This post is also on: Português English

Live a unique experience in Piauí, discovering its incredible tourist attractions, such as the Parnaíba Delta, Sete Cidades National Park, Capadócia Piauiense, Oeiras, Serra da Capivara, Poti River Canyon and the capital Teresina.

Kitesurfing, for example, boosts tourism on the beaches of Piauí. In just 66 kilometres, many beauties can be found on Ilha Grande de Santa Isabel, Parnaíba, Luís Correia and Cajueiro da Praia.

Videos – Tourist Attractions in Piauí

Main Tourist Attractions in Piauí

1. Parnaíba Delta
2. Luís Correia PI
3. Barra Grande PI
4. Seven Cities National Park
5. Piauían Cappadocia
6. Oeiras PI
7. Serra da Capivara
8. Teresina PI
9. Poti River Canyon

1. Parnaíba Delta

The tour of the Parnaíba Delta begins at the port of Tatus, on Ilha Grande, 9 kilometres from Parnaíba.

This is where you’ll find water mirrors, mangroves, dunes, freshwater lagoons, fauna and flora, as well as fantastic landscapes. At the end of the day, as well as watching the sunset on Pedra do Sal beach, a 20-minute drive from the centre of Parnaíba, visitors can watch the guarás – a species of reddish bird – fly past, a spectacle of nature.

One of the most famous excursions is the tour of the archipelago, by speedboat or boats carrying up to 60 people, to see wild animals and dunes.

Another tour is to Lagoa do Portinho, surrounded by white sand dunes, palm trees and carnauba trees. According to legend, the lagoon arose from the tears of the Indian Macyrajara, who mourned the death of her love for days.

One of the most popular destinations in the region is Ilha das Canárias, the second largest in the Parnaíba Delta, which is home to a fishing village with more than 2,500 inhabitants.

An environmental preservation area, the island is part of the Delta marine extractive reserve and its population is distributed in four villages: Canárias, Passarinho, Torto and Caiçara. Here there are inns and restaurants ideal for those interested in ecotourism and tourists who like to enjoy nature.

Another attraction is the historic part of Parnaíba, especially the Porto das Barcas. There are old warehouses built at the beginning of the 20th century to store babassu and carnauba wax. Today, the colourful houses are home to restaurants, shops, bars and inns. It’s a perfect place for hiking.

The nearest airport is Teresina, about 320 kilometres from Parnaíba. To access the Delta, you have to drive about 9 kilometres along the PI-220 to Porto dos Tatus, where speedboats and boats carrying tourists leave.

2. Luís Correia PI

The large number of beaches along the 46-kilometre stretch of coastline makes the city of Luís Correia one of the most popular tourist destinations in Piauí;

The city has a good structure for welcoming visitors to its beaches, the most popular of which are Atalaia and Coqueiro.

The beaches are the sensation of Luís Correia! Among them we can highlight the Praia de Maramar, ideal for kitesurfing; the Praia de Macapá with its beautiful natural pools; the Praia do Coqueiro  with its calm, warm waters and weak waves; the Itaqui Beach, one of the most beautiful and peaceful in the region; and the Atalaia Beach, the most famous and one of the city’s postcards.

Meet the 9 best tourist attractions in Luís Correia

2.1 Camurupim River

The Camurupim River is a watercourse in the state of Piauí that crosses the municipality of Luís Correia and flows into the ocean. At its mouth, it separates Barra Grande beach from Macapá beach.

2.2. Maramar Beach

A paradisiacal beach far from urban centres, suitable for swimming and kitesurfing, which attracts tourists from all over Brazil and the world, many of them kitesurfers. The beach has a complete accommodation structure, with inns and resorts.

Gastronomy is also one of the attractions of this beach, which is just 25.9 km from the centre of Luis Correia.

2.3. Macapá Beach

Macapá beach really is a little corner of paradise hidden away on Piauí’s small coastline. In addition to the beauty of the natural pools, this place has gained fame for the strong winds favourable to kitesurfing; sailors from various places frequent this spot.

Praia do Macapá is located at the mouth of the Macapá River and is a very rustic beach in the region. It has a few kiosks along the shore and a unique setting, with a wide strip of sand framed by carnauba trees – palm trees typical of the region.

The crystal-clear sea forms incredible natural pools at low tide due to the sand banks. For this reason, Praia do Macapá is a great option for those travelling with children, but don’t forget to take a beach kit to spend the day without any worries.

Refreshing swims are a must on this beautiful beach. Those who love hiking will lose themselves in the immensity of Macapá Beach, walking for kilometres and enjoying all the beauty of Luís Correia.

2.4. Itaqui Beach

Located 10 kilometres from the city of Luís Correia, in Piauí, Itaqui Beach is considered one of the most beautiful on the Route of Emotions. It’s a place that awakens the best feelings in those seeking tranquillity as well as those seeking adventure.

2.5. Coqueiro Beach

Coqueiro beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Piauí coastline with beautiful landscapes dominated by coconut trees. A former fishing village that has now been replaced by holiday homes, it is located about 10 km from the centre of Luís Correia. The waters are calm and warm with weak waves and clear sand.

2.6. Atalaia Beach

Also known as Armação beach – it is one of the city’s postcards and the most famous.

Atalaia beach is one of the most popular with tourists and the largest and most urbanised beach on the Piauí coastline, with a length of 15 km.

The beach has excellent facilities for tourists, from bars, restaurants, shopping centres, ice-cream parlours, wheelchair access, inns and hotels. This beach is the most recommended for children and the elderly as it has a long stretch of sand with shallow, calm waters.

2.7. Árvore Penteada

Located near Macapá Beach, the combed tree is an indispensable tourist attraction in Luís Correia. Known as the ‘combed tree’, a tamarind tree attracts the attention of visitors to the city. It is a tree that, due to the strong winds, has had its crown turned to one side, resembling a hair combed back.

2.8. Mooring Harbour

Porto de Amarração is the only seaport in the state of Piauí.

2.9. Natural pools

At low tide, some pools form in the corals, completely changing the landscape of Macapá Beach. The sea is always calm and the water warm and pleasant. As the strip of sand is longer, you’ll have to walk a little further to reach the sea, but it won’t be a sacrifice.

3. Barra Grande PI

Barra Grande is a beautiful beach located in the small municipality of Cajueiro da Praia, on the coast of Piauí.

A few years ago it was just a small fishing colony. Today, it has become one of the main tourist destinations for nature lovers, with an emphasis on kitesurfing, due to its strong winds that provide ideal conditions for this sport.

People from all over Brazil and even the world come to visit Barra Grande. Strong wind and tranquillity are the main characteristics of this beach 400 kilometres from Teresina.

In addition to kitesurfing, you can also enjoy the seahorse trail, as well as a variety of bars and restaurants with rustic and sophisticated architecture in a paradisiacal setting.

Accommodation options in Barra Grande range from hotels, inns and chalets where guests can enjoy stunning sea views.

It is also popular with adventure sports enthusiasts due to its enormous ecotourism potential.

For lovers of extreme sports, Barra Grande is on the Rota do Ventos (Wind Route), where sports can be practised in a variety of ways, between beaches and dunes, winds and waves, and there is no limit to just one type of sport.

Tourist attractions in Barra Grande PI

1. Kitesurfing

The main local activity, kitesurfing has become the most popular extreme sport for tourists due to its ease of learning. Tourists from all over the world come to Barra Grande to learn or improve their knowledge of the sport.

2. Windsurfing

Strong winds are what those who enjoy this sport are looking for, and Barra Grande is undoubtedly a good place for those who enjoy freestyle.

3. Kayaking through the mangroves

On the calm waters of the mangrove swamp and only at high tide, this tour offers freedom of passage where no boat can reach, so you can see the nests of local birds such as the Red Guará, as well as animals from the local fauna.

4. Seahorse

This tour is the most popular with tourists arriving in Barra Grande. Here you will see the beautiful waters of the mangrove where the colourful seahorses are found.

4. Sete Cidades National Park

The Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades, in the state of Piauí, is a place where the scenic beauty of the walls and rock formations serve as a frame for a journey into the past illustrated by cave paintings.

Past and present mix in the more than 6,000 hectares of the park, which is also a meeting point between the Caatinga and the Cerrado.

Peiqui trees and juazeiros come together in the same landscape that unites flora and fauna typical of the two biomes.

The mixture only further enriches the natural beauty of the park, which also has waterfalls, wells and lakes that provide a refreshing break from Piauí’s hot climate.

The park also has waterfalls, wells and lakes that provide a refreshing break from Piauí’s hot climate.

5. Piauí’s Cappadocia

An almost unknown wilderness and impressive landscapes. 5 kilometres from the town of São José do Piauí, you can find a rock formation that is known for its natural beauty under the name Capadócia Nordestina.

What many people don’t realise is that this place has existed for more than 380 million years, because these rocks were covered by or, in other words, were a hidden city.

As time went by and the stones appeared, some people loved this place so much that it came to be considered a sanctuary, while for others it was the discovery of an open-air museum, with pieces sculpted by the wind that could play with everyone’s imagination.

At the time of its discovery, it was called Cidade de Pedras (City of Stones) or Três Irmãos (Three Brothers), because it was known for its beautiful rock formations and was located in the village known as Três Irmãos (Three Brothers), so the names chosen divided the two senses.

The place, which covers 2,500 hectares, became known as Capadócia Nordestina, or simply Capadócia, after a special report by Globo Repóter. It has become a tourist spot in the interior of Piauí and an attraction for adventure seekers.

As well as being known for its rock formations, Capadócia Nordestina also has other beauties, including cave paintings, legends surrounding the site, as well as Morro Três Irmãos (Three Brothers Hill), which has small natural ditches in the rocks around it, where fossils can be found. When it rains, these ditches fill up, allowing visitors to enjoy a sunny day bathing in its waters, as if they were in an immense lagoon.

6. Oeiras PI

The municipality of Oeiras , about 300 kilometres from Teresina, holds many surprises for tourists who visit. The first capital of Piauí has a wealth of history and religion, reflected in its mansions and its manifestations of faith and religiosity.

Visiting the city of Oeiras is like travelling back in time. The city has a Historic Centre, colonial 18th and 19th century houses, among other tourist attractions. The city’s hotel network is prepared to cater for large numbers of tourists,’ he said.

Oeiras is considered the oldest town in Piauí and the cradle of the state’s history and colonisation. ‘Here you’ll find a little of Brazil’s history. We still have collections, buildings and even the gastronomy,’ said Stefano.

Religious tourism

Holy Week in Oeiras is the biggest religious festival in the state and the period when the city receives the largest number of visitors. In fact, the programme starts practically a month before Holy Week. There are masses, vigils, Stations of the Cross through the streets of the towns and religious sightseeing tours.

The main events are the Procession of Bom Jesus dos Passos, where thousands of people accompany the secular image of Bom Jesus through the streets of the historic centre, and the traditional Fogaréu Procession, accompanied only by men carrying lamps and candles, while the women stay in the churches praying.

Forty days after Easter, the Festa do Divino Espírito Santo is celebrated. This Portuguese tradition celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. Oeiras is dressed in red and white. Every year a new home is chosen to house the image of the Divine. The family chosen is the home of the image of the Divine for one year.

7. Serra da Capivara

Serra da Capivara in Piauí is home to millennia-old traces of the history of the settlement of the Americas. The site’s famous cave paintings also inspire the production of ceramic handicrafts in the Piauí hinterland.

Serra da Capivara is located in four municipalities in the south-west of the state of Piauí: Canto do Buriti, Coronel José Dias, São João do Piauí and São Raimundo Nonato.

The Serra da Capivara National Park was created in 1979 with the aim of preserving archaeological remains that attest to the presence of man in South America.

Underneath the giant rocks are paintings and rock engravings, which are considered to be graphic forms of communication used by the prehistoric groups that inhabited the region at least 6,000 years ago.

8. Teresina PI