Jericoacoara Adventure
A trip across the globe where I found Paradise
This entry, unlike the others, isn’t purely about cycling. It’s about a trip I took this summer to a remote, stunning beach town in Northern Brazil: Jericoacoara. I had planned it a year in advance, as it was the location my brother chose for his wedding, which finally took place this past August.
Getting there was an adventure in itself—three flights, multiple time zones, and a brief layover in São Paulo, where it was winter, before finally reaching the warm sands of Jericoacoara.
Before the trip, I had done some research on Northern Brazil, scrolling through countless photos and, of course, scouting out potential cycling opportunities. However, Jeri (as the locals call it) is world-famous for something else entirely: kitesurfing.
Usually, I plan my travels meticulously, but this time I wanted to experience the place, the culture, and the people without preconceptions. From the moment I arrived, I felt an energy unlike anything I had ever experienced. My driver greeted me with a smile, and despite the language barrier—I don’t speak Portuguese, yet—we somehow had no trouble communicating during the 50-minute ride along sandy roads in his pickup truck. We talked about fishing, kitesurfing, and the wild donkeys (“Jumentos”) roaming the region. It was the perfect welcome to what would become one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
That evening, I reunited with my brother, sister-in-law, and friends who had arrived earlier. Together, we witnessed one of Jericoacoara’s most magical daily rituals: sunset. At that hour, everyone gathers on the beach to watch the sun dip below the horizon. The fiery red glow is met with cheers and applause, as though nature itself were taking a bow. It felt like the grand finale of the most breathtaking theater performance—except in this case, there were no actors, only the infinite ocean and the sun thanking us, as we thanked it in return.
Of course, no trip of mine would feel complete without cycling. On my second day, motivated to explore, I set out on a short solo adventure to Pedra Furada, a natural stone arch northeast of town. Renting a fat-tire bike—well-worn, heavy, with five less-than-ideal gears—I pedaled through Jeri’s sandy streets and into the trails of the nature preserve.
The climb was tougher than it first appeared. The sandy orange trails wound steeply through cactus-dotted scrubland, donkeys wandered freely, and hawks soared overhead. My legs burned, and I questioned my rental bike’s limits more than once. But at the summit, every ounce of effort felt worth it. From there, I gazed over a vast gulf filled with colorful kitesurfers, palm trees bent by the wind, and enormous orange boulders that made me feel as though I had landed on another planet.
After hiking a short trail to the Pedra Furada itself, I ended my ride with an exhilarating downhill, savoring the raw beauty of Jericoacoara’s outskirts.
It was a short ride, not even the reason I came to Brazil, yet it captured exactly why I love cycling: the chance to explore nature on two wheels, to connect deeply with a place, and to collect memories that stay with me forever. Jeri reminded me of the joy in simplicity—where life requires little to feel abundant, where nothing is taken for granted, and where the land itself seeps into your soul.
When I began writing this blog, I had no clear goal—only a desire to share stories and snapshots from my rides. But with each entry, I’ve discovered that this practice fuels my passion: to cycle, to capture moments, and to write them down. It keeps me seeking new adventures, new roads, and new connections with the world around me.
Closing Thought:
Traveling to Jericoacoara reminded me that adventure isn’t only about the destination or the miles covered—it’s about surrendering to the unexpected, embracing simplicity, and letting each place leave its mark on you. Cycling may have brought me there, but what I found was far greater: a reminder that paradise exists not only in breathtaking landscapes, but also in the connections we forge, the sunsets we pause to honor, and the freedom of experiencing life with open eyes and an open heart.
-Mike.
