The three provinces on the northeast coast of Brazil—Ceará, Maranhão, and Piauí—are largely agricultural, with scattered pockets of development. Traveling toward the extraordinary beaches is erratic and challenging; deeply rutted sand tracks wind among palm groves and dunes. Multiple river crossings, rain squalls, and even high tide can turn a few miles as the crow flies into a half-day expedition.

The very remoteness and wildness that make this coast so appealing also mean that there are fewer of the amenities associated with modern tourism. This is a good thing. Usually even the most humble local pousada, if it is located in an isolated spot, will have a restaurant attached.

High season in Ceará and Piauí is generally December through February, when the European windsurfing contingent descends on Jericoacoara. Maranhão is best right after the rainy season—which typically ends in May—when the spaces between the dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park are full of clear freshwater.

The country code is 55. Prices quoted are for May 2008.

TOURING
Trip da Areia designs customized tours with knowledgeable and resourceful local guides like Acidilio Ramos (81-9999-6660; tripdaareia.com.br; 9-day custom tours from about $5,000 per person). Ramos also works with Camel Tour Turismo Off Road, which specializes in coastal trips, has a fleet of comfortable and reliable Land Rovers, and will arrange activities like birding, horseback riding, and windsurfing (85-3485-4822; cameltour.com.br; 7-day Lençóis Maran-henses trip, $3,550 per person).

CEARÁ
A magnet for European windsurfing fanatics—owing to trade winds that develop punctually by midmorning and blast steadily well past sundown—the state is known for its magnificent beaches, which run uninterrupted from Fortaleza to the Parnaíba Delta. The modern capital city of Fortaleza has many slick comforts and is a popular entry point to the northeast coast, with flights from Brazilian and European hubs. The Hotel Luzeiros, across from the waterfront, has clean, well-appointed rooms with AC and a pool. The higher floors have ocean views (85-4006-8586; doubles, $150–$168).

The pleasant village of Flexeiras, about 90 miles west, has become a favorite escape for Fortaleza residents, who come for the stunning beaches and upscale resorts. The best of these is the 24-room Rede Beach Resort, which, in addition to virgin coastline, has a spa, tennis courts, and an excellent oceanfront restaurant (85-9198-3635; doubles, $92–$102; entrées for two, $15–$30).

Jericoacoara, or "Jeri," a village in an environmentally protected enclave 200 miles west of Fortaleza, began luring sophisticates more than a decade ago. It recently acquired electricity, but still the streets are sand, fishing is the basis of the economy, and farm animals roam freely. The best lodging is at Vila Kalango, a remarkable cross between Swiss Family Robinson and Restoration Hardware. Set in a coconut grove at the edge of the sea, the rooms are a series of isolated brick towers with thatched roofs, wood floors, ceiling fans, and modern plumbing. There is a swimming pool, a windsurf rental shop, and a herd of horses in the corral (88-3669-2289; doubles, $123–$240). The beach at the rustic village of Preá, just 15 minutes east of Jeri, is famous for its perfect windsurfing conditions. Access requires a dune buggy or a jeep.

MARANHÃO
Anchored by the gateway city of São Luís, Maranhão is known mostly for the fantastical Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. The restored Portas da Amazónia is an early-19th-century inn with modern conveniences that do not interfere with its simple, dignified charm. In June, the high-water mark of cultural festivities, there's nightly African drumming. The courtyard restaurant serves a lavish Brazilian breakfast (98-3222-9937; doubles, $82–$110).

Tiny and remote Caburé, between Lençóis Maranhenses and Parnaíba Delta, is accessible only by boat. With the Rio Preguiças on one side and the Atlantic on the other, it is a sand-spit intersection that seems completely disconnected from civilization. The wide-open Pousada do Buriti is a rustic resort—no phones, no TV—with eight cabins, each with a porch and a hammock, and a great outdoor restaurant serving the day's catch (98-3349-1338; pousadadoburiti.com.br; doubles, $110; entrées for two, $12–$22).

It's a long jeep ride through rugged, swampy terrain to get to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park—1,200 square miles of towering dunes and in May and June, clear freshwater lakes. No vehicles are allowed in the park, so all exploring must be done on foot. Bring water, sunscreen, and protective clothing (parquelencois.com.br). Stay nearby, in the river port of Barreirinhas, which has an ample supply of inexpensive pousadas. About a mile outside the village, the Porto Preguiças Resort, set in a grove of carnauba trees on the bank of the Preguiças, has a huge pool, a very sophisticated restaurant, ceiling fans, AC, and even a chapel should you feel guilty about the luxurious conditions in which you find yourself (98-3349-6050; doubles, $170; entrées, $10–$14).

PIAUÍ
One of only three deltas in the Americas that empty into the ocean, Parnaíba Delta is a pristine ecosystem with tropical vegetation, immense dunes, open bays, and tiny streams. Most tours are done in small, canopied motorboats that can access even the most shallow riverbeds (deltadoparnaiba.com.br; half-day tours, $175 per person). The closest lodgings are in Parnaíba, a gritty colonial city populated largely with displaced agricultural workers. The serviceable Hotel Islamar has AC, helpful staff, and a good restaurant (86-3366-1165; doubles, $175–$350; entrées, $8–$12).