Dunes and lagoons of northeast Brazil

Start your holiday in style with included airport lounge access before your overnight flight to Fortaleza.

Arrive at Fortaleza's airport where you'll be met and transferred to your chosen hotel in the heart of the city. Take some time to relax and freshen up before embarking on an afternoon city tour, beginning in the city's modern downtown area where you'll find many superb restaurants, excellent entertainment and a number of show houses. From there you'll head to the city's beautifully preserved old town, where you'll visit the old light house in Mucuripe, the Our Lady of Assumption Fortress, the Historical and Anthropological Museum, the magnificent Central Square, the city's former prison, which has been converted into a state-of-the-art tourist centre, the impressive Statue of Iracema, and the Dragon Centre of Art and Culture. Your tour finishes at Praia do Futuro and the famous artisans fair at Meireles Beach.

Stay: Gran Marquise (Superior)

Depart Fortaleza this morning in the company of your guide and in the comfort of your air-conditioned Land Rover. Your journey begins with an off-road adventure along the beaches and coastline west of Fortaleza, including Cumbuco Beach where you'll stop to take photos and enjoy some sand skiing. Continue to Paracuru and Lagoinha where you'll stop for lunch (not included), before visiting the Mundaú redeiras, where you'll enjoy a demonstration of traditional lace making. Watch the sun set from the top of a huge sand dune before checking into your hotel in Guajiru for a one-night stay.

Stay: Rede Beach Resort (Superior)

Depart Guarjiru this morning, heading along secondary roads and deserted beaches to Jericoacoara. Along the way you'll pass sleepy fishing villages and make stops at the beautiful beaches of Baleia, Caetanos and Icaraizinho. Arrive in Jericoacoara towards the end of the afternoon, check into your chosen hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. The following day you'll embark on a guided jeep excursion to the Azul and Paraiso Lagoons, famed for their crystal clear waters. Head back to Jericoacoara at the end of the day and climb to the top of one of the large coastal sand dunes in time to watch the sun set over the ocean.

Stay: Essenza Hotel (Superior)

This morning, after breakfast and depending on the tides, you'll journey around 40 kilometres via a series of beaches and tracks to a ferry, which will take you to the Tatajuba Environment Protection Area, located on the site of an ancient fishing, which has since been reconstructed after it was buried by sand dunes. From there you'll head across the Coreaú River to Barra Grande, where you'll spend the night.

Stay: Barra Grande Kite Camp (Superior)

This morning you'll take the highway to Parnaíba City, where you'll board a motorboat for a tour of the beautiful Parnaíba River Delta (Delta do Parnaíba), one of the largest and most ecologically diverse river deltas on earth. Throughout the day you'll stop to swim, take photographs and explore towering sand dunes before heading to your overnight lodge accommodation.

Stay: Vila Parnaiba Pousada (Superior)

Your journey continues this morning with a drive to Caburé Beach, in the state of Maranhão, a tiny strip of land in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Preguiças River. A motorboat tour along the Preguiças River gives you a closer view of the rich mangrove forest ecosystem before you head to your traditional pousada where you'll spend the next two nights. The following day you'll take a local jeep tour through the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park to the Azul and Bonita lagoons, set in the midst of vast white sand dunes.

Stay: Porto Preguicas Resort (Superior)

After breakfast you'll travel by air-conditioned van to São Luis, a round three-and-a-half hours away. On arrival you'll check into your chosen hotel before embarking on a guided tour of the city's historical centre. Although São Luis is the only city in Brazil to have been founded by the French, it's a veritable treasure trove of secular Portuguese architecture, boasting one of the most extensive collections in South America. You'll also visit the city's two most scenic beaches and learn about local customs, legends and folklore. Take some time to buy some last minutes souvenirs at the old Cânhamo Factory, which has been transformed into a vast and colourful handicrafts market, before enjoying an evening exploring the city's many bars and restaurants.

Stay: Luzeiros São Luis (Superior)

Transfer to the airport this morning in time for your overnight flight home.