mouth of the mamanguape river — rio tinto and marcação
Preserved estuary on the northern coast of Paraíba, manatee habitat, with tarpon in the river and at the bar. Fishing regulated by the APA.
The Mamanguape River reaches the sea between extensive mangroves and a line of reefs that closes the mouth of the bar, on the northern coast of Paraíba. The estuary is protected by the Mamanguape River Mouth APA and the Mamanguape River Mouth ARIE (Area of Relevant Ecological Interest), run by ICMBio, which protect feeding and breeding areas of the marine manatee. Tarpon is the most sought-after target for fishing guides: young fish of 3 to 5 kg in the channels and the mangrove, and large adults rolling in the river; at the bar and along the reefs, jack, mackerel, sororoca, guaivira and snook. Fishing is from a boat, with artificial lures or fly, and beyond the reefs only in good seas.
best season
Months with little rain, September to March, with calm sea and clear water at the bar.
Local rules: Mamanguape River Mouth APA and Mamanguape River Mouth ARIE (ICMBio): at sea, beyond the reefs, sport fishing only with ICMBio authorization; in the estuary only traditional wooden boats and small low-power motorboats of residents are allowed, registered and with propeller guards, no jet skis or launches, and tourism is community-based. Do not collect invertebrates for bait or anchor on reefs or seagrass beds (capim-agulha). Manatee: do not approach within 10 m or follow it. Part of the shoreline is Potiguara Indigenous Land: there, sport fishing only in a project authorized by Funai (IN Funai 3/2015). Tarpon is a threatened species (Vulnerable): catch and release only. Check local rules.
- getting there
- About 1.5 hours by car from João Pessoa and from Natal; Recife is about 180 km away.
- facilities
- Boatmen from the APA communities, who also run manatee-watching trips; the largest tourist infrastructure is in João Pessoa.
- basin
- Eastern Northeast Atlantic
- coast
- Northeast Coast
tip
An adult tarpon surfaces to breathe: cast ahead of the swirl, in the direction the fish is moving, and retrieve slowly. Adults are more active early, at the end of the low tide.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official ICMBio — Plano de Manejo da APA da Barra do Rio Mamanguape e da ARIE dos Manguezais da Foz do Rio MamanguapeZoning and rules: sport fishing with ICMBio authorization in the marine zone; navigation and tourism rules in the estuary (Portaria ICMBio 57/2014, amended by 73/2017)
- official Ministério da Justiça — Instrução Normativa Funai nº 3, de 11 de junho de 2015 (visitação turística em terras indígenas)Sport fishing on Indigenous land only in an authorized visitation project
- official Imprensa Nacional (DOU) — Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 (lista nacional de peixes ameaçados)Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) as Vulnerable
- market Recife Tarpon — Barra de MamanguapeFishing guide: tarpon, jack, mackerel, guaivira, sororoca and snook at the bar and on the reefs