on the island there are lovers caves, sacred baobab trees, bridges of longing, lucky grey herons and even more myths, legends and fantasies, each of them a living, breathing tradition still being played out by the people of the city.

the lovers cave is the site of an old tupi legend that survives to this day. the fisherman tamoios itanhantã would store his canoe in a particular cave on paquetá, whenever he would visit the island to hunt and fish. on his daily visits, he was spied by poranga, a young girl of the island, who fell in love with him. tamoios, blind to her beauty, never saw her, so she hid in the cave, singing, crying and watching her love go about his life, ignorant of her existence.