Ponta Negra

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Ponta Negra is the name of one of the best known beaches in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The large, crescent-shaped beach is located at the southern end of the Via Costeira, a major thoroughfare which follows the Atlantic coastline northward, linking the Ponta Negra area with the urban beaches of Praia dos Artistas, Praia do Meio, and Praia do Forte. Ponta Negra is home to the well-known landmark Morro do Careca, a steep escarpment once totally covered in green vegetation but that now bears a wide strip of sand, or "bald spot", marking where too many people have trespassed. The beach boasts an excellent infrastructure of hotels, inns, and restaurants as well as many bars and night clubs. The sand itself is lined with "barracas", or huts, that serve food and drinks to beachgoers day and night. The ocean water is temperate year round and its large waves attract many surfers. A narrow boardwalk inlaid with a decorative tile mosaic stretches between the beach and the road, vaguely reminiscient of Copacabana. A common sight on the beach are jangadas, simple, multicolored, local fishing boats typical of northeastern Brazil. Ponta Negra is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Natal, attracting many thousands of visitors a year not only from around Brazil but also from Europe and North America, among other places.