Gargalheiras

Text - Destino do Sol

Durante cinqüenta anos a natureza esperou que a boa vontade e mão do homem fizessem a sua parte. De um estreito vale entre serras surgiu o Gargalheiras, o mais belo reservatório d'água do interior do Rio Grande do Norte e um dos principais pontos turísticos para quem percorre os roteiros do Seridó.

O antigo estreito, agora transformado em Gargalheiras, volta a esperar pela boa vontade e pela mão do homem, para oferecer uma boa estrutura de lazer, aventura e diversão para quem visita aquela região. O potencial latente está aflorando e um dia vai explodir.

A grande represa está localizada a três quilômetros de Acari, uma das cidades mais representativas da colonização portuguesa no Brasil, com uma arquitetura rica que retrata a explosão da agropecuária e a influência da Igreja Católica. E as suas águas se estendem por mais de sete quilômetros, chegando bem próximo a Currais Novos, uma das cidades pólos do Seridó.

Todo mundo só o conhece pelo nome de Gargalheiras, mas oficialmente ele é chamado de Açude Marechal Dutra, represando o rio Acauã, que faz parte da bacia do rio Piranhas/Assu. A estrutura deixada pelo DNOCS, no entorno da parede do açude, está sendo aproveitada como equipamento turístico. Mas tudo de forma artesanal, ainda sem a preocupação de se oferecer um bom atendimento ao turista.

A barragem, construída em concreto entre as serras do Abreu, da Carnaubinha, Olho d'água e Gargalheiras, tem uma altura que chega aos 25 metros e 250 metros de coroamento, A bacia hidráulica ocupa uma área de 780 hectares e a capacidade máxima de armazenamento chega aos 40 milhões de metros cúbicos. A água é utilizada para abastecer as cidades de Acari e Currais Novos.

Não há nada mais encantador do que vê o Gargalheiras sangrando. A primeira vez foi em 20 de março de 1960. A última em Janeiro de 2004. Atualmente falta pouco para o grande acontecimento.

For fifty years nature waited until the good will and hands of man made its part. In a narrow valley between mountain ranges Gargalheiras appeared, the most beautiful water reservoir in the interior of Rio Grande do Norte and one of the main tourist points for those procuring the roteiros of the Seridó.

The old strait, now transformed into Gargalheiras, comes back to wait for the good will and the hand of the man, to offer a good structure of leisure, adventure and diversion for those who visit the region. The latent potential is arising and one day is going to blow up.

The great dam is located three kilometers from Acari, one of the cities most representative of the Portuguese settling in Brazil , with a rich architecture that the explosion of the farming portrayed and the influence of the Church Catholic. Its waters extend more than seven kilometers, arriving close to Currais Novos, one of the polar cities in the regions of the Seridó.

Everybody only knows it by the name of Gargalheiras, but officially it is called Açude (Dam) Marechal Dutra, damming the Acauã River , that is part of the basin of the Piranhas/Assu river. The structure left by DNOCS, in the area of the wall of the dam, is being used to advantage for tourism development. But everything is still in artisan form, still without the concern of offering a good attendance to the tourist.

In spite of everything, it is worth - and very much so - a trip to Gargalheiras. Today, three inns are the options of those want to be close to the dam. The oldest, and highest and between the mountain ranges, offers a vision of them in their magnitude, and of where you can perceive the waters transforming the old barren landscape of caatinga of the Seridó .

Below, at the edge of the barrage, there is two more newer; the Bistrô, whose biggest attraction is gastronomical, the idea of Frenchman Cristian Fereol and Angelina … Brazilian. Ana, by chance is natural of Acari. Crossing the Gargalheiras, in the other shore, it is the inn Pé de Serra, that obeys the natural and ecological style.

The dam, constructed in concrete between the mountain ranges of Abreu, of Carnaubinha, Olho d’água and Gargalheiras, has a height of 25 meters and 250 meters long, the hydraulic basin occupies an area of 780 hectares and the maximum capacity of water storage close to 40 million cubical meters. The water is used to supply the cities of Acari and Currais Novos.

There is nothing more charming of than seeing the Gargalheiras ‘sangrando’ (bleeding). The first time was 20 of March of 1960. The last one was in January 2004. Currently it lacks little (less than a meter) for the great event.

During the construction of the dam, the Federal Government applied the money of the time 73 million 182 thousand and 640 cruzeiros and 20 cents (C$ 73.182.540,20), which would represent today between 10 and 12 million dollars or 25 to 28 million Reais. But the investment that is lacking to transform Gargalheiras into a tourist product would be very small.

Right now it only lacking to place in functioning the tourist terminal and the field is open to private initiative to implant complexes of aquatic leisure, hotel fazendas, and ecological and adventure tourism. Who cares to risk? Gargalheiras is an invitation. Gargalheiras is called the Oasis of the Seridó.

Proposta - passeios de barco no Rio Acauã OBS: We are talking to IBAMA and the municipal government in Acari about banning Jet skis, which are inherently dangerous, in Gargalheiras. They're built for speed and can turn on a dime. Letting kids zip around on these things on an open (or any) body of water is comparable to putting a 15 year-old behind the wheel of a sports car on the Autobahn: it's just not smart. They also polute ...... local conservationists are organizing to defend the ban idea, knowing that science and experience ought to be enough to keep it in place. OBS: The catamarin above uses a special non-poluting 4 stroke engine, slow speed, and carries from 16 - 24 passengers, and would be operated by a responsible local guide. Carbureted two-stroke engines in recreational watercraft discharge up to 40 percent of their oil and gas, unburned, directly into the water. Cleaner alternatives, including four-stroke and fuel-injected engines, have been available on the market for many years. JET SKI GARGALHEIRAS - NÃO NÃO!
Pescadors (local fishermen) - Gargalheiras
	Vila do pescadores - Gargalheiras
Parque (Park) - Villa Gargalheiras

Algumas fotos aqui no site do Acari inseridas foram pesquisadas na Internet. Estamos tentando mostra as belezas é tranquilidade da nossa cidade. Se vc achar o seu copyright tiver sido infringido, por favor nos avise por e-mail para que retiremos a mesma.