From Fishing Villages to International Recognition

Hey guys, Mikkel here,

Brazil’s Northeastern coast was not manufactured by developers, international financiers, or tourism boards.

Long before the arrival of foreign buyers, boutique hotels, and beachfront condos, many of these coastal communities were simple fishing villages built around the ocean.

Families lived from the water, local restaurants served what came in from the boats, and daily life moved with the tides. 

…and then the first outsiders arrived, and the next layer of the story began to form.

Kitesurfers, windsurfers and other adventure travellers discovered the coast because it has the kind of conditions that adventure seekers are willing to travel serious distances to find.

These travellers were not waiting for polished resort towns, global restaurant chains, or a fully developed tourism ecosystem; they were simply looking for strong wind and open water.

They may not have cared about their accommodations… but they helped put the region on the map.

Their arrival supported the growth of small hotels, local restaurants and transport providers, and a new wave of service businesses that began adapting to the demand.

…and this ushered in a wave of tourism from Brazilian families, and with them, the restaurants improved, small hospitality businesses became more professional, and the local economy started adjusting to the visitor base.

That is how Brazil’s Northeast evolved from a collection of small fishing villages into a region that is now beginning to receive international recognition. 

Now, the old “fishing village” identity has not disappeared, but there is clearly a new story forming on top of it.

The small coastal towns still retain their original character, but they now sit within a region that is becoming more accessible and more internationally understood.

Today, when I look at Brazil’s Northeastern coast, I see several types of demand beginning to overlap in a way that makes this region much more interesting than a simple “the beachfront is cheap here” thesis.

Brazilian families already understand the Northeast as a place for sun, beach, food, music, warmth, and a different vacation rhythm than what you find in the country’s larger, more historically well-known vacation destinations. 

Europeans now have stronger reasons to consider the region a viable vacation destination as more flight routes are opening between Fortaleza and Madrid, Lisbon, and Paris.

Lifestyle buyers understand the attraction because many people no longer want a second home in a sterile, overbuilt resort market that already looks and feels like everywhere else.

…and investors like you and me understand that this is an emerging market with all the ingredients to become a world-renowned destination, which means the market has the potential to reprice meaningfully as access, demand, and infrastructure continue to improve.

Project Updates From Our Coastal Developments

Hundreds of members from our community have already invested in one of the 10+ projects we have already launched, so I want to give you a breakdown of what has been happening inside three of the projects that are breaking ground soon.

The project plans for Porto Residences (Phase C) have been submitted to city hall, and we are now awaiting approval, which means the project remains fully on track to break ground in December (2026). 

Porto Suites is in the same phase, with the project submitted and awaiting approval, although construction is expected to begin a little sooner, with groundbreaking planned for October of this year.

Nova Beach Condos is running slightly behind on the front end because of the environmental studies, which are more extensive given the location and the sensitivity of the surrounding environment.

In a coastal market like this, especially in a location where the surrounding environment is a massive part of the value, the environmental regulations can take more time.

That said, delivery will remain on schedule, with the first six villas planned for August of next year (2027). 

Because this first phase is only six villas, and because our construction partners have multiple teams available, we believe the time can be made up during the construction phase itself, so we do not expect to delay the originally agreed-upon delivery date. 

The remaining units inside the Nova Beach Condos are on track to be delivered in the second half of 2028.

In my mind, construction really has three phases.

The first phase is permitting, planning, approvals, land studies, architecture, engineering, legal work, and the entire process of making sure the project can actually be built.

The second phase is land work and infrastructure, which means preparing the site, making the land buildable, handling drainage, services, utilities, foundations, and the practical pieces that most buyers never see but every developer has to solve before the building itself can begin going up. 

Only after that do you get to the visible construction, finishing, and ultimately, the final product. 

The funny thing is that the first two phases are often the hardest and most important.

Building the homes, especially concrete homes with experienced construction teams, is not the magic.

The real magic is finding the right land, securing it, designing the project intelligently, moving through approvals, complying with environmental regulations, preparing the land correctly, and doing all of that in a way that allows the project to become something with stronger future value than what the investor paid to secure their position. 

Simply put, these projects are moving through the behind-the-scenes work that has to happen before the visible phase begins.

Join Me in Brazil THIS September

The story of Brazil’s Northeast is much easier to understand when you see it for yourself.

You can read every edition of this newsletter and understand the general thesis behind our projects, but the picture becomes much clearer when you are actually on the ground.

You see how the old coastal identity still exists, even as more visitors, restaurants, small businesses, and new developments begin forming around them.

You see the roads, the beaches, the surrounding communities, the distance from Fortaleza, and the way daily life still moves along the coast.

That is why being on the ground matters; it allows you to understand firsthand that the coastal communities here are becoming better known, better connected, and more attractive to visitors, buyers, and investors without losing the character that made them interesting in the first place.

That is why this September, from the 19th through the 27th, I will personally be leading our next Expat Exploration & Investment Tour to Brazil’s Northeast.

During the tour, we will explore the region, visit relevant areas, discuss the investment thesis, meet trusted partners, review the projects and opportunities we believe are worth understanding, and experience the lifestyle that is drawing increasing attention to this coast.

You’ll see why one location may feel better suited to domestic tourism, another to second-home ownership and another to short-term renters.

We will also enjoy the beaches, the food, the culture and spend time in the Amazon jungle… I am talking about once-in-a-lifetime experiences that make these trips valuable beyond the investment side alone.

You will not come away knowing every detail of the region's future…nobody does. 

But you will come away with a much better sense of why I believe the current direction of travel is sustainable over the long-term, and why I personally believe this coastal region has significant upside potential. 

The fishing villages are still there, the local culture is still there, and the wind, water, dunes, and slow beach rhythm are still there, but the visitor base is broadening, the region is becoming better understood, and the projects we introduced to this community are already appreciating in value (you’re by no means late to the market, but the sooner you put capital into it, the better your gains will be).  

You can find the full tour details and secure your seat at ExpatMoney.com/Brazil.

If you would like to discuss the itinerary, logistics, investment focus, or whether this tour is the right fit for you, schedule a call with Melissa, my Head of Client Intake, by clicking this highlighted blue text here. 

Speak soon,
Mikkel