Natal isn't really the place to stroll around and look at the pretty old buildings. That's fine. Odds are you're here for sun and surf and some time on those famous dunes. So enjoy the beach in Ponta Negra for a day. Then rent a buggy and bugreiro (driver) and buggy up the beach and explore. Check out the monster dunes at Genipabu. Ride a camel, or a sand board. Head farther north and snorkel the reefs off Maracajaú. Try aerobunda where you slap your behind into a rope-sling and slide com emoção down into a rainwater lagoon. If that wasn't enough excitement, try sand boarding, tobogganing, dune hiking, or camel riding. Finish the day watching a glorious sunset over the dune tops.
And don't forget the side trips. If buggying gets in your blood, do a second day trip south to Praia da Pipa. Or for the ultimate in buggy adventure, do a 4- or 7-day expedition from Natal 800km (500 miles) north to Fortaleza. Or strike inland and see the otherworldly rock formations at Cariri, and 120-million-year-old footprints in the Vale dos Dinossauros (Valley of the Dinosaurs).
Centro Natal -- On the highlands above the port is the Cidade Alta. This commercial part of the city has a number of pretty squares that make for a fine stroll. The best place to begin is at the big irregular square on Rua Santo Antônio. There are actually four separate squares here, all melded together: Praça João Maria, Praça Andrè de Albuquerque, Praça João Tibuco, and Praça Sete de Setembro. The largest square is the Praça André de Albuquerque, dominated by the N.S. da Apresentação. Just across from the church is the Memorial Câmara Cascudo(Praça Andre de Albuquerque 30; tel. 084/3202-6425; Tues-Sun 8am-5pm; free entrance). One of Natal's most beloved sons, Câmara Cascudo (1898-1986), was a journalist, professor, founder of the federal university of Rio Grande do Norte, and author of the dictionary of Brazilian folklore; most Brazilian kids have read his stories of jangadas, fishing nets, and Bumba meu boi (a peasant harvest festival involving the death and miraculous resurrection of a sainted bull). The memorial shows the life of Cascudo and artifacts portraying the folklore he wrote about. It also houses all of his works and his personal library. The museum is very small, but admission is free and the proud staff (one of them is Cascudo's grandson) love receiving foreign visitors.
Parks -- The 3,400-acre Parque das Dunas [ST] occupies a huge swath of Natal, from the edge of downtown all the way to Ponta Negra. To access or better understand this intriguing ecosystem, a visitor center is located at the park headquarters, Av. Alexandrino de Alencar, s/n (tel. 084/3201-3985; www.parquedasdunas.rn.gov.br), from which you can set off on guided walks through the dunes. Entrance is R$2 (US$1/£.50) which includes the trail fee. (There's also a park library and exposition area, but neither is much use if you can't read Portuguese.) There are three trails: the Peroba trail is 2.4km (1.5 miles) long and takes about 1 1/2 hours. The Ubaia trail is 4.4km (2.75 miles) long and takes about 2 1/2 hours. The Perobina Trail is a mere 800m (2,624 ft.) but takes 40 minutes. Walks on the trails depart in the morning at 8am, 8:15am, and 8:30am, and in the afternoon at 2pm, 2:15pm, and 2:30pm. Participants must sign up for walks in advance.
