Find Inspiration for your next kitesurf trip
Search our latest articles & news and get inspired! If you need more information or would like to book a holiday you can call and speak to a kitesurf travel expert on +44 (0)1273 921 001.
Search our latest articles & news and get inspired! If you need more information or would like to book a holiday you can call and speak to a kitesurf travel expert on +44 (0)1273 921 001.
We are excited to announce the opening of the new Casana Hotel, located on Preá Beach, near one of Brazil’s most beautiful national parks, in Ceara state. The region is famous for its white sands, undulating dunes, shimmering lagoons and great conditions for wind sports, making it one of the planet’s hottest spots for kitesurfing.
This hotel boasts luxurious and yet unpretentious facilities combined with a personal, caring service. Casana is an inventive name that combines the words Casa (Home) and Cabana (Bungalows). Being a small property, the hotel managers, Paula and Bruno, have passed on to the team the philosophy behind the Casana: To make each guest feel at home. The staff is the soul of the hotel and they interact with the guests in a subtle way, not being over-attentive. The food and experiences all add to the holiday and every small detail will surpass your expectations!
Here are just a few of the things that make the Casana Hotel so special.
Casana is located in Prea, a beach village in the outskirts of Jericoacoara National Park, the main tourist attraction of the region. This 8,800-hectare park has virgin beaches hidden behind white sand dunes, grasslands, blue lagoons and mangrove forests.
Inside the park is Jericoacoara village, affectionately nicknamed Jeri. The unpaved town invites you to be barefoot, offering trendy bars, restaurants, souvenirs shops and an exhilarating nightlife. Due to its recent popularity and restriction for expansion, because it is in the national park, Jeri is reaching its full accommodation capacity. Demand during the high season quickly sells out hotels, and booking is recommended to be done way in advance. From July to December, the peak of kite season, Jeri looses its bucolic flair to be a party destination gathering a young crowd.
If travellers are looking for some peace of mind and tranquillity, Prea Beach is the best place to stay. An alternative to Jeri, and just 10km off-road from the hype village, Prea is a genuine fishermen community, as the majority of its population still lives from the practice and agriculture – just a short walk on the beach, you can observe them working on the fishing nets and boats in the same way they have been doing for generations. The village is very rustic and it is here in this simple natural place that you will find the most splendid hotel in Brazil.
Jeri’s popularity increased after the reopening of the airport in 2017. Gol, Azul and LATAM fly there with a frequency that changes according to high and low season. The Airport is in Jijoca, just 33km away. The transfer to Preá takes about 20min in 4×4 vehicle.
The other option is Fortaleza international airport, which is a hub for Gol and receives direct international flights. Located more than 300km away, it takes approximately 4,5hs to get to Preá by road.
Arriving at the Casana Hotel, there is no check-in procedure; just go straight into your bungalow, where the check-in form is laid on the working station to be filled out at your own convenience. The hotel’s daily rate is full board and also includes some items of the minibar and snacks offered throughout the day. Only alcoholic beverages, tour experiences, spa services, the kite shop and classes are considered incidentals and shall be paid upon check out.
The philosophy of the hotel is to make you feel at home. More than a hotel, the property has the right size and service to be rented as a private villa for families or close friends looking for privacy and attentive service in a place to reconnect with nature. The property offers only 8 distinct bungalows.
The rooms are sleek and elegant with a pale palette that blends perfectly with the natural fibers and wooden furniture. Rooms have a state of art technology, with a touch screen panel, where you control the entire room at your fingertips – whether you want to dim the lights, turn on the fan, adjust the air conditioning temperature or even open the electric curtains to admire the ocean view without stepping out of the bed. Every bungalow has a couple of hammocks and double sunbed which invites you to relax.
Large sliding glass doors in the front and side of the room allow the fresh sea breeze into the room. As the night falls, it’s recommended to close down the doors as small nocturnal animals, especially tree frogs, may enter the room. You can turn on the air conditioning or the ceiling fan for your comfort. Each room has an electronic safe, a kettle, a Nespresso machine, a large Satellite TV, Wifi and telephone. Toiletries are Clarins, which are replenished upon use. There is a special selection of lip balm, facial cream, massage oil and bath salt produced in a small scale by a Brazilian organic brand called Persea. Packed cool towels, an extra toiletry shower kit, comb, vanity kit, sewing kit and hairdryer are also at your disposal.
In your room, you find a large drawer of sweet treats for kids as skittles, gummy bears and M&Ms as well as other genuine Brazilian snacks; organic cereal bars and gluten free pretzels are also available for those who care for a healthy diet. The in-room amenity highlight is the tea service, which has a unique selection of tea to be served in a charming glass tea set. Count on Gustavo, the hotel bartender, who is also a tea sommelier, to suggest the perfect tea blend for any occasion. The amenities are free of charge and consumption is included in the daily rate.
The bungalows are built individually and spread out on the property, all located at the ground level. The closest to the public area are the suites and the bunk bedroom and you may loose a bit of privacy if you have your curtains open. The master and pool master suites are the ones closest to the ocean, which ensure more privacy due to the distance. There is no adjoining room connected by doors. The two-bedroom master suite is designed for couples travelling with children. The arrangement gives an ample space to spread out, however, these are two separate rooms: one 100m² and the other 35m². The main room accommodates two adults on a king-size bed, generous indoor/outdoor bathroom complete with jacuzzi and an inviting ocean-facing deck with double sun bed and hammocks. The children’s room, connected via the deck, includes twin beds and an indoor bathroom.
Chef Renato Machado runs the fully equipped kitchen with mastery. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily and, every day, a brand new 3-course menu is presented by the hotel host to be selected in advance. Breakfast service is a la carte and it will be hard to choose your favourite among all the breads, cookies, cakes and tapiocas on offer, all of which are homemade. Organic eggs come from a nearby producer, which allows the chef to make a close to perfection eggs benedict.
There is a common living room that is integrated into the dining room. The lounge pool bar with its mesmerizing ceiling becomes your daily meeting point, overlooking the infinity black pool. The hotel architecture is very organic and all public areas are integrated in a very harmonic way. The hotel operates on a full board meal plan and all snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are already included in the daily rate. Breakfast service starts from 6am to 10am and lunch and dinner service are adapted to your tour schedule, you just have to keep in mind that the kitchen closes at 11pm. The open kitchen is integrated with the dining room and the spectacular wine cellar. With large glass windows facing the ocean, a unique high ceiling and specially designed wooden fans, the airy dining room has two large tables for up to 8 guests and four square tables of 4. All three main meals are served here. For long stay guests, the hotel partners with the best restaurants in the region for a dine-around experience.
The Kite beach bar lounge faces the ocean and is the meeting point for “Kite-lover” guests who come to the region to practice the sport. This informal dining space serves nutritious snacks and drinks and is one of the best spots to admire the sunset. Duotone supplies the kite equipment available for rental and the friendly instructors are available to assist you at all times, offering classes for the anyone who wants to learn how to kitesurf.
The Lounge Pool Bar faces the pool and the beach and invites you to admire the unspoiled views while you sip creative drinks, expertly crafted from local ingredients, by the mixologist Gustavo.
A cosy bungalow is denominated the Massage room, featuring only two massage beds for couples to indulge themselves in the various relaxing treatments rich in native Brazilian organic ingredients. An in-room massage service is also provided.
The gym bungalow overlooks the hotel and offers treadmills, free weights and other workout equipment.
The cube is the friendly name given to the private business room available for those in need to work part-time. It is essentially a boardroom set up with high-speed internet, printer and conference call facilities. You can work admiring the panoramic views of the hotel or simply close the glass windows for total privacy.
The hotel has well-kept gardens, a mix of multicoloured vegetation and regional flower plants that are spread all over the property.
The black infinity pool is 1,3 metres deep and there is also a smaller pool for kids. Enjoy the ocean views or simply gather by the nearby Lounge Bar for drinks. Hammocks are also available by the pool deck, overlooking the ocean.
In the heart of the hotel garden, the firepit is an invitation for a night under the stars.
The hotel offers unique spots to admire the sunset, the observation tower offering the best views of the property and the beach. As the sun melts into the ocean, the attentive staff serve champagne paired with local nuts and assorted chips.
Casana Hotel offers some unique experiences that reflect their local knowledge and the staff have a good sense of what to recommend to the most discerning guests, taking you to lesser-known attractions.
Transportation within the region must be done in 4×4 vehicles and this is how you will reach the two must famous lagoons of Jericoacoara National Park: Azul and Paraíso (Blue and Paradise). Due to the intense rains of the past five years, these two lagoons have become one. Relax by the calm warm waters, unwinding on the submersed hammocks while tasting the Chef’s creation called CajaGin – a fusion of gin with a local yellow sweet berry called Caja – not to be missed!
4×4 vehicles can also take you along the coast towards the neighbouring village of Barrinha, a less famous destination that features many beautiful lagoons. Alternatively, enjoy an ATV Ride to Tatajuba Lagoon. This is an adventurous half-day tour driving off-road rally utility task vehicles, following a local guide from the beach into mangroves, passing by cute little donkeys, rallying up and down sand dunes towards the final destination – Tatajuba lagoon. Here the main attractions are the zip line and board sliding.
Prea is located in Ceara State, Northeast Brazil, with a tropical climate, presenting high temperatures and high relative humidity throughout the year. The rainy season lasts from March to the end of May and is best avoided. The dry season comes together with the intense wind, from July to the end of December – this is the best time for kitesurfing. During these months you can expect a high demand.
The Casana Hotel is establishing itself as one of the most luxurious hotels in Brazil, conceived under the international standards of high-end properties as those found in the Maldives, without losing the regional flair that is very well represented in its flavours and local art crafts. Contact us today to start planning your kitesurfing holiday to Brazil and your stay at this fabulous hotel!