The island of Santo Aleixo is a Brazilian island located on the southern coast of the state of Pernambuco, in the Northeast region of Brazil. Administratively, it is part of the municipality of Sirinhaém, although it is privately owned. It is located between Porto de Galinhas and Praia dos Carneiros.
In 1527 the Spanish navigator Rodrigo Acuña, who was returning to Spain, was shipwrecked on the coast of Pernambuco and arrived with some companions on the island, where he recovered after finding food and providing himself with essential utensils. About this misfortune, there is in the historiography the following narration:
Located in the open sea, about two kilometers east of Barra do Sirinhaém, Santo Aleixo Island has a shape slightly similar to a horseshoe. On the west side it has a sandy beach, while on the south there is a cove protected by stone rocks and a beach where there is a large open pool with calm, warm and transparent greenish waters. To the east there is a rocky shore that is not very accessible.