Learning how to kitesurf in Cumbuco.
Being a surfer, my social media feed likes to propose not only surfing videos, but also kitesurfing content.
And one thing is for sure: North Eastern Brazil is thé area that keeps on popping up, with content full of world champions practicing their tricks in Cumbuco (check here for my foto portfolio on the pro´s ;).
Amazing and great, but definitely not for me, I thought.
However, when Europe started preparing for a new lockdown, I remembered I still had a flight voucher (see here for that adventure in Itamambuca in March, 2020), plus reduced remote working hours.
All of a sudden the proposal of some of my friends (Gracias, Kata!) to join, and start learning how to kitesurf in Cumbuco was becoming more and more tempting. After all, with a 95% wind guarantee in the on-season, what other place is there to learn.
And so I went, with an old 11 Cabrinha Switchblade kite that I had stored somewhere in my closet, off to the magical land of wind.
Where to stay?
I first booked for a week at Bada Hostel, in Cumbuco. Since I was planning on working a little bit as well, I wanted to make sure this was a good place to do so.
Basically, from the first day I arrived in Cumbuco, I loved it. It´s a small town, everyone knows each other, and daily life gears around the wind and water sports. Totally my kind of vibe!
Bada Hostel turned out to be the perfect place to stay (I mean, I booked for 1 week and stayed for 5, I guess that says it all), and I was by far not the only one working remotely as we were a bunch sitting behind our laptops at 6 am.
All acting like early birds, so that we can be done by the time the wind picks up and can go enjoy the wind in a worry-free way.
Within Cumbuco, there are different hostels with shared dorms (for those wanting to save a bit of money) but even more pousadas. It entirely depends on what you are looking for and your budget.
Many of them can be rented for the longer-term as well (because everyone ends up staying longer than they had planned to).
Other than my Bada Hostel, Indiana hostel is a popular choice among (mostly Argentine) backpackers. The Meeting Point Pousada has a dorm and mostly private rooms and a very chilled atmosphere.
For those who want a bit more luxury and have the budget to do so, Wind Town, Duro Beach, Villa Coquieros and Katavento have a prime location on the beach.
In general, Cumbuco is a pretty quiet town with some live-music events and the famous ´Rua´: a street with a bunch of bars for those who enjoy an intense night-live. Especially at the weekends, it gets quite busy with people from Fortaleza.
With my newfound group of friends we usually would organize little get-togethers as well, preparing bbq nights, or just eating together. Most hostels also organize this for any of their guests. No need to be spending much time alone if you don´t want to, here in Cumbuco.
And what about learning how to kite?
I had taken some classes back in 2015 in Lago Calima (Colombia), but for the past 4 years my kite had been slightly bored seeing only the inside of the kitebag. I, therefore, thought it would be a good idea to take some classes first. This way I would feel entirely comfortable going out there by myself.
Juan and Lucy, from Bada Hostel, hooked me up with freelance kitesurf instructor Guido Perrachio. They actually teach themselves as well, though were already fully booked those days.
Other kite schools in Cumbuco are Duro Beach and Kitecabana. Both located directly on the beach, you can either take some individual classes or go for a package of 10 or 20 hours (the minimum you need to be able to go out in a safe manner). After the refresher classes, I now felt ready to go!
I would always go into the water with friends, just in case something would happen. Not that it ever did, but it made that my mind felt more at ease. Also, most of the friends I had made were either instructors or actually professional kiteboarders. And though this really intimidated me at first, they ended up being the best teachers. Also, I was absolutely not the only one who was learning how to kitesurf in Cumbuco. And the final reason: fun is always better when shared, right?
What are the different kite spots?
The amazing thing about Cumbuco area is that you have two flat water lagoons (Tabuba and Cauípe) and a big ocean to choose from. Also, during low tide, the ocean also seems to be yet another flat water lagoon. So many options to practice.
To get to the Tabuba lagoon, you can easily take the bus in the center of Cumbuco (or along the main road leading up to Fortaleza). It costs you 3 reais (about 50 dollar cent) and they allow you to take your board and gear on board. You´ll most likely not be the only one 🙂 It´s also a great spot when you´re learning how to kitesurf in Cumbuco.
You can also take the bus on your way, enjoy the lagoon, and downwind your way back to Cumbuco on the ocean.
To get to Cauipe you can either join someone by car or buggy, or downwind from Cumbuco and take a buggy back. The buggy charges 80 reais and fits a maximum of 4 people. Cauipe is mostly famous with the pro´s practicing their tricks, it has a small area for beginners and intermediates as well.
To get to the sea, well, it´s basically right in front of you ;). The most crowded areas are in front of Kitecabana, in front of Duro Beach, and in front of Katavento.
Where can I find gear?
There exists a very lively Facebook group (Kite Cumbuco Brazil) where used (or barely used) kites, boards and everything else are being offered on a daily basis. I, for a matter, bought my twintip board here, as I didn´t have one. If you want to buy entirely new gear, you can find that in the shops of Kitecabana or Duro Beach. However, if you are already set on buying new gear and want to have a very wide choice, your best choice might be to buy it in your homecountry. It might be cheaper and there might be more choice.
What else is there to do in Cumbuco?
On walking distance from the town center are the dunes. Watching the sunset from here, with a mate, a tea, or a beer, while chatting with your newfound kite friends has no comparison.
Furthermore, there are some surfing peaks as well (not kitesurfing, but ´normal´ surfing). With the most famous ones being Pico da Alma and Icaraí.
I joined the little local gym for about 80 reais a month where I could train some other muscles than those used while kiting, and it also made that I got to know some of the Brazilian locals.
There are a couple of little bars that sometimes have live music, such as Bali bar, Armadillo and Nice Point. For eating out there are some places with really nice food, such as Muda and Secret Spot.
I actually was very happy eating the street food on the main square as well, which included rice, shrimps, salad, and beans (all for 7 reais, (about 1,20 dollar) or 12 if you wanted it with a big glass of juice).
My absolutely, absolutely favorite though was the Empanadas from La Juanita: full veggie options and just toooo good to be true!
Also, Acai. do I need to say more? I can only recommend: just try all the acai spots in town and let me know which one is your favorite 😉
So, here is a little intro to Cumbuco. I could not have imagined a better spot to learning how to kitesurf in Cumbuco. An area that has stolen my heart, gave life to a new passion, made me meet people I will cherish forever and above all… I will be back next season.
Even better, I am already planning some cool downwind sessions along the coast, and some other places to kite in the area as well.
Also, don´t forget to join the TribuKiteboarding crew, a group of kitesurf lovers in North Eastern Brazil (and beyond!)
Until then, I will go and discover some secret kite spots in Europe over the next months, so stay tuned for that!
