The Brazil Travel Site

Porto Seguro: Cidade Historica

Amidst all the wild beach parties, rowdy nightclubs and the Passarela de Alcool, there is a calm and quiet historic town center siting peacefully at the top of the plateau overlooking all of Porto Seguro. This is the original location of the village of Porto Seguro, the oldest city in Brazil. The view from the Cidade Historica (also called the Cidade Alta) leaves no doubt in your mind why the spot was chosen. And the area is perfectly preserved, looking pretty much like it did in the early 1500s. Many of the small, historic dwellings are still inhabited by traditional families of Porto Seguro; others have been turned into shops, selling tee-shirts and crafts, all made locally.

Like many port towns, including Salvador, Porto Seguro consisted of both a Cidade Alta (High City) and a Cidade Baixa (Low City). Here, the Cidade Baixa was where the port and the shipping activities took place. At that time, the primary goods were Pau Brazil (a coveted dark red hardwood used in Europe for furniture and die), sugar and cocoa. At first, the Aimores indians were friendly and helpful to the Portuguese colonists and even helped them secure the coast around Porto Seguro. Today, you can see some Aimores indians hanging around the historic city, selling traditional indian clothing, jewelry, and trinkets.

REMEMBER: It’s customary to pay a small fee to take pictures of the local people here and all over Bahia and the Northeast of Brazil.

You can walk around the Cidade Alta in an hour or so. It’s small and simple. A highlight in the old city is the large rubber tree that sits in a large grassy area at one end of the town. All along this grassy area sit old, historic buildings in pristine condition. Another highlight is on the opposite end of town, where you can sit and look out over the ocean from the high plateau near the lighthouse. At the end of town, near the lighthouse are some simple shops and stands where locals sell pure cocoa powder (ask for it without sugar if you want the pure stuff), cocoa beans and other natural herbs. There is a small square in the middle of town that is lined by old buildings now converted into shops. Inside the square, you can sit in the shade. There is also a main church and a museum inside the old Jailhouse.

Walking to the Cidade Historica from the lower city is not difficult. The best way is to climb the long stairway across from the Trevo do Cabral (the praça with the statue of the pointing man). The stairway is pretty run down, but it’s perfectly safe during the day. You can also take a taxi around to the back side. The old city is near the rodoviaria and there are busses that go there all day and night. You can pick them up on Av. 22 de Abril.