The municipality of Capela is home to a range of nature and culture themes, including the Refúgio de Vida Silvestre Mata do Junco wildlife refuge and the Festa do Mastro. The Pau-Brasil interpretive trail connects the natural environment with environmental education. When planning your trip, you can choose between focusing on the wildlife refuge and interpretation or visiting for a cultural event.

Wildlife Refuge and Pau-Brasil Interpretive Trail

The Refúgio de Vida Silvestre Mata do Junco is a wildlife refuge in the municipality of Capela. A 2024 state environmental report describes the administrative headquarters as a place for the work of the advisory council, scientific research, and visitor services for ecotourism and environmental education. Nature conservation and knowledge-sharing are therefore among the defining themes of the area.

The Trilha Interpretativa Pau-Brasil was unveiled in May 2025 at the refuge’s headquarters. It was described as the first trail in Sergipe to be mapped and adapted to safety standards. In its development, it follows ABNT technical standards for mapping and trail design, as well as signage guidelines recommended by ICMBio. The trail was designed as a tool for nature conservation and environmental education. Technical trail planning and educational purpose are thus two sides of the same concept.

If you plan to include the headquarters or the interpretive trail in your itinerary, check visitor access in advance. The stated functions of the headquarters and the trail’s purpose can help you decide which themes you would like to explore during a visit.

Festa do Mastro: a cultural event with dates tied to a specific year

In 2026, the Festa do Mastro in the municipality of Capela was listed as an intangible cultural heritage of Sergipe and described as its 87th edition. The program was scheduled to run from May 31 to June 28, 2026. The announced lineup included Zé Vaquerio, Bell Marques, and Devinho Novaes. This places the 2026 edition in a specific timeframe; the dates given are not a schedule for another travel year.

If you are traveling for the Festa do Mastro, check the dates for your intended travel period. This will help you fit the cultural event into your travel plans without applying the dated 2026 program schedule to other years.

Other traditions in the broader destination of Capela

At the level of the broader destination of Capela, protecting the titi monkey (Callibebus coimbai) is also among the goals of the refuge: the protected area is intended to safeguard its habitat and ensure its continued existence. The Festa de São Pedro offers another cultural perspective. Hundreds of celebrants head into the forests near the town to find a tree and erect it as a Mastro in one of Capela’s squares.

Sarandaia is another tradition in the broader destination of Capela. It is associated with June 1: a resident dressed as a “baiana,” accompanied by a pífano band and other celebrants, goes from door to door to collect prizes. Sarandaia and the tree custom of the Festa de São Pedro thus offer different cultural insights from the program of the Festa do Mastro.

When choosing accommodation, it helps to first decide the purpose of your trip: would you like to focus on the wildlife refuge and environmental education, or on cultural traditions? If you are traveling for a festival, check the dates for your planned travel period. This way, you can tailor your search for vacation rentals in Capela to the themes that interest you most.

For the broader travel overview: Capela.