It protects a section of dramatic canyons on the São Francisco River and the surrounding caatinga environment, while supporting tourism and ecotourism.

[2] It is in parts of the municipalities of Delmiro Gouveia, Olho d'Água do Casado and Piranhas in Alagoas, Paulo Afonso in Bahia and Canindé de São Francisco in Sergipe.

[4] The Rio São Francisco Natural Monument was created by decree on 5 June 2009 and is administered by the federal Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.

[3] The monument protects the canyons of the São Francisco River, the reservoir of the Xingó dam and the rock sites of the Malhada Grande / Rio do Sal complex in Paulo Afonso.

Sustainable fishing and low impact agriculture can continue in areas where these activities were practised in the past, subject to the conservation unit's management plan.