Fortaleza_

Northeast Brazil's Fortaleza sizzles under equatorial sun, with dune buggies racing along Praia do Futuro's endless sands and forró music thumping from beach bars. Nomads hack away in beachfront co-works with ultrafast internet, fueled by fresh moqueca. As a major Northeast hub, it offers cheap flights and a carnival vibe that stretches all year.

Fortaleza ( FOR-tə-LAY-zə ; Brazilian Portuguese: [foʁtaˈlezɐ] ; Portuguese for 'Fortress') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. Currently, it is the eleventh richest city in the country by gross domestic product and the richest in the Northeast, with a GDP of about 73 billion reais. It forms the core of the Fortaleza metropolitan area, which is home to almost 4 million people. History Colonial period Colonisation began in 1603 when Portugal was part of the Iberian Union, when the Portuguese Pero Coelho de Souza constructed the Fort of São Tiago and founded the settlement of Nova Lisboa (New Lisbon). Under captain Matthias Beck the Dutch West Indies Company built a new fortress by the banks of river Pajeú.