SARAH QUITA OFFRINGA: JERICOACOARA SURVIVAL GUIDE!
SARAH QUITA OFFRINGA: JERICOACOARA SURVIVAL GUIDE!
SARAH QUITA OFFRINGA: JERICOACOARA SURVIVAL GUIDE!
Every year, Jericoacoara draws windsurfers from around the world with its steady winds, endless sunshine, variety of conditions, and famously laid-back vibe. For multi-world champion Sarah-Quita Offringa, “Jeri” has long been both a winter training ground and a place to recharge between competitions.
After spending countless seasons in Jeri, Sarah has put together her ultimate survival guide…covering what to pack, when to go and what you can expect if you’re planning your own pilgrimage to this windsurfing paradise.
Photos: Nicholas Jones EyeSeaYou and Sarah Quita Offringa
PACKING FOR JERI: GEAR & ESSENTIALS!
SQ: “When I first started travelling to Jeri, I would only take my freestyle board and three sails. Over the years, I’ve expanded my quiver to be able to get on the water in all conditions! The north-east coast of Brazil is a water sports heaven! In Jeri, I very often go for a freestyle and then a wave session in the same day. We will freestyle at the “point” and then go for a jumping/onshore wave riding session around the corner at Malhada. I’ll have my 93l Board and usually use between 4.0m and 4.4m sails. And for waves I’ll bring my 82L and a 4.5m. You have got to be ready for those special days with swell!
On more recent trips, I also take my kite wave gear and some type of foil gear. Supfoil or wingfoil. With the tide changing so much there are so many options to spend your time on the water!
Jeri is board short and bikini weather, but the sun is hot! So I make sure to bring plenty long sleeve lycras. And for the early morning and late sunset sessions it could even be a good idea to take a neoprene top. I’m sure if you fly from Europe you wouldn’t need that though! Lots of Sunblock is a must, shades, caps…you need all of it!
GETTING THERE
SQ: “Flying from Europe is pretty straight forward. The fastest options that I know of are TAP airlines which will take you to Fortaleza via Lisbon, and then there’s Air France / KLM that goes straight to Fortaleza as well. This flights are around 12-15 hours travel to get you to Brazil.
Once you arrive you should have a transfer booked, you can organize this quite easily through some locals, or via the pousada you are staying at. A driver will be standing there with your name on a sign, load your gear in the pick up and of you go zigzagging through Fortaleza for about 45 minutes before you get on the quieter highways to Jeri. This drive takes about 4.5 hours including some pit stops for food and deflating the tires for the last exciting 45 minute drive through the dunes. These transfers cost about 120-150 euros in total, which you could share between 4 people. I would advise you to get some cash at the airport before because there are no ATM machines in Jeri! The nearest one is 45 min away in Jijoca. You can pay by card almost everywhere, but cash is still super handy.”
WIND AND WATER: WHAT CONDITIONS TO EXPECT!
SQ: “The best season is from August to December. September and October being the most consistent and strongest. In those two months I tend to sail 4.0m most days. From November onwards it’s still likely to be 4.0m conditions but there are some 4.4m days. The waves start picking up around mid-November. I would say about 1m on average, perfect for getting into your first loops and wave rides! And on big days it’ll go up to 2m. I would consider 2m a special day, which happens at least once every trip for me. On those days you can catch a wave at the point and sail it all the way down to the dune, that is such an amazing feeling! November is also the busiest month on the water! I’ve counted up to 60 riders sailing at the point. Towards the end of December the rain season starts and the wind is less consistent but there should be better waves for longboarding and some float and ride sessions.
What I also love about Jeri is the tide. Every week is different and you need to adapt. You’re sailing at the same spot, but it changes all the time! Some weeks favour freestyling a bit more, other weeks favour wave sailing or jumping at Malhada. All depending on the tide.”
WHERE TO STAY
SQ: “The typical place to stay in Jeri is a “pousada” which is a bed and breakfast. The breakfast is a highlight, anywhere in Jeri! My favourite place is Pousada Do Mauricio, it’s where I stayed the first time I came to Jeri, and I still do. Mauricio the owner is a windsurfer himself and loves to have windsurfers over. The location is perfect! It’s pretty close to the water and in the heart of town. They serve snacks right after sunset, which makes it a perfect gathering point for friends before going for dinner.
Besides that there is WindJeri, the owner is also a windsurfer! And then there is also Maria Theresa that has hosted many windsurfers over the years. She’s like our Brazilian mum. Another option is to get an apartment. There are some locals that own apartments. The nicest is to stay closer to the water. I’m not going to lie, walking through the sand from the beginning of town to the water is pretty exhausting and hot most of all! But in general, nothing is really far and everything is walking distance.
If you want to go more upmarket then Club Ventos offer the complete package with beautiful accommodation and beach club right next to the water where you can rent top of the range gear. The club also has qualified instructors, always available to offer lessons and guidance. If you bring your own equipment, they provide ample storage space in their Water Sports Hall to keep your gear safe.
COSTS:
Renting an apartment would be the cheapest, and you could find for as little as 500 euro’s per month. The pousada’s will be a little bit more expensive, but have breakfast included. There are also some hostels and smaller places that will charge from about 35 euros a night.”
A DAY IN THE LIFE: JERI’S DAILY RHYTHM
SQ: “In Jeri it’s all about pacing yourself. It’s a place where everyone can find something to do and enjoy themselves! It’s very easy to get caught up in all the fun, but the question is: Can you keep up? You can get up early in the morning and be super active, and around sunset time you feel that special Jeri vibe, the caipirinha carts come out, there’s live music and you can only wait and see where the night will take you!
A typical day in Jeri…
I’ll get up around 6:30am, go for a longboard / surf foil or supfoil session or some stretching at the beach if there aren’t any waves. Then breakfast can last from anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours! It’s always nice to catch up with friends during that time.
My first windsurfing session is usually around 11am till 1pm. Personally the best sessions are when the tide is a bit lower and pushing up to get those nice ramps.
Then it’s lunch time. The first year I came to Jeri, I overdid it eating, Açai bowls sometimes twice a day, so I actually don’t eat it so much anymore! But I have to say that it is a refreshing and energizing snack.
I love places like ‘Naturalmente’ because you have view on the spot, ‘the sandwicheria’, which is in the Wind Jeri Street nearby as ‘Kuara’, which has the most amazing buffet lunch. Then it is time for a quick nap before the evening session! After sailing, watching the sunset is a highlight everyday, either from land or from the water.
Right around sunset, the people start emerging outside and Jeri slowly comes to life. It’s always nice to stop at Maurizio’s for a snack to meet some friends and then go out for dinner. After that you can go out for Forro, Samba or to one of the more mainstream nightclubs! And the day after? Repeat. For as long as your body gives ha-ha!
Every body needs a time out at a certain point…there ain’t no rest for the wicked in Jeri.”
AVOIDING THE CROWDS
SQ: “There was a period after Covid, when it was very quiet on the water, but it feels like Jericoacoara re-emerged as a top destination in the past few years! Especially in November it’s extremely busy on the water. You need to pick the right hours to have a more relaxed session. Usually the people that are renting will get on the water around 11am. In September and October it’s windy quite early so you can have the spot to yourself. But I would say from 11pm-2pm is quite busy on the water. It’s windy till sunset so there is plenty time to get a session to yourself.”
BEYOND JERI: DAY TRIPS & SECRET SPOTS
SQ: “The great thing about Jeri / Brazil is that the whole coast is windy and has waves!
One of our favourite getaways is the lagoon, which is a 40-minute buggy trip away along the coast and into the dunes. This is the perfect freestyle training flat water spot.
Make sure to bring plenty of water and order a sandwich, because you’re going to be in the middle of nowhere for a couple of hours. The drive back during sunset will be magical! Just ask one of the locals for the phone number of a buggy driver and you’re set.
Around the corner upwind from the main spot you can score a wave session at Malhada! It is Starboard tack side-onshore and can be really fun when the waves are not breaking at the main spot. If the point is to busy for you, you can always go down wind towards the dune and the river mouth to catch the same type of conditions at the flag, but less crowded.
Finally, leaving Jeri for a couple of days is always refreshing. You can do a 3-hour car trip to Maceio, which they consider the Jeri of 20 years ago. There are less people there on the water. The conditions are a little bit more onshore than Jeri, so it offers a bit different type of sailing. I love Maceio, but coming back to Jeri feels a bit like coming home.”
EAT LIKE A LOCAL: FOOD AND NIGHTLIFE!
SQ: “Eating out in Jeri is amazing! There is so much to choose from. Seafood is great, the meat is amazing and there are many vegetarian options too. There are two delicious sushi restaurants, there’s a restaurant where you can get an eight-course meal or you can take it easy and go for more local food. Options are endless. Many times there will be live music which adds a nice Brazilian atmosphere to your dinner.
Some of my favourite places for dinner: Na casa dela, Naturalmente, Cocoanuts, Pimenta Verde, Tamarindo, Miragem. And then there’s a bunch of local places that you can’t miss while cruising through the streets.”
STAYING SAFE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
SQ: “I feel extremely safe in Jericoacoara. The locals are very friendly and within a few days of being there you’ll have your routine and you get to know the people around you, and they recognize you as well. You’ll feel very comfortable instantly. Jeri is a bit of a bubble where people just want to have a good time and be happy. I don’t think it can be compared to bigger cities like Fortaleza where they tell you to be more careful.”
GEAR RENTAL
SQ: “Renting gear at Jeri 250 and Club Ventos are always good options. Because then at least you will always have the right gear to get on the water. But if you are used to your own gear, I will always favour that. In the end you only really need one board and two sails which should fit into one board bag. That will cost you between 90-200 euros one way with the airlines. So you can do the math.”
CLUBVENTOS watersports – Windsurf, Wingfoil and Kitesurf Vacations in Brazil
JERI250 – WELCOME TO JERI250.COM
THE HARDEST PART: SAYING GOODBYE!
SQ: “Leaving Jeri is very hard! It’s always such a relaxing time. There are many transfers available to the airport, just ask at your pousada or a local friend. It will be a 4.5 hour drive back to Fortaleza. Since it’s a water-sport destination they are quite used to seeing the board bags at the airport, but I’d say they’re still pretty strict. So, make sure you’re not exceeding the weight limit on your bags.
QUICK TIPS
You should see Jeri as a water-sport playground! Yes, it’s amazing for windsurfing, but it’s all the other sports that you can do that make it extra fun! Especially anything foil related.
Get a taste of the Brazilian culture and take a Forro or Samba class.
These are so much fun!
Take it easy on your first Caipirinha’s they’re tasty and amazing but pack a punch ha-ha!
Catch at least one sunrise! A walk along the beach towards the dunes, or sunrise surfing session is a great way to start your day!
There will come a point where you’ve sailed too much! Just take a day off, get a buggy for a drive through the dunes and visit Lagoa Paraiso for a relaxing hangout so you can disconnect from windsurfing and at the same time get excited for your next session.
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