Barra de Tabatinga, Coastal beach in Nísia Floresta, Brazil.

Barra de Tabatinga is a beach in Nísia Floresta, Rio Grande do Norte, set beneath cliffs that in 2022 were identified as being at risk. The sand runs along the shore below these cliffs, which frame the beach and give it its setting.

Barra de Tabatinga lies in the municipality of Nísia Floresta, on the coast of Rio Grande do Norte. Its cliffs, the feature the beach is known for, were identified in 2022 as being at risk. The settlement of Nísia Floresta itself grew from a colonial village whose origins date to the early Portuguese occupation of the coast.

The name Barra de Tabatinga combines barra, the bar or mouth where a watercourse meets the sea, with Tabatinga, a Tupi term for the whitish clay of the cliffs behind the sand. The beach lies in the municipality of Nísia Floresta, on the Rio Grande do Norte coast.

The beach offers parking areas, restroom facilities, and rental equipment for water activities, with lifeguards on duty during busy times. Pay attention to the tides, as they affect where you can swim and when the natural pools are accessible.

Rock formations along the shoreline create natural pools at low tide, offering protected swimming areas where you can see dolphins feeding. These tidal pools form naturally without human intervention.