The region of Ceara, where we find Paracuru, is a place which like so many others on the continent was discovered and colonized first by the Spanish. Pedro Alvarez, Vicente Yanez and Diego de Lepe are some of the names of those considered to be the first to reach this land. The history of Paracuru is the history of Ceara, the history of the Brazilian coastline.

Later in the seventeenth century, Ceara was colonized by the Portuguese, not without some resistance on the part of the native people. There were continued incursions by European pirates, and the Dutch invaded this area twice in the seventeenth century, without success on both occasions. The Portguese managed to retake the Dutch fort called Schoonenborch and they changed its name to Nossa Senhora da Assunçao. The fortress became the main seat of this region in 1661 and the Dutch withdrew. Fortaleza became the capital of Ceara in 1726.

In 1884 Ceara became the first Brazilian state to abolish slavery.

The city of Paracuru was born as such in 1868, although the region has been inhabited since the sixteenth century.

Paracuru has a history has an old fishing village. Its name derives from “Sea Lizard” or “River Sea” depending on which version you go along with. The large dunes of this area have always been amongst its main treasures.

Ceara's economy has traditionally revolved around agricultura, farming, fishing and tourism, the latter being a phenomena mostly of the twentieth century.