Discovered by the Portuguese in 1547, the attractive fishing village was named "Pipa" (Barrel in English) due to the shape it had when seen from the sea by the Portuguese boats that arrived locally. The small village has always been a very calm place, it's main resource is the sea and, consequently, fishing.

In the beginning of the 20th century, people from Goianinha, a small village near Pipa, built a road to reach Pipa. This new road allowed people to arrive there on horse and "mule wagons" and spend their vacations in the area. In the early 1980's, Pipa was discovered as a great place for surfing. This was the beginning of the tourist development around the region.

Pipa is located about 85 km South of Natal and is consequently the most liked beach in the region. The extended strips of sand beaches, are often colored and isolated by high hillsides. It is a great feeling to enter the beaches there, it is like to escape and forget all problems in the world…! Besides the tourists - groups of turtles and dolphins can appear eventually. (Ask the locals, they know the best points of observations of the turtles). Other beaches like Praia do Amor (= Lover’s beach) is just as beautiful as Praia do Pipa, but when the tide water is high, the access is more difficult. Note that the tide water changes the landscape, and some beaches are more beautiful when it's low tide and some when it's high tide. Praia do Pipa for instance is more beautiful during high water. During the sunset or the sunrise, people meet on the "Chapadão" - a high hill next to Pipa, from there it is a spectacular view. The nightlife is good in Pipa, but starts just after 23:00.