The dique (dam, bank, jetty) was constructed by the Dutch that inhabited Salvador starting from the year 1624. For decades, it was abandoned but in 1998, it was urbanized. The Dique de Tororó (tororó means ‘small talk’, but is also the neighborhood where the lagoon is located) is the only natural spring in Salvador registered by the Institute of Heritage and National Art. It delineates the northern-most region of the Upper City (Cidade Alta) of Salvador.
Aside from the lake which is part of the dique, the area contains a jogging track (called a ‘pista de cooper‘), an area for rowboats, fishing decks, piers for small boats, equipment for sports and gymnastics, playgrounds, as well as a Activity Center and an Events Plaza. The center also has restaurants and parking for 150 cars. In the middle of the lagoon, there’s a floating stage for the implementation of shows and spectacles as well as an architectural ensemble of diverse orixás (African deities) which compliment the beauty of the region and show off the religious aspects of the city.
Historically, the water from the jetty was used by the inhabitants of the city, and there’s even a popular four-verse carol (called a quadrinha) that speaks to the days when the water dried up.
“Eu fui ao Tororó
Beber água e não achei
Encontrei linda morena
Que no Tororó deixei…”“I went to Tororó
To drink water but all I found
Was a pretty morena
Who I left in Tororó…”
