Current Time in Parnamirim, Brazil

Parnamirim lies on the north-eastern coast of Brazil in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, immediately south of the state capital Natal, with which it forms a continuous metropolitan area. The city stretches from sandy inland plains to the Atlantic shore, where dunes, coconut palms and long beaches meet warm green water. Its climate is tropical and remarkably steady, with high temperatures all year, constant sea breezes and some of the highest levels of sunshine in Brazil.

With a population of around three hundred thousand, Parnamirim is the second largest city in the state and one of the fastest growing in the north-east. Its economy is built on services, commerce, tourism, construction and the shrimp and fruit industries of the coastal region, and it benefits greatly from being the home of the state's main airport and of an important air force base.

The city owes its modern existence to aviation. In the 1920s the flat sandy ground here was chosen for an airfield, and Natal's position as the closest point in the Americas to Africa made it strategically vital. During the Second World War the United States built a huge air base at Parnamirim Field, through which thousands of aircraft, troops and supplies were ferried across the South Atlantic to North Africa and Europe. The base became known as the trampoline to victory, and the town that grew around it took its name from the site. After the war the settlement continued to expand, gaining municipal independence and later absorbing much of the suburban growth of Natal.

Its best-known attraction is the beach of Cotovelo and the long stretch of coast towards Pirangi, where visitors find calm bathing pools among the reefs at low tide. At Pirangi do Norte, just beyond the city limits, stands the cashew tree that is often described as the largest in the world, a single plant whose branches root as they touch the ground and now cover an area the size of several football pitches. Dune buggy rides, boat trips along the Pirangi River and dolphin watching in the bay are all popular, and the historic aviation sites, including the memorial and museum recalling the wartime base, attract those interested in history.

Life in Parnamirim reflects the culture of the north-east, with forro music and dancing, June festivals honouring the harvest saints, and a cuisine of seafood, tapioca, dried beef, cassava and tropical fruit. Beach kiosks and open-air restaurants stay busy every weekend.

The international airport of Natal, located in the municipality, links the region to Europe and to the rest of Brazil, while coastal highways and a metropolitan rail line connect the city to the capital. Several private universities and technical colleges operate here, and the major public universities of Natal are close at hand.

Parnamirim is important as the aviation gateway of north-eastern Brazil and as a sunny, growing coastal city where military history, tropical beaches and metropolitan life come together.