Natal City Information
Natal is the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte State and is situated in the North East region of Brazil between the States of Paraíba to the south and Ceará to the north.
Its international airport, excellent hotels, tourist facilities and services stand out in the region, and greet the tourists who arrive at the city at a rate of more than 500,000 per year.
With 656,000 inhabitants (1996), Natal is situated 297 km from Recife, 2625 km from Rio de Janeiro and 2507 km from Brasilia.
Natal has always been part of the Brazilian history. Conquered by the Dutch, Natal was called "New Amsterdam" until the Portuguese took it back. During World War II, it was called "the spring board of victory", as it worked as a base for the allies that used to gather there and head for battles in North Africa.
Known as the "City of the Sun", full of dazzling landscapes, Natal has a mild climate and 300 days of summer. According to NASA, it has the purest air of the Americas. Among the amenities of the city are hot water baths, ship rides that take you to natural pools in open sea, and thrilling buggy rides down in Genipabu sands. The state also offers 416 km of beautiful beaches where you can even see and swim with the dolphins that frequent the shores, especially in regions close to Praia da Pipa and Tibau do Sul.
There are regular flights from Europe direct to Natal. Several daily flight connections to Natal from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are available. Every day São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro receive international flights from several countries around the world.