Guide to Brazil
Sergipe
Sergipe is alluring not only for its coastline but also for its folklore and historic heritage. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the passage of French corsairs in the region left a historical legacy, which is added to the strong influence of the Indians and Portuguese. Its local economy is based on tourism, services and industry.
Hometown of former boxer Adilson “Maguila” Rodrigues, the first Brazilian to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the heavyweight category, and left wingman Helinho Lisbon, of the Brazilian National Handball Team, the majority of the state’s population is concentrated in its capital, Aracaju. One of the attractions of the city, which hosted the 2009 Pan American Artistic Gymnastics Championship, is the Orla de Atalaia, including its complex of bars and restaurants.
On the southern coastline and on the border with Alagoas state and Bahia state, Praia do Saco beach is famous for its combination of freshwater and saltwater in the midst of dunes, rivers and river channels with its shores surrounded by mangroves. In turn, Barra dos Coqueiros beach offers nearly 30km of firm sandy beaches and warm waters. In the city of Brejo Grande, it is possible to reach the river mouth of the São Francisco River, the most important in the Northeast Region of Brazil.
In the city of São Cristóvão, the former capital of the state and the fourth oldest city in Brazil, the most notable attractions are the Baroque buildings of the 17th and 18th centuries. The city is listed as a Historic Heritage of Humanity. The city of Laranjeiras is known for the preservation of its folklore demonstrations and colonial architecture, with innumerous churches built by the Jesuit missionaries. One of the main attractions of the mountainous city of Itabaiana is gold trade.