Pernambuco Interior

It includes:

• Sertão: A semi-arid and sparsely populated region where the legendary bandit Lampião once roamed.
• São Francisco Valley: A fertile area in the middle of the Sertão surrounding the Velho Chico, which is literally the "hottest" wine-producing region in the world.
• Agreste: The eastern part of Pernambuco's interior is an area of transition between the Sertão and the Zona da Mata, with rich local culture and large festivities.

The São Francisco river has great importance in history and particularly in folklore. That history is celebrated in song, legend and souvenirs based on the carrancas, a kind of gargoyle placed on the prow of the gaiola boats and intended to scare away river demons from the boat. Tourist shops far from the river have modernized replicas and miniatures of the vanishing originals. The stories of river demons and monsters persist today.

From Paulo Afonso to the historic town of Penedo (Alagoas), the river lies at the bottom of a gorge or steep sided valley. Piranhas, a nearby town, was once the terminus of a railway. The town has a number of abandoned historical buildings from that period. They have been restored and are emerging as a tourist attraction.

The area crossed by the river is vast and sparsely populated, but several towns lie on the river. Beginning in Minas Gerais, the river passes by Pirapora, São Francisco, Januária, Bom Jesus da Lapa, the twin cities of Petrolina and Juazeiro, and Paulo Afonso. The hinterland is arid and underpopulated, so most of the towns are small and isolated. Only Petrolina and Juazeiro have grown into medium-sized cities and have become prosperous because of fruit production based on irrigation.