Santo Aleixo Island

In 1527, the Spanish navigator Rodrigo Acuña, on his way back to Spain, was shipwrecked off the coast of Pernambuco and landed with some companions on the island, where he recovered after finding food and providing himself with essential utensils. Historiography gives the following account of this misfortune: It was also on the Santo Aleixo island that the first French invasion in Brazil took place, from March to December 1531, when they were repelled by Portuguese soldiers. During the French occupation, the island was called "île Saint-Alexis". == Features ==

Located in the open sea, about two kilometers east of Barra do Sirinhaém, Santo Aleixo Island is shaped slightly like a horseshoe. To the west there is a sandy beach, while to the south there is a cove protected by rocky cliffs and a beach with a large open pool of calm, warm and transparent greenish waters. == Development ==

in the background. Santo Aleixo Island is located in the Guadalupe Environmental Protection Area (APA), which prompted the creation of a task force for its preservation. Since the beginning of 2015, the NGO Andrade Brasil has been researching and mapping the island's main needs in order to develop, together with the APA management, Ibama and SPU, the preservation of the area, organizing voluntary actions with the support of the public authorities and the local community. With the support of the private sector, the Federal Government, the State Government and Sirinhaém's Town Hall - the municipality which the island is part of - to train the population of Barra de Sirinhaém/PE and monitor activities at the site, from diving to mooring boats, including the way tourist tours are marketed and how food and drink are handled at the site. The non-governmental organization's volunteers include qualified professionals such as lawyers, tourism experts, social workers, health and environmental professionals, and it is constantly raising awareness by offering free lectures and professional training courses to the community on the south coast of Pernambuco. The initiative mobilizes residents, vacationers and businesspeople interested in collaborating with the sustainable development of local tourism, in order to avoid impacts on the environment. The jointly developed programs are seen as a short-term solution for the preservation of Santo Aleixo Island. With the support of Sirinhaém's Town Hall, the State Environment Agency (CPRH), the Superintendence of the Union's Patrimony (SPU), Ibama and the Brazilian Navy, the non-governmental organization hopes that, with the support of the community and public management, actions will be developed to curb natural depredation, such as regulating the flow of boats and controlling visitors to Santo Aleixo Island, as well as raising awareness to intensify the cleaning and conservation of the natural heritage. == See also ==