Genipabu dunes buggy ride

Plan on the whole day. Buggies take up to four passengers, collect you from your hotel in Natal in the morning and bring you back late afternoon, working up the north coast past Redinha, Santa Rita, Barra do Rio and Graçandu. The core of it is the Genipabu dunes, a protected park north of Natal where the wind keeps shifting the sand, which is why only drivers certified by the tourist board are allowed on them. The famous question is "com emoção ou sem emoção?": fast drops and climbs or gentle ones. With small children, choose gentle.

Along the way there are dromedary rides, a stop at the source of the Pratagi river, and the lagoons. At Jacumã you can ride the esquibunda (sliding down a dune on a wooden board into the water) or its cousin the aerobunda, and the quiet Lagoa de Pitangui is the usual lunch and swimming stop. Shared buggies follow a set route; a private one lets you stay longer where you like. The dune top at Genipabu is also a good sunset spot.