Kitesurfing in Guriu
The shallow water spot Guriu is exactly halfway between Jericoacoara and Tatajuba. Kiteboarding takes place here in an estuary on the beach of Guriu, the so-called Praia de Guriú. Since the entire kite spot has standing-depth water, there are also regular courses for beginners from Jeri.
The spot offers only a small kiteable area at low tide and is therefore quickly overcrowded. However, many kite surfers are only passing through during a kitesurf downwinder. Hardly anyone spends the whole day here, and there is no infrastructure on site. No toilet, no coconut seller, no restaurant, hardly any shade.
Spot and wind conditions
The knee-deep kite spot attracts numerous kite schools from Jeri, which hold courses for beginners in Guriu. The distance to the first light waves in the sea is a good mile. Even out there at high tide, the water doesn’t go higher than your waist. Nevertheless, the majority of kitesurfers go back and forth in the immediate vicinity of the beach.
The wind, if it is not yet active, starts here at 11:00 am at the latest. Due to the course of the beach, when the wind comes from the main wind direction, it blows almost directly onshore to the beach. You should pay attention to this when kiting close to the beach. If you make a mistake, you’ll end up on the sand in no time.
Tide
As with all tide-dependent shallow water spots, ebb and flow has a significant influence on the size of the spot. At low tide, the fins of the kiteboard will not only touch the ground in shallow places, but also the available lagoon is very small. At high tide, on the other hand, a huge flat water lagoon is created, which is knee to waist-deep throughout. The best time to kite there is around 2 hours before to 2 hours after the high tide.
Dangers zones
When the tide retreats, the current is quite strong at the upper end in the middle of the river. In addition, there are a few larger stones in the river if you kite too much upwind. These rocks are easily recognizable, but in combination with the current they can become unpleasant.
Kitesurf Downwinder
A downwinder from here to Tatajuba is also suitable for average kitesurfers. The distance is 6.2 miles and the waves at the sea as well the shore break should not be a problem. The sea is quite peaceful here. Sure, there is more movement at high tide, but it remains relatively tame. At low tide the river mouth at Tatajuba has dried up and then you have a short walk ahead of you.
Spot overview
Guriu location description
The center of Guriu is less than a mile from the kite spot. Even if an almost luxurious accommodation was built not so long ago by local standards, the place is still in its infancy in terms of tourism. There are currently no more than a handful of accommodations, restaurants, a few grocery stores and two churches to discover.
Directions
Almost all visitors who come to Guriu go there by car on the beach. Most of them come from the neighboring Jericoacoara. To do this, however, you have to cross the river by ferry. These ferries, which are heavily frequented during the day, cease their service at nightfall. If you are still on the beach by car after 06:00 p.m. and you have to go to Jeri, you can get from Guriu via a 10 mile-long dust road to the main road CE-085.
Accommodation and restaurants
The number of accommodations and restaurants can be counted on one hand at this time. In addition there are three or four small grocery stores. You don’t have a large selection in Guriu. Very few kitesurfers will pitch their tents here overnight, as most will prefer the lively neighboring town of Jeri. If you are looking for absolute peace at night, you will find it here.
Additional Activities
There is nothing else to do here, unless you are in the mood for a photo shoot. A popular excursion destination especially for Brazilians is the mangrove forest on the beach of Guriu. You pass it automatically after you have crossed the river by ferry. A few restaurants and countless more or less kitschy photo motifs are waiting there for the perfect selfie of the daily arriving guests.