Natal move

Hello HLO family

We live in the outskirts of Natal, go there often for supplies. If you would like to contact us, Claudia and Jay.

Good luck with your travels.

@HLOFam

I'm also from Florida, although I'm a 31 year old single male, so I'm not sure about best places to raise a family. I was just in Natal last week. Around the Praia Artistas/Praia Meio area, it was uncomfortable for me walking around somewhat, and the area seemed in decay. Ponta Negra probably better but not somewhere I would choose to move. Pipa has a lot of foreigners moving there and it quite safe, although might require trips to Natal for certain items. Although it might be more of a single persons destination than for families.

The Genipabu area seemed more quiet and safe but not much going on. I would assume Florianopolis would be a better spot, given what I saw of it last year, but again I don't know that much about raising a family.

Right now I still live in Sarasota, FL but just spent a few months in Brazil. Interesting to visit to see the contrasts.

@CATVLYST Music

Thank you for sharing your POV. It's been a VERY long winter in Florianópolis...which is one of the reasons we thought of moving to the NE of Brazil.

We're in Brasilia right now, traveling. Have you been? The roads are way better than in Florianópolis and plenty of SUN! But... no ocean. Lol

We also thought the NE doesn't have very good infrastructure but once again.... the SUN.

We're trying to find the happy medium. We'll stay in Florianópolis until we figure out what the happy medium is. Meanwhile, we'll continue to take trips to sunny places. ☀️

@ClaudiaMonica

Hi Claudia! Thank you for sharing your input. Which neighborhood? I'm just curious because I've been researching Natal neighborhoods.

Thank you! 😊

Heidy

I've been to Natal but that was 5 years ago and today it is nowhere near as safe due to drug gangs fighting for control like the PCC, TCC, CV, etc. The following is from AI and drawn from government and ONG sources. The tourist areas are always safe, but still. I live in Rio.

Natal generally ranks among the more dangerous capitals in Brazil, particularly when evaluated by its violent crime rates, though recent public safety initiatives have led to improvements.

While its homicide rate remains elevated by international standards—historically hovering around 36.9 per 100,000 residents—its overall safety context varies significantly depending on whether you are looking at specific peripheral neighborhoods or tourist and affluent areas.

How Natal Compares to Other Regions

To understand how bad the crime is in Natal, it helps to view it across Brazil's distinct regional security landscape:

• The Northeast vs. The Rest of Brazil: The Northeast region currently faces the highest concentration of intense violent crime in Brazil. According to the recent Brazilian Public Security Yearbook (Anuário Brasileiro de Segurança Pública), the 10 most violent cities in the country are all located in the Northeast (predominantly in Bahia and Ceará, led by cities like Maranguape, Eunápolis, and Maracanaú). Natal does not rank in this absolute top 10 most dangerous list.

• Compared to Southern and Southeast Cities: Natal is significantly more dangerous than major hubs in the South and Southeast. Cities like São Paulo (which has a state homicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000), Curitiba, and Florianópolis consistently rank as much safer urban areas with lower rates of street and violent crime.

• Compared to Other Dangerous Capitals: Among state capitals, Salvador, Maceió, Macapá, and Recife generally register higher intentional violent death rates than Natal.

Types of Crime in Natal

• Violent Crime: Most of the extreme violence and homicides in Natal are driven by turf wars between organized drug trafficking factions. This violence is highly localized and concentrated heavily in non-tourist peripheral neighborhoods.

• Property and Street Crime: For everyday residents and travelers, the primary concern is crimes of opportunity, such as cell phone theft, armed muggings, and robberies. On statistical tracking platforms like Numbeo, users rate the fear of being mugged or robbed in Natal as "Very High", putting it on par with cities like Rio de Janeiro and Recife.

Recent Trends

The good news is that the state of Rio Grande do Norte has recorded measurable progress. Enhanced security measures have driven down the capital's overall serious crime rates by nearly 30% over a multi-year trajectory.

Summary Comparison

City / Region    Homicide Context    General Safety Perception

Natal    Elevated (~36.9/100k); declining but still high    High street-level property crime; tourist areas are heavily policed.

São Paulo / South    Low (~5.7/100k in SP state)    Considered the safest urban zones for business and tourism.

Salvador / Recife    Very High (exceeding 45-50/100k)    Frequently rank as the most dangerous major capitals.

Interior Bahia & Ceará    Extreme (some cities >80/100k)    Currently the absolute epicenter of Brazil's gang conflict.

@HLOFam

I would also look into Joao Pessoa. It seemed a lot cleaner, safer and well put together than Recife, Natal and Fortaleza. It has been described as "family friendly" a lot. I was there for a week last year. I enjoyed it although found it a little boring a single person. My current favorite Northeast city is probably Maceio, but in my opinion, Joao Pessoa would be the best for family lifestyle based on what I saw.

I've mostly focused on the coast so haven't been to Brasilia, although I heard it was a planned city so would make sense that it has better roads.

@HLOFam

Why Natal? ..... quite a difference from South Brazil.

@HLOFam

Hey,

We moved from Florida last year and lived in Spain for almost 2 years before moving to the US.

After a year in Praia Grande, SP, we decided to move to Natal within a few months.

Our children are 9(g), 6(b), and almost 3(b) years old. They are fluent English speakers.

Happy to connect.

@ClaudiaMonica

We will also live on the outskirts of Natal.

Do you live north or south of the city?

Happy to connect

@hagece8690

Most of this is theory.

I just came back from Natal. I hung out and talked to many people who moved from Sul (Porto Alegre, Curitiba, São Paulo, Florianópolis), Minas Gerais, the UK, the US, Spain, Portugal, etc., about 10-15 years ago.

They don't even think of going back.

Moreover, they said that it was a great decision since they became more tranquil; life is more relaxed, and people are more open and friendly.

Of course, you must be cautious and choose wisely where to go and when, as everywhere in Brazil (and around the world lately).

@CATVLYST Music

I've been to João Pessoa. It's a great place for short-term tourists and retirees, no doubt.

But it's absolutely boring for families, especially with kids aged 5-15.

Families commonly complain that there are no activities for children beyond two small parks and the beach.

I found Natal and the region way more attractive.

It has lots of fresh lagoons, forests, dunes, kitesurfing, windfoiling, etc.

On top of that, there is an expat English-speaking community.

In my personal opinion,

Natal won among the three neighboring capitals of RN, PB, and PE.

Everyone is different, with their own needs, of course.

• RN: Rio Grande do Norte (Capital: Natal)

• PB: Paraíba (Capital: João Pessoa)

• PE: Pernambuco (Capital: Recife)

@Vitaly

On the subject of theory......I live in Rio, so I should have been robbed or killed by now......KKKKKKKK.

Hello Heidy,

My husband and I are retired, no kids, so our life experience is probably way different from yours! We live on a fazenda, lots of work, around the clock, I am always hoeing, or what have you. To be honest, this part of the country is a little bit too hot for me (we lived in New Mexico). We live close to Arez (very simple community) and Pipa (very much a touristy town).  We have not encountered any crime outselves, thank God, but take good care in not going out at night.

Some people think Pipa is great, but it's very hectic... I don't know, depends what you are looking for I guess. I maintain my sanity by painting, but it's pretty isolated out here in the country side.

Bless your heart, keep us posted. Just thought I would send you a hello, I think you are on the right track, getting info from others. Claudia One little piece of advice, probably best to rent for a while, to get a feel for "the place", which ever it may be.

Hi Vitali,

I noticed you are familiar with Natal and seem to be into sports? Awesome. You mention an expat community in this area, how can we get in touch with them? Thanks a lot! Claudia

@Vitali H.

Have you looked at Maceio? That was probably my favorite city in the Northeast. I stayed in the Jatiuca neighborhood. Only issue for me there was the ocean pollution.

I agree that the Natal area has some nice scenery. In my case, I enjoyed Pipa for nature focused activities. I recommended Joao Pessoa over Natal for families because it appeared safer to me, but I didn't go to every area in Natal you mentioned, so couldn't say what the best option is.

Hi HLOFam — welcome, and yes, there are quite a few of us here. You'll see them in this thread already.

On neighborhoods for raising a daughter, a few pointers from what I've seen and heard from families here:

For family life, most people land in the south zone. Ponta Negra is the classic pick — beach, boardwalk, stroller-friendly, tons of restaurants. It's lively, so stick to the well-trafficked parts at night; pickpocketing is real, leave valuables at home. Capim Macio is quieter and residential, close to the beach. And the more traditional city neighborhoods — Tirol, Petrópolis, Candelária — are tree-lined, established, full of good services. No beach, but very livable. Via Costeira is the upscale hotel strip; beautiful, but not really a neighborhood for daily life.

Schools: Maple Bear Natal is the bilingual (Portuguese/English) option families with English-speaking kids tend to look at first — it's in Tirol. There are also strong local private schools (colégios particulares) all through those same neighborhoods; Brazilian private schooling is generally good and far cheaper than in the US.

Healthcare: the two private hospitals everyone mentions are Hospital Promater (also a maternity hospital) and Hospital Rio Grande. Get a private health plan (plano de saúde) — that's how the system works here, and with a kid I'd call it non-negotiable.

Costs: Natal is noticeably cheaper than Florianópolis for housing. As a rough ballpark, a 3-bedroom in a good area runs around R$2,100–4,700 a month — crowd-sourced data, take it with a grain of salt. Food, utilities, and services are all cheaper than the south.

On safety, I'll be honest without the scare tactics: Natal has real violent crime, but it's overwhelmingly gang-on-gang and concentrated in peripheral areas you won't live in. For a family in the south zone, the day-to-day reality is the same as anywhere in Brazil — don't flash valuables, be careful in empty areas at night. That's it.

And the best advice in this thread is the simplest: rent for 6–12 months before buying anything, ideally in the neighborhood you think you want. Your winter-in-Florianópolis motivation is completely understandable — you'll get your sun here, about 300 days of it. The trade-off you're already sensing is real: infrastructure here is more rough-and-ready than the south. You'll feel it in roads, traffic, and public services.

Happy to answer specifics as you narrow it down.

@Vitali H.

Hello! Thanks for your reply! wonderful! How are your kids adapting in Natal?

and which neighborhood did you guys move to? (if you don't mind me asking)

@tiomark

Hello! We went to Natal and liked the climate there. We need to be back to research the neighborhoods though.

I'm not adapting well to the south. The weather is horrible and the culture here does not feel "Brazilian". People are not as friendly as you'd find in other states like Rio, Minas and the nordeste.

@CATVLYST Music

I have not looked into Maceio yet, but added to my list of places in the NE to visit. I've also heard good things about Aracaju.

@AlexDarti

Thank you so much for your reply. Super helpful. 6-12 months of renting before buying is sound advice. Funny enough, I got a phone call from a lady I met who is from Rio, but lives in the Netherlands and want to move to Floripa. I told her exactly that- rent before buying anything.

I've heard of Capim Macio...this neighborhood keeps appearing in my research. Last time we were there, we stayed in Ponta Negra at a resort, so next time, we will rent a place in one of the neighborhoods you mentioned...I'm looking forward to returning to Natal to get to know the area a little better.