Beneath the dunes where visitors to Itaúnas watch the sunset today, a whole village lies sleeping: houses, streets, the cemetery and the church of São Sebastião, swallowed by sand through the 1950s-70s. It is one of the most striking stories on the Brazilian coast — and an involuntary lesson in ecology.
How the sand won
The clearing of the restinga and the forest that held the dunes in place — for firewood, pasture and smallholdings — set the sand loose, and the north-easterly wind did the rest: meter by meter, the dunes migrated over the settlement. Residents held out for years sweeping sand from their doorways, until the move imposed itself: the entire village crossed the river and refounded itself on the opposite bank, where it stands today. Old Itaúnas was left behind, under 20-30 meters of dune.
What can still be seen
From time to time the wind gives memories back: the cross and sections of the church tower have reappeared in years when the sand was low, along with fragments of roof tiles and foundations that surface and vanish again. The oldest residents point out where each thing stood — walking the dunes with a local is to hear the invisible village take shape beneath your feet. The state park, created in 1991, now protects the dune and restinga system precisely so that the story is not repeated.
Visit with awareness
- Climb the dunes on the marked paths — the low vegetation that fixes them is fragile and vital.
- Do not dig or collect fragments: they are the community’s memory (and protected heritage).
- Sunset and sunrise have the best light — and the most photogenic wind along the crests.
- Hire local guides for the historical walk: the income supports the people who keep the memories.
🥾 Who is it for?
Effort: easy to moderate — the climb in soft sand is the only real challenge. Children: the story of the “buried village” + sliding down the dunes = an unbeatable combination (all ages). Seniors and reduced mobility: the foot of the dunes and the river view already tell the story; the top asks for extra effort in the sand — unhurried and with support, it is an achievable and memorable conquest.
