Natal (Brazil) - Natal (Brasile)

Natal is a city of Brazil, capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

To know

Natal today is one of the 8 most visited cities in Brazil and is believed to be quieter and safer than other large cities in the region and with a higher quality of life. Many rich Brazilians and they do not have a summer vacation home here.

The opening of the Via Costeira (coastal road), which ran for a long stretch between beaches and dunes, marked the beginning of the tourist fortunes of Natal. Even today the most renowned hotels are concentrated along the Via Costeira.

Natal is known not only for its beaches of Ponta Negra, Pipa and Genipabu, but also for its various natural attractions, such as the waters of Maracajaú and the largest cashew in the world, for its historical monuments such as the Fort dos Reis Magos (of the Three Kings), the Alberto Maranhão theater and the Newton Navarro bridge, and for its off-season carnival, the Carnatal. The city also boasts Brazil's second largest urban park, the Natal Dunes Park.

Geographical notes

Natal is located on the Atlantic Ocean, at the mouth of the Potengi River. It is the Brazilian state capital closest to the continents African ed European. It is in fact 32 km from Cape São Roque, the extreme northeastern tip of the South America.

When to go

Natal is characterized by a tropical climate with average high temperatures and an equally high relative humidity rate throughout the year. However, these conditions are mitigated by trade winds that frequently blow from the ocean.

February is the hottest month, with average highs of 31 ° C and lows of 24 ° C, while July is the coldest month with average highs of 29 ° C and lows of 22 ° C.

The rains are abundant (about 1,720 mm per year), but they thin out between September and January (dry season). The greatest amount of rain falls between March and July.

Natal is known as the "City of the Sun" and also as "The City of Dunes". Located about six degrees south of the equator, the city enjoys over 3,000 hours of sunshine per year.

Background

Natal was founded on December 25, 1599, hence the name. Unlike other northeastern capitals, it did not benefit from the economic boom following sugar production. Instead, it developed moderately and in an organized way, supporting itself with the state's livestock farming activities and on the extraction of salt and oil.

How to orient yourself

Neighborhoods

• South - The busiest area of ​​the city and where tourists are concentrated. You will find the Ponta Negra beach, the most luxurious hotels, shopping centers and restaurants.
• East - The historic center of the city, with places such as Forte dos Reis Magos and Ponte de Todos, beaches frequented by tourists and residents such as Praia do Meio and Praia dos Artistas. From here you enter the Parque das Dunas.
• North - Industrial and workers area which is also the most populous in Natal. Here is Redinha Beach which offers great views of the city and a typical atmosphere.
• West - A poor and somewhat shabby area, there is the bus terminal from which you can reach other cities such as Tibau do Sul.

How to get

By plane

• -5.76889-35.366391 Natal International Airport (IATA: NAT).  

How to get around

What see

• -5.756389-35.1947221 Fortress of the Magi (Fortaleza dos Reis Magos), Avenida Presidente Café Filho, s / n, Praia do Forte (under the Newton Navarro Bridge), ☎ 55 84 3202-2006. Tue-Sun 08: 00-16: 00. The star-shaped fortress is the oldest and most important attraction in Natal. It was built in 1598 to protect the coast from French pirates and during the colonial period it was perhaps the most important defensive work of the Portuguese possession.

Forte dos Reis Magos is surrounded by water but is accessible via a pedestrian path from Praia do Forte. For around 300 years, the fortress functioned as a barracks, administrative office and prison, and was for some time under Dutch control. The name is due to the statues of the Magi that adorn the entrance.  

• -5.759167-35.2044442 Newton Navarro Bridge (Ponte de Todos). The imposing bridge over the Potengi river, 100 meters high and 1.8 km long, connects the northern districts with the eastern ones and, given the height, constitutes a panoramic point of exceptional width.  
• -5.7854-35.20873 Capitoline column (Coluna Capitolina). The Capitoline Column is a Roman column, donated by Italy to the people of Rio Grande do Norte, in thanks for the welcome offered to the Italian aviators Carlo del Prete and Arturo Ferrarin. On July 5, 1928, these pilots reached the Potiguar coast, coming from Rome, after a flight of over 49 hours, without stopovers, covering a distance of over 7,000 kilometers. The column, a landmark of that company, has this name because it comes from the Campidoglio, in Rome.

Since the promoter of the donation was the dictator Benito Mussolini, the monument was sometimes considered a fascist symbol. During the Communist uprising of 1935, the column was toppled.  

• -5.785575-35.2089294 Ancient cathedral (Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Apresentação).  
• -5.78808-35.2059515 Catedral Metropolitana.  
• -5.925-35.1630566 Cosmodrome of the Barreira do Inferno (The property is 7.5 miles from Natal). It is the first rocket launching base in South America, having been built in 1965.  

Parks

• -5.82-35.1877787 State Park of the Dunes of Natal (Parque Estadual Dunas de Natal).  

Events and parties

• June holidays (Festa Junina). June. These are the feasts in honor of San Giovanni introduced by Portuguese. While in Portugal June feasts celebrate the summer solstice, in Brazil celebrate the winter solstice. The celebrations traditionally begin after 12 June, the eve of St. Anthony's day, and last until 29, the day of St. Peter and Paul. During these fortnight, bonfires are lit and street performances of traditional dances are put on, enlivened by fireworks. Makeshift stands prepare local food and drinks.

As for the carnival, the participants dress up but only with costumes of the local rural tradition. Festa Junina is celebrated in many other urban centers of the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The most famous one takes place in the city of Mossoró. 

• Carnatal. December. Carnival out of season in early December which takes place at the Arena das Dunas.  

What to do

Beaches

• -5.87804-35.174191 Ponta Negra. The favorite beach for locals and passing tourists. The neighborhood of the same name extends close to the beach, the most exclusive in Natal. Ponta Negra has all the possible infrastructure imaginable. The ocean waters are calmer than anywhere else. 

• -5.78707-35.189192 Areia Preta, Avenida Gov. Silvio Pedrosa. 
• -5.78009-35.193223 Praia dos Artistas, Avenida Presidente Café Filho. 
• -5.77342-35.194454 Praia do Meio, Avenida Presidente Café Filho. 
• -5.7631-35.19625 Praia do Forte. 
• -5.745-35.2033336 Redinha.  

Shopping

How to have fun

Shows

• -5.77954-35.20471 Alberto Maranhão Theater.  
• -5.82681-35.212362 Arena das Dunas. Football stadium built in 2011 where Machadão Stadium and Machadinho Gym once stood in the city of Natal in Brazil. The project was developed by the American architectural firm Populus. Since the end of the World Cup, the stadium has been in a state of total disuse, so much so that it has been put up for sale by the company that manages it, OAS.  

Night clubs

• -5.86575-35.183793 Wanted Pub, Rua Pedro Fonseca Filho, 10000 (Ponta Negra). Thu-Sat 21: 00–05: 00. Pub with live music. 

Where to eat

Where stay

Safety

How to keep in touch

Around

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Natal (Brazil)
• Commons contains images or other files on Natal (Brazil)

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