Areia Vermelha: the sandbar that only appears at low tide (Cabedelo)

About 1 km from Camboinha beach, a sandbar protected by law emerges from the sea only when the tide goes out.

Areia Vermelha is a sandbar that emerges in the middle of the sea, about 1 km from Camboinha beach in Cabedelo, and is only visible at low tide — usually during the weeks of the new moon and full moon, when the tide reaches its lowest levels. Around the sandbar, natural pools of warm water form, ideal for swimming, surrounded by the line of reefs that protects this stretch of the Paraíba coast.

The site is a conservation unit: the Areia Vermelha Marine State Park was created by state Law 21,263, on August 28, 2000, covering 156 hectares of protected area, administered by the Superintendência de Administração do Meio Ambiente (Sudema). After years of environmental degradation — feeding fish with food scraps used to upset the reef's fauna — new protection rules took effect in 2016, banning the sale of food, the use of motorized boats and other practices around the sandbar.

Access is exclusively by boat or catamaran, boarding at the beaches of Camboinha, Ponta de Campina or Praia do Poço, in Cabedelo. The crossing is quick, around 20 to 30 minutes. Since the visit depends entirely on the tide, it is essential to check the tide table (the Brazilian Navy reference at the port of Cabedelo) and confirm with the tour operator whether a departure is scheduled for that day.

Because it is a preservation area, extra care is recommended: do not remove sand, corals or shells from the site, use biodegradable sunscreen when possible, and always follow the crew's instructions on how long to stay on the sandbar before the tide rises again.