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Atins
a fisher village full of charm
We managed to get to Atins without any major problems, arriving safely at the Pousada Filhos do Vento. To top it all the wind was blowing at 15 knots when we arrived. We checked in, and of course immediately drove to the next beach, rigged our gear, and finally went kiting after six days of planes, trains, and automobiles!
We spent three days in Atins and discovered a very exotic and unknown spot with perfect conditions. This new beach had wide and long beaches, shallow waters at low tide, waves further inside, and constant winds all year long. Besides, the scenery with all its dunes and lagoons is breathtaking. We even tried paragliding over the dunes one day, but given the gusts on that particular day, we could not take off.
The conditions in Atins were so perfect that we were able to kite every day. The locals from Atins, mainly the kids from the local fisherman, approached us everyday to check what the hell these strange people were doing with all these big kites, trucks full of stickers and mud, and so much equipment. The kids just loved hanging around, and could not stop playing with the Lizzard kite, a beginner kite just appropriate for their size. The only problem was teaching them to share, and that everyone should have the chance to play with it―not only the strongest one amongst them. So, at times we had to play the role of the bad uncle to be sure each child had a chance. In the end they all the chance to enjoy kiting, even if only with the trainer kite. It was amazing to see how fast they learned this…
Atins itself is a simple fishing village in the northeastern part of the park. The people are very friendly and receptive. If you like shrimp, forget “nouvelle cuisine” in France or overpriced five star restaurants. During our stay in Atins, we met Luzia Diniz, known as the flower of the Lençois, and her husband Ze do Aço, who open their house, serve delicious food, and extend their hammocks to anyone with good humor and good will.
After five hours of kiting, we finally had the chance to visit the house of Ze and Luzia, which has already become quite famous. Several magazines have published articles about their culinary skills and their incredible hospitality. Their house is a simple fishing house located between the ocean and the sand dunes of Lençois. The house has no running water, no electricity, and obviously no amenities. However, in our opinion these people are amongst the richest in the world. Ze catches mantas, fish, and shrimp during the day, and Luzia prepares them according to a secret recipe for her guests.
She prepared plate after plate of shrimp for us, a bunch of hungry sportsmen…and nothing was said for an hour or so, so delicious was her food. We had eaten too much, and fell asleep in the hammocks soon after. We found the food so delicious that we decided it would be crazy not to return the next day for another feast.
After finally being able to kite, teaching kids how to kite, doing some off road driving on the beaches and dunes, sampling some of the amazing local food, and meeting very friendly people it was time to leave this great spot we had discovered and to venture to the lagoons in the Lençois we had seen from the plane.
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