Coca-Cola Lagoon
Dark water.
César Favacho — CC BY-SA 4.0 · César Favacho — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Silvia Batistuzzo — CC BY 2.0 · Jitiranaboia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · César Favacho — CC BY-SA 4.0 · César Favacho — CC BY-SA 4.0
Mata Estrela is a private natural heritage reserve in Baía Formosa on the southern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, near the Paraíba border. Covering about two thousand hectares, it protects one of the largest remnants of Atlantic Forest on dunes in north-eastern Brazil, in an area largely cleared for sugar cane. The reserve was created on 30 March 2000 and belongs to a local distillery; its name, «Star Forest», comes from its shape on the map. The forest lies beside the sea on top of dunes, and the wider area holds forest, dunes and lagoons, nineteen of which have been counted. The reserve is open to those who want to discover its varied plants and animals, with a local guide explaining the environment. Its best-known feature is Lagoa Araraquara, nicknamed the «Coca-Cola Lagoon» for its dark water, ringed by white sand and forest. It combines well with Baía Formosa's quiet beaches.
Dark water.
A rare remnant.
By the sea.
Baía Formosa municipality, far south coast of Rio Grande do Norte
Because its water is dark, coloured by plant matter.