The Genipabu dunes are about 30 km north of Natal and they are spectacular — a vast landscape of golden sand hills that tumble right down to a lagoon and the sea. The dunes here are far more dramatic than anything around the city itself, and they are best explored by dune buggy, with a local driver who knows which slopes are safe and which will flip your vehicle.
The experience is entirely of the moment and thoroughly Brazilian: music playing, buggy bouncing over crests at speed, sudden drops into sandy bowls. You can arrange buggy tours from Ponta Negra or directly at Genipabu. The lagoon at the base of the dunes is calm and warm for swimming. The village of Genipabu has seafood restaurants where you eat overlooking the water.