Vida Caiçara Project* Way of Life and Community Based Tourism Project

The Caiçara Way of Life and Community Based Tourism project is being developed jointly by DP World Santos and Diana Island since October 2012.

DP World Santos offers material and academic support to a solidary enterprise, which gathers a group of residents of Diana Island who were determined to qualify in order to guide tourists in monitored visits around the island, promoting an opportunity for them to showcase their way of life and other aspects of the caiçara culture still present in the local traditions and landscape. Visitors can choose to take a boat trip through the canal’s estuary and enjoy the caiçara cuisine cooked by the members of the group.

In five years, the project has matured and, today, receives an average of 30 groups of visitors annually, making it a sustainable initiative by contributing to the resident’s income.

Another important aspect of the Project is that it represents a way to foster and value local knowledge and history. As they prepare for their work as tourist guides, younger members are taught about cultural values and learn about the way of life on the Island, the beauty and importance of the region’s mangroves.