Close your eyes and imagine a river emptying into the sea. Was the scene you envisioned paradisiacal? magical? That vision exists at Praia do Sagi. According to Brazil 's Veja magazine, people's first impression upon arriving here is of beholding a vast, freshwater lake, rather than the Atlantic Ocean . The surf is calm and the extensive strip of nearly deserted beach makes you feel as though you've entered one of the loveliest movie sets ever designed.

Located in the municipality of Canguaretama , Praia do Sagi can boast of beautiful views dotted with palm trees and traversed by clear, green-water rivers. On the beach, the reefs form natural pools between the mouths of the Catú and Curimataú Rivers, excellent for bathing, against the stunning backdrop of the sand dunes lining the shore. A perfect scenario for relaxing. This environment is host to the rich life of the mangroves and to harvesters of the region's abundant shrimp population.

The location presents a fine infrastructure for tourism, enriched by comfortable pousadas and excellent restaurants. The local cuisine is driven in large part by regional seafood such as the delicious and succulent shrimp and lobster, among other maritime delicacies.

Praia do Sagi is also a pole of "carciniculture", or the harvesting of marine shrimp. In recent years, the main economic activities of Praia do Sagi - which in the past were fishing and surgarcane - have shifted to shrimp production and tourism. Owing to the favourable natural conditions of Northeastern Brazil, particularly the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), this state is the second-largest shrimp producer in Brazil and possesses the nation's largest area of cultivated shrimp beds. The majority of Brazil 's shrimp farms are concentrated here, with approximately 1,800 harvesters. Current production for RN totals approximately 400 tons per month.

Options for recreation abound in Praia do Sagi. You can choose between an unperturbed swim in the calm waters of Curimataú River , and the ocean surf at Pontal da boca da barra . Kitesurfing and windsurfing also enjoy ideal conditions, both on the river and on the open sea. And if you wish to devote more time to absorbing the small-town lifestyle, you can easily rent a modest house and stay for the summer, as do many residents of RN and the neighbouring states of Paraíba and Pernambuco.

 

Click to know the history of Cunhaú here