Things to do in Natal
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Natal
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
The driest sweet spot, sunny and windy with lower prices before the December holidays.
Hottest and busiest, with Carnatal in early December and Reveillon on Ponta Negra at New Year.
Hot with showers building, and a deliberately quieter Carnival than Rio, Salvador or Recife.
Rainy season, heaviest in this stretch, with heavy showers, greener lagoons and lower prices.
Sao Joao June festivals bring quadrilha, bonfires, forro and corn foods, despite the rains.
The hinge month, drier and windy, a good value bet before the September to January best season.
What's on
- Carnatal early December, usually the first weekend
Brazil's biggest off season carnival, trio eletrico trucks and ticketed blocos near Arena das Dunas.
- Sao Joao de Natal throughout June, peaking around 24 June
June festivals with quadrilha dancing, bonfires, forro and corn based foods across the city.
- Reveillon de Ponta Negra 31 December
New Year on Ponta Negra beach with fireworks, in the week of the city's Christmas Day founding anniversary.
Best things to do in Natal
Praia de Ponta Negra
Natal's postcard beach, a walkable arc with barracas, calm north water and the city's best people watching.
Morro do Careca
The forested dune at the end of Ponta Negra is Natal's icon, closed to climbing and best viewed at sunset.
Fortaleza dos Reis Magos
The star fort from 1598 where Natal began, with the 1501 marker stone and views over river, city and dunes.
Maior Cajueiro do Mundo
One cashew tree spread into a small forest at Pirangi, walked through on raised paths under its canopy.
Parque das Dunas
A huge protected dune and forest park with shaded trails, and the calm locals use between beach days.
Centro de Turismo de Natal
A former prison turned craft centre in Petropolis, with the best free panorama over the central beaches.
Aquário Natal
A compact aquarium and rescue zoo with a touch tank, Natal's best rainy hour and small children activity.
Arena das Dunas
The dune shaped World Cup stadium, worth the guided tour and even better on a match or concert night.
Where to stay in Natal
Ponta Negra
first trip, all-round base
The beach, the promenade and the densest restaurants and tour pickups, walkable at every budget.
Via Costeira
resort stays and families who will use the hotel
Large resorts with the best views, but nothing walkable outside, so every outing needs a car or Uber.
Petropolis and Tirol
repeat visitors, longer stays and quieter local life
Greener and better value near the park and centre restaurants, with Ponta Negra a short ride away.
Think twice about
- Mae Luiza
A favela community on the dune by Areia Preta. Do not walk through it or book sea view rooms there.
- Ribeira and Cidade Alta
The historic centre empties at night with dark, quiet streets and thin hotel choice. Visit by day, sleep in Petropolis.
- Felipe Camarao
An outer western district with higher crime and no visitor infrastructure. No tourist reason to base or wander there.
- Redinha
A daytime ginga and beach expedition across the bridge, isolated at night and far from Ponta Negra as a base.
Best restaurants in Natal
Manary Gastronomia & Arte
Natal's most refined table, seafood with Northeastern ingredients on a terrace at the quiet end of Ponta Negra.
Camarões Potiguar
The shrimp institution every visitor should eat at once, huge portions and fair prices in Ponta Negra.
NAU Frutos do Mar RN
Polished seafood in a nautical designed room, with strong cocktails and fish at Camaroes level.
Mangai
A vast Northeastern food hall where one lunch can cover carne de sol, tapioca, cuscuz and regional desserts.
Restaurante Farofa D'água
Carne de sol and regional classics in Ponta Negra, named for its moist farofa and loved for value.
Tábua de Carne - Ponta Negra
A proper rodizio churrasco in Ponta Negra, the meat night that balances a week of shrimp.
Casa de Taipa Tapiocaria
Dozens of tapiocas and cuscuz in a rustic taipa house, cheap, characterful and naturally gluten free friendly.
Mercado Público da Redinha
The canonical home of ginga com tapioca, tiny fried fish with fresh tapioca at plain market tables.
Outdoor things to do in Natal
Dunas de Genipabu
The essential buggy day over giant dunes, with or without emotion, plus lagoons, a ferry and dromedaries.
Lagoa de Jacumã
The buggy circuit thrill stop, with a zip line and dune slides that drop you straight into warm lagoon water.
Lagoa de Pitangui
A calm lagoon where barracas set tables in the shallows, so lunch happens with your feet in warm water.
Parrachos de Maracajaú
Offshore coral pools at low tide, a warm natural aquarium reached by boat about an hour north of Natal.
Parrachos de Rio do Fogo
The quieter reef alternative to Maracajau, with fewer boats, smaller groups and the same low tide discipline.
Praia da Pipa
Cliff bays, dolphins and a surf village south of Natal that rewards an overnight more than a day trip.
Lagoa do Carcará
The clearest south coast lagoon, with white sand and hammocks in the shallows on the 4x4 lagoons route.
Lagoa de Arituba
A large, gentle family lagoon south of Natal with barracas and shade, easy to do without a tour.
Best hotels in Natal
Vogal Luxury Beach Hotel & Spa
Natal's genuine luxury hotel, design led and beachfront on a quieter stretch of Ponta Negra with a spa.
Wish Natal
The polished Via Costeira resort for groups and celebrations, full service inside and car dependent outside.
SERHS Natal Grand Hotel & Resort
A grand European style resort on Via Costeira with several pools, a spa and full board friendly dining.
Manary Praia Hotel
A small art filled boutique hotel by the sand in Ponta Negra, with the city's best hotel restaurant.
Praiamar Natal Hotel & Convention
The reliable beachfront workhorse in Ponta Negra, balconies, big breakfast and a desk that sorts everything.
Hotel Senac Barreira Roxa
A hospitality school hotel on Via Costeira that out serves pricier resorts at a mid range rate.
Hotel Areia de Ouro
A friendly budget hotel metres from Ponta Negra beach, with two pools and a proper breakfast.
Natal Dunnas Hotel
A straightforward, well kept budget hotel in the Ponta Negra grid, walkable to beach and restaurants.
Is Natal expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | R$280 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | R$550 a person |
| Splurge | R$1,300 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Arena das Dunas: a few days ahead
- Iate Clube do Natal: a few days ahead
- Dunas de Genipabu: a few days ahead
- Parrachos de Maracajaú: a few days ahead
- Parrachos de Rio do Fogo: a few days ahead
- Praia da Pipa: a few days ahead
- Lagoa do Carcará: a few days ahead
- Manary Gastronomia & Arte: a few days ahead
- Book Maracajau and Rio do Fogo by the tide table, days ahead in season, and build the trip around those dates.
- Book private buggies, Manary, Vogal and Arena events days ahead in December to February.
- At Camaroes and NAU in season, go early or accept a wait at the bar.
Is Natal safe?
- Keep phones and jewellery discreet on the street and use phones inside venues, not at kerbs.
- Take Ubers door to door at night, including around the Arena, the fort and Via Costeira.
- Keep beach belongings minimal and watched, and use calm northern Ponta Negra water with small children.
Natal travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Book buggies and reef boats through a hotel or established operator, and confirm ferry, park and ride extras before paying.
- Price the Genipabu dromedary photo and reef photo packages once, then enjoy or decline without haggling.
- Skip the pushiest Ponta Negra beachfront greeters and the Cajueiro fair for main souvenir spending.
Getting around Natal: public transport and more
- The airport is about 40 to 45 minutes from Ponta Negra, so prebook a transfer or take an Uber on arrival.
- Uber is cheap and plentiful in Ponta Negra and is the right choice at night.
- Rent a car only for independent south coast, Pipa and Gostoso days. Never drive the dunes yourself.
Who Natal suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Natal your trip
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