Macaca Beach

Natural heritage that reminds us of the days when Benguela was a serious fishing area.
The monkeys that abound in this area, small and mischievous, gave the name to the beach, which is known in the region for its salt flats – the first to appear in the region, back in the “times of the other lady”.

In total, there are three hectares of land made into small squares, where white crystals are piled up, sea water in a dry cleaning process.
They are one of the strong potentials of the province.
In recent years they have been restored and expanded several times, and projections – those eternal goals – point to a total capacity of several thousand tons of salt per month.

Along with Macaca, the neighboring Chamume salt flats await the same fate.
At Praia da Macaca, the ruins of those times still remain.
On the sand rests what remains of the canning factory buildings and fishermen's houses from colonial times, which made this place an important point in the network of infrastructure support for the fishing industry.
Fishing aside, nowadays Macaca is total relaxation.

Unlike other beaches in the region which, especially on Sundays, are full of people and music (and still maintain that Benguela magic that we all know), Macaca is tranquil.
The open sea over a gently curving sand excavates a small bay in these arid rocks that end abruptly at the sea.
In the distance, you can see the so-called Ponta dos Coqueiros, the central place in the village of Baía Farta.
The shade here is guaranteed by the dozens and dozens of well-aligned coconut trees and palm trees that, when they grow, will give Macaca a different look – greener and fresher –.
This promise, which today is just chopped up with measured trees, has already caused many to rename the beach.
From Macaca to Palmeiras.