Cumbuco was not a known destination until 2006; when a few European travelers “discovered” the town and decided to capitalize on their find. Prior to this it was a quiet little fishing village that happily moved from day to day in perfect beachfront bliss. Now it is a popular destination for kitesurfers, windsurfers and avid dune buggy fans. It is also the only place I saw where you could rent your own dune buggy (instead of being driven around by a guide).
The Portuguese were here at one point, however, I couldn’t find any reference to this. My driver spoke no English or Spanish, but he did point out the ruins of old buildings that stopped being used when “the people parted”.
The dunes of Cumbuco are beautiful: full of contrast, rugged beauty, unique life, and extremely high dunes; a photographic feast.
Dune buggies aside, one of the biggest highlights for me was being able to ride a horse on the beach. There are plenty of horses to choose from.
I’m not very good at horseback riding (Michelle was the adept one) so I picked a slow old mare that plodded along at a nice slow pace that suited me just fine.
