International Airport
Aerial Base of Natal.
Located virtually at sea level (169 feet), with favorable weather and geographic conditions, Augusto Severo International Airport in Parnamirim is 18 km (11 mi) from Natal. It takes its name from Augusto Severo de Albuquerque Maranhão, a native son of that state who died in an accident in France in 1902. The airport has a total area of 11.3 thousand square meters and capacity for 1.2 million passengers a year. The installations and passenger terminals are air conditioned with equipment that can put out 630 tons of cooled air. With an area of 5.5 million square meters, the airport complex operates with 16,482 square meters of passenger and cargo terminals and administrative and maintenance installations. There are 6,224 meters of runways and 61.5 square meters of apron space, providing connections from the greater Natal region to the main centers of the world. The airport is the only one in the Northeast Region to receive charter flights from Scandinavia.
[edit] Highways
BR-304 highway.
Federal Highway BR-101 is the most important access to Natal, coming from the South of Brazil, through the boundary with the municipality of Parnamirim. For those who come from the State of Ceará, o principle access is by the Federal Highway BR-304, through the boundary with the municipality of Macaíba, where you pick up BR-226 taking people to Natal. Leaving Natal, an important access to the southern Potiguar coast is the “Sun Route” (Rota do Sol) as RN-063 is known by, and which takes you to the beaches of Pirangi, Búzios, Tabatinga, up to the municipality of Nísia Floresta. The North Shore is accessible from the Newton Navarro bridge, following the Praia do Forte to Genipabu, and the Igapó Bridge, following the district of Igapó by BR-101 to Touros, and by BR-406 to Macau.
Natal is connected to all the 167 municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte and dozens of locations and Potiguar districts, through the Passenger Bus Terminal of Natal (Terminal Rodoviário de Passageiros de Natal), located in the Eastern Zone of the city. All the accesses to the countryside of the state are through the Metropolitan region of Natal, composed of the municipalities of Ceará-Mirim, Emaús, Extremoz, Macaíba, Monte Alegre, Nísia Floresta, Parnamirim e São Gonçalo do Amarante. Buses with direct destinations to various Brazilian capitols also leave from the Passenger Bus Terminal of Natal. The cities with regular weekly schedules are: Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Goiânia, João Pessoa, Palmas, Recife, Salvador, São Luiz e Teresina.[29]
[edit] Bus
Of course, buses are the cheapest way go move aroung Natal, tickets vary from around US$ 0.40 (most of lines) to US$ 0.80 (the line going from Natal to the airport). It’s possible to get passes or magnetic cards to pay before hand, but usually it’s easiest to pay to the conductor. There are big buses, micro buses and vans, all driving along the same streets, all charging the same prices. All the main touristic spots within Natal are well served by buses. People may expect to travel standing up on the big buses (not so with micros and vans), but very rarely will they be so overcrowded that people have physical contact with other people (in other Brazilian cities, a bus during peak hours reminds much a sardines tin). Tipical waiting time is 15 min during the peak hours, and up to one hour.[30]
[edit] Taxi
There are plenty of taxis in the city. Taxis are white cars and have a red plate. Fares are the same, regardless of how new and comfortable the car is. Fares are regulated by the government. As of today, normal prices are: US$ 2 to start metering, US$ 1 per km and US$ 5 per waiting hour. The only exception to these prices are the so called special taxis at the airport. From 10pm to 6am at weekdays, and all hours at weekends (and, depending on a decree by the mayor, all times during the month of December), there is a 20% increase in the above prices,[31] this is indicated by a number 2 showing in the fare meter. There are several tele-taxis companies in Natal.[32]
[edit] Buggy
The dune buggy is the vehicle used most to drive along the beaches.[33] Driving a conventional car is forbidden in some areas (for example, the beaches of Jenipabu) and, even where it is not prohibited, there is a high risk of getting stuck in the sand. Some operators offer tours in Land Rovers and other 4WD vehicles, these cars offer much more comfort, but buggy drivers claim that the buggy is more flexible. Riding a buggy, people feel the sun and the wind. Buggies are safe, accidents with buggies are much less frequent than accidents with other cars (most dune buggy drivers are certified by the Tourist Authority).
View of Port of Natal.
Naval ship.
[edit] Distances
- Recife: 287 km (178 mi);
- São Paulo: 3011 km (1870 mi);
- Rio de Janeiro: 2750 km (1708 mi);
- Belo Horizonte: 2615 km (1624 mi);
- Brasília: 2383 km (1480 mi);
- Salvador: 1100 km (683 mi);
- Porto Alegre: 4320 km (2684 mi).
[edit] Port
The Port of Natal is specialized in cold storage cargo such as fruit, fish and shrimp, among others. It has its own customs facilities and is connected to Europe by direct navigation lines, mainly to the ports of Vigo, Rotterdam and Sheerness, which allows great agility and reduced costs for the shipment of your products. Besides having a modern infrastructure, competitive prices and qualified professionals, the access to the management of the Port is easy, meaning less bureaucracy for your transactions.
