The river mouth
A natural harbour.
Fabiobarros — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Haroldobruno83 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Luciano cta — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Haroldobruno83 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Saulorno1 (Saulo Roberto) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Saulorno1 (Saulo Roberto) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Mundaú is a village in the municipality of Trairi on Ceará's west coast, about 150 kilometres west of Fortaleza; its Tupi name means «river of thieves». Its eight thousand or so residents live from fishing and from the lacework that the village women make by traditional methods handed down through generations. The village is known for its setting at the mouth of the Mundaú River, lined by dense mangroves, where the river forms a natural harbour for fishing boats, including the small «jangada» sailing rafts that fishermen take out to sea. The beach itself is a peninsula sheltered by rocks, with calm water good for swimming and snorkelling, and dunes around it used for sandboarding. In the late afternoon it is worth visiting the lacemakers' homes to watch them at work. The village can be reached by a paved road, or by an off-road trip across dunes and lagoons from the Fortaleza side.
A natural harbour.
Sailing fishing rafts.
The women's craft.
Mundaú village at the mouth of the Mundaú River, Trairi municipality, Ceará
By paved road via Trairi, or by buggy across the dunes.