The beautiful landscapes and rock formations coming from the canyons and the beautiful São Francisco River on the horizon are the strong points of Canindé de São Francisco and attract countless tourists who are fans of ecotourism from all over the world. Even before Brazilian visitors discovered this beautiful landscape in the middle of the northeastern countryside, European tourists were already heading towards this natural find. Nowadays, you need to make reservations in advance to visit the Xingó Canyon, take an internal visit to the Xingó Hydroelectric Plant and visit the Archeology Museum.
Xingó Canyon
Photo of Canions do Xingo, in Canindé São Francisco, SE
Photo Credit: © Ricardo Junior Fotografias.com.br
The tour, which lasts three hours, covers a natural find. During this period it is possible to explore the canyons formed by the damming of the São Francisco River in Canindé.
The Xingó canyon emerged after the waters of the São Francisco River were dammed during the construction of the new Xingó plant, which was inaugurated in 1994 on the border between Sergipe and Alagoas. It is considered the 5th largest navigable canyon in the world. The tour itself lasts around three hours, which includes a one-hour journey along the Chico River, an hour for bathing in the crystal-clear green waters and another hour to return.
The place where the canyon is today is flooded, but in the past it was a caatinga with typical restinga vegetation. After the damming, the bed rose 100 meters into the mountains forming the canyons Pedra de Gavião, Pedra do Japonês, Morro dos Macacos and Paraíso do Talhado with caves and reddish rock formations. Formed by a valley, the canyon is an incredible 60 km long and up to 190 meters deep depending on the time of year and rainfall. Diving in warm waters takes place in the Port of Brogodó.
Xingó Archeology Museum – MAX
The Xingó archeology museum, called MAX by acquaintances, rescues objects found during excavations and murals on one of the seven main archaeological sites in Latin America.
In the museum it is possible to find specimens obtained during the excavations of 51 archaeological sites, such as tools made from stones, ceramic materials and some skeletons that are almost nine thousand years old and remain intact. To give you an idea, during the survey and excavation period, the following were found: 49 fires, 191 skeletons, 21 thousand ceramic pieces, 20 thousand animal remains and more than seven thousand lithic pieces. The visit brings tourists closer to a prehistoric past through the objects on display and explanatory panels.
Xingó hydroelectric plant
Photo of the Hydroelectric Plant, in Canindé São Francisco, SE
Photo Credit: © Ricardo Junior Fotografias.com.br
Opened in 1994, the hydroelectric plant is open to visitors interested in understanding how the company works. The presence of a guide to accompany you is recommended.
The visit includes a Chesf viewpoint, a presentation of explanatory videos, photos and a model that symbolizes the complex and an internal visit to the facilities with the abundant reservoirs of greenish waters coming from the São Francisco River.
