In the 19th century, whale oil was necessary for keeping street lights on. The ancient region of the Armação was like a whale breeding farm and fishing was the main activity in those waters.

At the Itapocoroi harbor, fishermen took advantage of the safety and calmness of the waters to be more successful capturing whales.

Emperor D. Pedro I donated a piece of land in the north of Santa Catarina, precisely where the city of Barra Velha is located now, to the brave fisherman Joaquim Alves de Brito, who became famous for beginning the shipment of large volumes of whale oil to Rio de Janeiro.

The reason for the name Barra Velha (Old Rim) is the fact that the river Itapocu flows into the Atlantic Ocean close to river Cancela, downtown Barra Velha. The pressure of flood waters, throughout the years, broke through the peninsula where the present rim is, and, added to the force of tides, closed the ancient bay, forming a lagoon with the old bed of river Cancela.

Barra Velha is a city with a natural vocation for tourism. Every year, during the high season (summer), the beach gets crowded and the volume of tourists in the city is very high. The main economical activities are tourism and fishing.

Translation: Maria Cecília Pastorelli.
Pictures: Lysandro Lima.
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