Brazil’s fifth largest state capital, Fortaleza, has a population of over 2 million and over the years has evolved into a modern city. Its fine beaches make it a favourite holiday destination for both Brazilian and foreign visitors. But Fortaleza is much more than a prosperous city with beautiful beaches: within lies a throbbing historical and cultural heart replete with magnificent colonial buildings, squares, monuments and craft centres.

The centre of the relatively young city bustles with commerce in and around the central marketplace – Fortaleza offers some of the best shopping in Brazil, especially for clothes, hammocks and handicrafts. One highlight is the combined Tourist Centre and Museum of Folk Art and Culture, an historic building overlooking the sea, where a wide range of modern and traditional crafts from all over Ceará state is sold. From here, you continue to the nearby José de Alencar Theatre, with its elegant Edwardian ironwork, Martyrs’ Square and the magnificent Metropolitan Cathedral.

In addition to Fortaleza’s historical and cultural attractions, the excursion takes in the fine beaches of Meireles, Iracema and Futuro, the latter being lined with excellent seafood restaurants.