Sergipe Attractions

BeachesAlong the 200km/125mi long coastline of Sergipe there are numerous beaches, some still unspoiled. To the south of Aracaju are the beaches of Coroa, Meio (7km/4.3mi) and Atalaia Velha (9km/5.6mi), which is famed for its caranguejos (giant crabs up to 25cm/10in. in diameter) and has good hotels.South of Aracaju on the Bahia road (BR 101) are the beaches of Náufragos, Abaís and Caueira, all of unspoiled beauty. Beyond this, in Estância Bay, where the road crosses the Rio Real on the boundary between Sergipe and Bahia states, are the huge sand-dunes of Saco Beach.On the island of Santa Luzia, in the Rio Sergipe, are the fishing village of Barra dos Coqueiros and the beach of Atalaia Nova. Here, in 1988, was built the first Hotel da Ilha, a good base from which to seek out the numerous, largely undeveloped, beaches on the island.To the north of Aracaju and Barra dos Coqueiros extends an unbroken stretch of coast which is still practically untouched. Near the border with Alagoas state, on the Rio São Francisco, is the Ponta do Arambipe, the last beach in Sergipe state.

São CristóvãoSão Cristóvão, founded in 1590 and until 1855 capital of Sergipe state, lies 25km/15mi south of Aracaju. The town is now protected as a national monument. Many of its winding streets and centuries-old churches and houses have preserved their characteristic aspect.

23km/14mi north of Aracaju is the little town of Laranjeiras, which was founded in 1605, razed to the ground during the Dutch occupation and rebuilt by the Jesuits in the 18th century.