Natal is the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, on the corner of Brazil where the coast turns from east-facing to north-facing, and it is a city of dunes as much as beaches. Ponta Negra, the main beach district, ends at the Morro do Careca, a tall dune with a bald face of sand above the sea. According to the Prefeitura do Natal, the dune is part of the environmental protection zone ZPA-6, people have been barred from it since 1997, and the area belongs to the federal government under the control of the Centro de Lançamento da Barreira do Inferno (CLBI). A photo session here keeps it in the background.
North of the city, across the Potengi river, the dunes of Genipabu in the municipality of Extremoz are the classic Natal excursion: mobile white dunes, lagoons between them, and buggy tours that stop for a swim, with the esquibunda slide down the sand into the water. The Lagoa de Pitangui nearby has calm water ringed by dunes. At the mouth of the Potengi stands the Forte dos Reis Magos, a star-shaped fortress begun on 6 January 1598, a year before the city itself.
South, about 90 km away by the BR-101 and the RN-003, Pipa in the municipality of Tibau do Sul has cliffs, dolphins in the Baía dos Golfinhos, and the Chapadão clifftop above the Praia do Amor. Many visitors split a stay between Natal and Pipa, and sessions are planned accordingly, one in each.
Clients here are couples, families on beach holidays and a good number of Brazilian visitors from the south and southeast. The coast faces east, so the sun rises out of the sea between about 4:54 in November and 5:28 in June, and sets inland between about 17:15 and 17:42. Morning sessions at Ponta Negra and afternoon sessions on the dunes are the usual shape of a day.
The best hour at each, and what a professional session there needs in the way of a permit — with the issuing authority and the date it was last checked.
Praia de Ponta Negra and the Morro do Careca
The long curve of Ponta Negra ending at the Morro do Careca, its bare sand face dropping to the sea. The dune is a backdrop only: climbing it is forbidden, and the session stays on the beach and the rocks at its foot.
Best time
Sunrise, which lights the face of the dune from the sea
Permit
Public beach, no permit for a session; the dune itself is part of ZPA-6 and closed to people since 1997, under federal control
A star-shaped fortress begun on 6 January 1598 on the right bank of the Potengi river mouth, the oldest building in Natal. The cable-stayed Newton Navarro bridge frames it from the south.
Best time
Late afternoon from the beach, with the Newton Navarro bridge behind
Permit
The beach around the fort is public; entry and any rule on professional cameras inside are set by the fort’s managers, so ask before booking
Mobile white dunes with lagoons between them, in the municipality of Extremoz north of Natal. Buggy tours stop for swimming and for the esquibunda slide into the water, and the crest of the dunes looks back over the sea.
Best time
Mid to late afternoon, after the heat and before the 17:15–17:42 sunset
Permit
Reached by buggy tour from Extremoz; no permit for a personal session on the tour, and the dune trails are driven by local bugueiros
A calm freshwater lagoon ringed by dunes and native vegetation, a frequent stop on the Genipabu buggy route, with bars and restaurants at the water’s edge.
Best time
Morning, when the water is still and the bars are quiet
Permit
Free public lagoon in Extremoz; the lakeside bars set their own rules for their tables and decks
The clifftop above the Praia do Amor in Pipa, about 90 km south of Natal, with a lookout and a 25 m descent to the sand used by the buggy tours. It looks down on the curve of the beach and out to the sea.
Best time
Late afternoon, with the cliffs turning red
Permit
Public clifftop viewpoint in Tibau do Sul; no permit for a personal session
The Prefeitura de Tibau do Sul gives April to July as the usual rainy season on this coast, with temperatures staying high through it; the rest of the year is drier and sunny, and the dunes are usually windiest in the afternoon. September to February brings the clearest skies and the busiest buggy trails. Day length barely changes this close to the equator, from about 11 hours 47 minutes in June to 12 hours 28 minutes in December.
These come under the Natal rate: a photographer travels out at no extra charge, and the session is priced exactly as it would be in Natal itself.
Ponta Negra
Via Costeira
Areia Preta
Genipabu
Pitangui
Pipa
Tibau do Sul
Questions about photography in Natal
Can you climb the Morro do Careca in Natal for photos?
No. The Morro do Careca, the dune at the end of Ponta Negra in Natal, is part of the environmental protection zone ZPA-6 and has been closed to people since 1997, according to the Prefeitura do Natal, and the area is under federal control. Photo sessions use it as a backdrop from the beach below.
How far is Pipa from Natal for a photo session?
About 90 km south, according to the Prefeitura de Tibau do Sul, by the BR-101 to Goianinha and then the RN-003. A session in Pipa from a Natal hotel is a day trip, so it is usually booked for a day spent there, or for the part of the stay when the couple or family has moved to Pipa.
When is the rainy season in Natal?
Usually April to July, on the coast around Natal and Pipa, according to the Prefeitura de Tibau do Sul, with temperatures staying high through those months. Photo sessions in Natal still run then, rescheduled around showers, and August to March is the drier, windier and busier half of the year.
Next step
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