full of fun activities like zip lines, slides, and sand boarding!

Lagoa de Jenipabu

This lagoon is located right inside the dunes of Jenipabu. We took a tour here, but you can also easily walk up to it from the beach of Jenipabu. It has a swing at the top, and beautiful views of the lagoon below. It is one of the few lagoons that you only admire from a distance, rather than relaxing or swimming inside.

Lagoa Guarairas

This is another great lagoon that is located in Tibau do Sul. Unlike many of the other lagoons, it is huge and has a tons of different areas that you can access. It's a great place to experience the sunset, or to hang out at one of the trendy beach clubs in the evenings.

Lagoa do Rio Pratagy

This is another great lagoon that includes hammocks, and has plenty of food and drink options near Patangui. It's a popular stop for dune buggy tours, although of course you can also go on your own.

Lagoa das Pedras

Lagoa das Pedras is a great lagoon for those that want to enjoy crystal clear waters, with less crowds. While many of the lagoons are have the majority covered by beach clubs, this lagoon is a bit more natural with a lot of open room to swim and relax.

Lagoa de Alcacruz

This lagoon will make you feel like you've teleported to the Caribbean. With light blue waters and fun beach clubs with hammocks in the water, this was one of our favorite lagoons in Natal.

Lagoa de Pitangui

This lagoon is located inside the town of Pitangui, which is a popular beach town north of Natal. At the lagoon you can find restaurants lined up with hammocks, chairs, tables, and umbrellas. The water is warm and perfect for relaxing and having a few beers.

💧 Check Out Cachoeira de Pitangui

While you're checking out Lagoa de Pitangui, there is also a small waterfall nearby. While it's not a crazy impressive waterfall, it is a really nice area to hang out in nature. There are chairs and tables in the water, and you can get fresh lobster and cold drinks served to you while cooler off from the Natal heat.

🏰 Visit the Fort

While the city itself of Natal doesn't have a ton of things to see in terms of historical value, it is home to a large fort located on the beach! Founded in 1599, it was the first milestone in the city, and can be visited from 8 am to 4 pm Tuesday to Saturday.

🏝 Explore the Dunes

Natal is known for its large dunes, and you can actually find a number of them in the area! The giant sand dunes usually sit high over nearby beaches, and are so much more than mounds of sand. Many of the sand dunes have lagoons inside, and touristic attractions and activities such as sand boarding, zip lining, and even waterslides!

🏎 Take a Dune Buggy Tour

The best way to explore the sand dunes in Natal is by doing a dune buggy tour, where locals ride around the dunes letting you enjoy a fun ride, and stopping in several locations.

Two of the most popular areas to take these tours are in Jenipabu and Pitangui. I've done both, and although I really enjoyed each one, I think that Jacuma had a bit more to offer, but is a bit further away. 

Dune buggy tours can be one hour, or you can sign up for a full day tour. We love the idea of doing a full day tour, so that you can get more bang for your buck. Some of them stay around Natal, and some other tours you can sign up to do the entire coast, including some incredible nearby beach towns.

Jenipabu Dune Buggy Tours

Jenipabu tours start from the beach, and take you to two different sand dunes- the moving ones, and the static ones. The first stop is at the top of the sand dunes, giving you amazing views of Natal.

Then the driver will take you to a lagoon with a swing, a viewpoint over the beach, and an area withe some cute photo opps and a tiny sand boarding station.

Here are a few excursions you can sign up for in advance to enjoy the dunes of Genipabu:

Pitangui Dune Buggy Tours

Pitangui is a bit further away (past Jenipabu), but it offers a variety of activities. Similar to other dune buggy tours, you'll be taken for a ride up and down the dunes, and it will include several stops. 

Some of the stops include sand boarding, zip lining, and gift water slides on top of the dunes! If you're an adventure seeker, then it's definitely worth making your way to Pitangui.

⛱ Relax at a Luxury Beach Club in Pureza

Pureza was once a town of poverty and a place no one ever visited. However, after crystal clear waters were discovered, this place was transformed into a series of luxury retreats. Now the waters are surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens and cabanas where you can spend the day enjoying upscale food and cocktails, while dipping in the pristine waters.

These clubs offer day passes, which you need to reserve in advance. They are pretty pricey, but definitely a unique thing to experience for those that want a special thing to do while in Natal.

Some of the top day clubs you can attend are Tao Paradise, Shui Brasil, and Paraiso das Aguas.

🪐 Check Out the Space Center

If you're heading south to see some of the great things to do outside of Natal, you can easily tack on the Natal Space Center to your list of things to do. This former rocket launch base is now a museum, and a fun place to pop in and learn about the different equipment that they still hold.

🍴 Have a Bite to Eat at the Food Trucks

If you're looking for a great local spot to hang out in natal, then the food trucks are an excellent place to go! With live music, plenty of seating, and a variety of food options, this is the perfect spot to hang out in the evening for a quick bite and to enjoy a nice atmosphere.

🛺 Take a Quad Tour

Want to explore some cool spots in Natal adventure-style? Well, a quad tour may just be for you! Set out on an adventure riding quad with a group, where you'll stop at lagoons and dunes, and ride around until the sun sets. It's the perfect way to explore, and see some of the best spots in Natal.

Here are a few quad tours that you can sign up for in Natal:

🥜 Check Out the World's Biggest Cashew Tree

Located in the suburbs of Natal in Brazil, Pirangi hosts the world's biggest cashew tree. Now you may be thinking- big deal right? Well, this tree has a circumference of 1,600 meters, which is the size of about 70 normal-sized cashew trees!

It has grown right in the middle of a highway, and continues to grow so much that the branches continue to cover a part of the road.

The cashew tree actually looks like a forest, and can be explored via a path underneath it. Located about 45 minutes south of Natal, it is the perfect place to stop if you plan on visiting some of the nearby beaches.

🌳 Visit the Tree of Love

Located next to the beach in Maxaranguape, this tree is a popular spot for people to visit, especially on tours. Arvore do Amor (the Tree of Love) is unique because it has two large trunks that form one tree with its branches. It is believed to bring luck to your love life, and is a cute spot to take a picture.

💦 Take a Day Trip to Rio do Fogo

Want to experience a true slice of paradise that is an easy day trip from Natal? Well, Rio de Fogo is definitely a place that you'll want to add to your travel bucket list. This sand bank boasts crystal clear waters, and is only accessible by boat.

Here you'll experience beautiful fish swimming around you, while waiters will be serving you cocktails served inside fruits. Rio do Fogo is truly a hidden gem of Brazil! Make sure to check out our article about what to expect while visiting Rio do Fogo!

🏊🏼‍♀️ Swim in a Coca Cola Lake

Surrounding Natal there are a couple of lakes that are pretty unique. They have waters that appear to be golden yellow to a deep brown color, which look exactly like Coca Cola!

Praia Prunau

This particular river is located right next to the beach. There is a beach club on site, and we were taken here on our tour that also went to Rio do Fogo. They have a slide, Zipline, and quad tours as well, and it is located about an hour north of Natal.

Lagoa de Araraquara

This lake we didn't get the chance to go to, as it is a bit further away. However, it is very similar to Prunau, and is also known as "the Coca-Cola Lake" by locals, lying hour and a half south of Natal.

This is a great stop to make if you plan on coming from Joao Pessoa, or plan to road trip a bit south of Natal in Brazil.

🌞 Take a Trip to Pipa Beach

Just 2 hours down the coast from Natal is one of the most incredible beach towns of Brazil. Pipa has great beaches, breathtaking cliffs, an adorably colorful town, and fun activities like paragliding, surfing, boat rides, and party boats. It's where locals flock for their vacations in the summer, and where many take a quick weekend getaway.

Want to learn more about the perfect trip to Pipa? Make sure to check out our Pipa travel guide that we've written!

Don't have a car or a ton of time? Here are some organized tours that visit Pipa from Natal:

Food & Drink in Natal, Brazil

Brazil is an enormous country, and there are is such a high variety of dishes that you can find throughout the country from top to bottom. In Natal, the cuisine has a lot of seafood, as it is a beach city, as well as plenty of tasty meats that you would find in other areas of Brazil.

Coconuts are plentiful, and super affordable, making them a staple for Natal as well, and you'll notice a lot of mandioca (a root vegetable similar to a potato) and rice based dishes, with thick sauces.

🍖 Brazilian Foods to Try

🍴 Favorite Places to Eat & Drink in Natal

Here are a few of our top picks for restaurants and bars in Natal, Brazil.

Mangai

While normally buffets aren't something we're interested in, Mangai is a beloved restaurant in Natal. With a traditional feel, and an incredible amount of dishes, this is definitely not your average buffet. In Brazil they give you massive plate to fill whatever you want.

Rather than an all-you-can-eat style though, they weigh the plate. It's still a great bang-for-your-buck and the food is extremely tasty. This is a great way to try the various dishes of Brazil in just one sitting!

Pao & Companhia

This is one of our favorite bakeries in Natal. It has a great variety of both sweet and savory options, and you can even get your own custom sandwich made. While it may not sound like anything special, places with high quality baked goods and sandwiches can be hard to come by in Brazil, so this is a true gem!

Food Trucks

The food trucks were one of our favorite places to eat in Natal. There are a ton of great options, but we personally recommend the truck with the crepes and the one with the shrimp-stuffed pineapple! (Just make sure to request that they devein the shrimp).

Where to Stay in Natal, Brazil

The best area to stay in Natal is in the Ponta Negra area. This is the tourist area where you can find easy access to beaches, shops, and restaurants. To find a place to stay in Ponta Negra, simply refer to the map below:

Other Things to Know About Visiting Natal in Brazil

Now that you know the best things to do in Natal, how to get around, and where to stay, here are a few other things to keep in mind while visiting.

☀️ Weather in Natal, Brazil

The climate of the north of Brazil is pretty tropical, and is hot and sunny year-round. From March to July is the rainy season, while the rest of the year is drier. The temperatures don't change much, and they average in the high 20's (Celsius) or high 80's (Fahrenheit).

📆 What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Natal?

Being that the weather doesn't change too much in Natal, there isn't ever a bad time to visit Natal. December to February is the summer in Natal, so this is when you'll find the most tourism in the city. 

Since Natal means Christmas, it's no surprise that Natal is a great place to visit in December. Around the holidays you'll find the place festively decorated, as well as great firework celebrations and parades.

🎒 Packing For a Trip to Natal in Brazil

Here are some of the things that you should bring on your trip to Natal, Brazil:

• Sunscreen
• Aloe
• Towel
• Bathing Suits
• Reusable Water Bottle (we use this water bottle from Cafago because it holds the temperature well)
• Flip Flops (we personally always get Havaiana flip flops, as they are comfy and long lasting)
• Zippered Bag or Backpack (to secure your belongings) - take a look at these backpacks for travelers!
• Power Bank (we use Anker power banks, as they are super long lasting and sturdy)
• Drone (We use the Mavic Mini 4 Pro because it's super light and doesn't sacrifice quality)
• Action Camera (we use the Insta 360 X3 because it's small & waterproof)
• Case Mate waterproof Phone Pouch (we use the Cafago Waterproof Phone Pouch)
• Travel Adapter (we use Insignia travel adapters as they are affordable and reliable)
• Camera (we use the Sony A7Riii)
• Standard Lens for a dynamic range (we use the Sony GM 24-70)
• Wide Lens to capture great panoramas (we use the Sony GM 14 F1.8)
• Telephoto Lens to make the landscapes more dramatic (we use the Sony GM 70-200)
• Tripod to get pictures while no one is around or for multiple shots from far away (We use the JOBY Rangepod Tripod)

🤔 Is Natal, Brazil Worth Visiting?

Natal is one of the most underrated destinations in Brazil, and has a lot of fun things to do inside the city and around. If you love a good mix of relaxing at the beach and a bit of adventure, you'll love Natal in Brazil as much as we did.

✅ Other Fun Things to Know About Natal in Brazil

Here are some random things to know about when you are visiting Natal in Brazil.

🐴 There are Wild Horses

One of the things that I was fascinated by the first time I went to Natal in Brazil is that there were horses right on the side of the road! Many are not domesticated and can be just found right in the wild.

🥥 Coconuts are Extremely Cheap

While places like Rio de Janeiro, Florianopolis, and other popular beach cities down south charge 10-12 Real for each coconut, you can get them for a quarter of the price in Natal! The first time I went in 2017 they were actually just 1 Real, and now you can find deals of 2 for 5 Real along almost any of the beaches there, which is pretty much 50 cents US!

😴 You Can Buy Beautiful Hammocks

Whether it's on the beaches or on the streets, hammocks are sold pretty much everywhere! Natal by far has the cheapest hammocks we've ever found throughout the Americas, and they are high quality and beautifully embroidered. We got our stunning hammock for just $25 USD, and you can find simpler ones even cheaper than that!

🤩 Natal is Rapidly Growing

Each time I visit Natal in Brazil it is more impressive! Tourism has been growing, there is a new airport, and the city keeps expanding. Make sure to check it out before it blows up and things start to get more expensive!

So are you ready to discover the beautiful Natal in Brazil? It's truly one of the most underrated areas of the country, and we're sure you're going to have just as much fun as we have every time that we visit.

Plan on exploring other areas of Brazil? Make sure to check out the rest of our Brazilian travel guides! Also, if you want to stay in the know for the latest content, as well as exclusive discounts on our products and services, then just sign up for our weekly newsletter! We give exclusive content, as well as perks that only our email list will receive.

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