Fortaleza, a coastal city 1,350 mi/2,175 km north of Rio de Janeiro and the capital of Ceara state, offers excellent seafood and local music, plus sizzling nightlife. It's a good place to shop for Brazilian handicrafts. There are several outstanding beaches to the north and south, but avoid the polluted beaches in town.
However, aside from a few museums and the very beautiful Theatro Jose de Alencar, built 1910 in art nouveau style, there isn't much else to see or do.
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