The population of Canoa Quebrada was born from a small town called Esteves.
It was discovered in the 1960s by French filmmakers from the “Nouvelle Vague” movement, the population experienced a clash of cultures, which resulted in a feeling of freedom that prevails there to this day.
Tradition has it that the French worked hard during the day, and at night, it was all fun. For that reason, a moon and a star are carved into the cliffs and it is a local symbol.
Another version of that story says that in the film crew there was a Moroccan of the Islamic religion, who had the moon and the star sculpted on the cliffs.
In the 70s, the town became famous when it was discovered by a group of hippies who found this remote place there, inhabited by some fishermen and an indigenous tribe.
Canoa Quebrada returned to be part of a film in 1997, with the production of Bella Donna, directed by Bruno Barreto.
Since then, it has become one of the main tourist destinations in Ceará.
See more about the history of Canoa Quebrada