Morro do Careca

The Morro do Careca is a 120-metre-high coastal dune at the southern end of Ponta Negra beach. It is one of the most photographed spots in northeastern Brazil, and its distinctive shape — a white crescent of sand collapsing toward the sea — is the emblem of Natal. Access to the dune itself has been restricted since the 1990s to protect the vegetation on its slopes.

From the beach, especially in the late afternoon when the light is on it, the Morro is genuinely beautiful. The contrast between the white sand, the red-tinged soil at its base, and the dark green Atlantic forest on the slopes above creates a striking image. The view from Ponta Negra beach at sunset, with the Morro backlit, is the best free spectacle Natal offers.

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A story
The Morro do Careca (Bald Hill) was used as a sandboarding destination for decades before the authorities closed it to protect the vegetation. The closure was controversial at the time but the dune's shape has been noticeably better preserved since. It remains the defining image of Natal — the crescent dune curving down to the sea that you see on every postcard of the city.