Praia de Calhetas, Beach in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Brazil

Praia de Calhetas is a beach on the north face of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, in Pernambuco. The cove has clear water that shifts from turquoise near the sand to deep blue farther out, with shallow rocky outcrops near the center. The shore is lined with sand, scattered rocks and low green vegetation, and coconut palms and green hills slope down behind the beach.

The beach lies on the north face of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, the headland where the Spanish navigator Vicente Yáñez Pinzón reached the Brazilian coast on 26 January 1500. That landfall is the documented event tied to this stretch of coast; the beach itself is recorded simply as part of the municipality of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, in Pernambuco.

The beach is framed by rocks and coconut palms, and its warm, clear water draws swimmers, snorkellers and spearfishers; a zip line is also operated over the cove. The name Calhetas refers to small inlets, matching the two sandy coves separated by rock that appear in the photographs.

The beach lies on the north face of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, reached by road from the municipal seat of Cabo de Santo Agostinho. Rocks and coconut palms line the cove, and the water stays warm and clear close to the sand. Small boats and swimmers share the bay, so bathers keep to the shallows near the shore.

The beach lies on the north face of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, the headland where the Spanish navigator Vicente Yáñez Pinzón reached the Brazilian coast on 26 January 1500. Rocks and coconut palms enclose the cove, and the warm, transparent water is used for swimming, diving, underwater fishing and a zip line.