Sergipe

Sergipe Lighthouse

Sergipe, on the coast of Northeast Brazil, is the country's smallest state.

Cities

• 1 Aracaju — has natural attractions such as beaches, rivers and mangroves, cuisine based on seafood, museums, art galleries, theaters, parks, nightclubs and shows
• 2 Estância — home to numerous poorly-maintained historic structures from the 18th and 19th century
• 3 São Cristóvão — a nice colonial town by the river, is the country's 4th oldest city and which is a World Heritage Site

Other destinations

• 1 Xingó Canyon

Understand

Inland Sergipe is almost entirely savanna (caatinga), and its coastline is characterized by mangroves, swamps and sandy beaches. A small strip of tropical rainforest runs down the coast.

Sergipe's economy is focused around the production of sugarcane (for the manufacture of sugar and ethanol), coconut, oranges, and cassava. A small-scale leather and textile industry also exists.

The climate is tropical, more humid near the coast, with greater rainfall between March and July, and semi-arid in the sertão. On some occasions, the drought in the west of the state can last for almost a year.

Get in

Aracaju is the gateway to Sergipe. 

By plane

There are direct flights to Aracaju International Airport from São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador, Recife and Maceió. The airport is 5 minutes from the Atalaia waterfront.

By car

From Salvador (325 km to the south) you can take the excellent Linha Verde, whose section in Sergipe is paved; you just need to take the BR 101 in Estância, 65 km before Aracaju.

From Maceió (280 km to the north), you will face the BR 101 the whole time, unless you come by the coastal state road, which in Sergipe starts in Santana do São Francisco and goes to the Federal Highway Police Post in São Francisco, take the ferry to Neópolis in Penedo, and only then take BR 101.

By bus

Companies with departures from the main capitals of the country to Aracaju:

• São Geraldo, tel. 0800-704-3496
• Itapemirim, tel. 0800-723-2121
• Guanabara, tel. 85 4005-1992
• Bomfim, tel. Aracaju - (79) 3211-2210; Salvador - (71) 3351-5660. 0300 789 8844

See

São Cristóvão preserves a colonial architectural complex. The town contains churches and religious ensembles dating back to the colonial period. Most of these monuments are concentrated around the São Francisco Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Xingó Canyon on the São Francisco river has fascinating landscape, rock formations, crystal-clear waters, ecological trails, Caatinga Theme Park, exuberant vegetation and diversified fauna and flora. The Xingó Canyon is located in Canindé do São Francisco, on the banks of the lengthy and well-known São Francisco river. It is the world's fifth most navigable river. The river is formed in a valley reaching up to 170 m deep, being 65 km long and at certain locations between 50 and 300 m wide. To navigate between the rocks of this gigantic cliff, embedded in the middle of Sergipe's Alto Sertão, is an unforgettable experience. There are imposing valleys forming a 50 m-high canyon, surrounding a lake that, in certain points, reaches a depth of 190 m. Nests of herons and river islands complete the spectacle. The rocks guard traces of the area's first inhabitants who lived there more than 8,000 years ago.

Do

Sergipe has an extensive coastline with clear and greenish waters, and white sand. Aracaju stands out for Praia de Atalaia which is considered the beach with the best beach sidewalk in Brazil. Praia do Saco (Estância) was considered one of the 100 best beaches in the world by the French magazine Les Voyageurs. It had sand dunes and an extensive coastal strip. Praia da Costa (Barra dos Coqueiros), the Delta of the São Francisco River (Brejo Grande), Praia de Pirambu (Pirambu), are other beaches that enhance the state's tourism.

The river beaches include the Croa do Goré sandbar and Ilha dos Namorados, which are reached by catamaran on the Vaza Barris River in Aracaju.

Buy

It is impossible to visit Aracaju without stopping to see local handicrafts and buy souvenirs from the city. In Atalaia there are two options. One of them is the Passarela do Artesão, which is behind the skate park. The other is the Tourist Fair, more visible and close to the Hotel da Orla.