Southern Bahia

The southern part of Bahia is an interesting mixture of modern and traditional influences. You’ll find many of the things that the Bahian coast is famous for: Bahianas in traditional white hoop dresses serving regional foods in the praças of the small villages, 17th century religious architecture from Brazil’s colonial period, beautiful sandy beaches lined with palm trees, and various islands and offshore reefs in which to swim and snorkel (or scuba dive). The people here in Southern Bahia are laid-back and relaxed. The rest of Brazil pokes fun at the slow-moving Bahianos, swinging in their hammocks and waiting for the sun to pass overhead. But everybody wants a little part of it. Who wouldn’t?
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Arraial d’Ajuda: Northern Beaches

Walking up along the northern beaches is a must while you’re in Arraial. First, the beaches themselves are long and excellent for swimming–with clear, warm water that is generally shallow and calm. Plus, there are kiosks spread at intervals all along this part of the coast, many associated with some pousada or other (but the kiosks are always open to the public, so make yourself at home or, as the Brazilian’s say, fique a vontage). Some women even go topless on these beaches. The walk all the way to the top, which is marked by the Pousada Aquarela, is about six kilometers (two hours walking). Along the way, you’ll pass the Arraial Ecoparque, which has very little “eco” about it. It’s really just a huge water park with slides and attractions marketed to Brazilians visiting Porto Seguro on vacation packages. If you like the idea of exhilarating water slides, then check it out (you have to enter from the road on the other side). You’ll also pass the Praia do Delegado, which is full of beach barracas, chiefly, the legendary Barraca do Sting, which is an excellent choice for sitting and sipping a cold coconut water or something stronger. The beach in front of his barraca is an excellent choice for swimming, as the water is shallow and calm there. If Sting himself is around, you’ll see why he got his nickname; as he does, indeed, resemble the famous pop star. He serves great fish lunches and organizes boating excursions up the Santa Cruz River.

You can cut in from the beach to the inland road at the Barraca do Sting or any number of other trails along the northern beaches. If you go all the way to the end, you’ll cut-in at the Pousada Aquarela, right at the location of the ferryboat to Porto Seguro.

There is a northern road that parallels the beach from Arraial d’Ajuda to the ferryboat. Along this road are numerous pousadas and a few interesting shops, restaurants, and bars. The best place to come in from the beach and have look around is at the Barraca do Sting. Just inland from Sting’s place is the cozy Santa Fe Hotel, with an excellent restaurant/bar (open to the public, of course). There are also shops and art galleries in the vicinity. A late afternoon walk along the northern beaches is one of the best excursions you can take in Arraial. The wind comes up a little and blows the sand around your feet, as the tide goes way out, revealing the shiny, sandy ocean floor.

Arraial d’Ajuda: Southern Beaches

The main beach in Arraial is Praia do Mucugé, at the bottom of the Estrada do Mucugé just below the village. Due to its proximity to the village, it is by far the most popular and crowded of the beaches here. There are plenty of beach bars with plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas to keep the sun off. Some trees line the area around the Estrada and give the whole place a nice, relaxing feel. This is a great place to spend the afternoon after walking along the northern or southern coastline for several kilometers. A cold beer and a shady tree are just what you’ll be looking for. To the south (right) of Mucugé is the Praia Parracho, which is a bit more extensive than Mucugé, with its beach bars more spread apart. However, there are some large beach bars here, in the tradition of Porto Seguro and they can get rowdy during peak season. You can easily walk between these two beaches. The water here is not as warm or as clear as in other parts of the country, but on a sunny day in the summer months, it can turn a beautiful blue-green.

It’s easy to walk from Mucugé all the way to Praia Pitinga, about 1.5 kilometers (30 minutes) away. You’ll cross a small stream that empties into the ocean and several beach bars. Pitinga is the location of the town’s most charming and luxurious beachfront pousadas, and the beach bars along the way are also slightly higher end. Check out the Paraíso Restaurant with its wooden chairs and large sitting area. Also the São Tropez Praia Hotel has a large area with restaurants and bars. You can enter from the beach or from behind on land. The Cabana Grande is the largest beach bar in the area, a younger cousin to those in Porto Seguro. This one also gets rip roaring during peak season and is mercifully silent during the off season. The best place to stop for a drink is on the deck at the Pitinga Praia Pousada, marking the far end of Pitinga.

A much farther trek (about seven kilometers) is the stroll to Praia Taipe and the Lagoa Azul. The lagoa itself is dry, but the sandy cliffs, called falesias, make for a striking scene. The beach here is one of the most deserted in the area and is well worth a visit, as it’s also one of the prettiest. This is about the final point to which most people care to walk along the southern coast of Arraial. However, a few daring folks make the 14 kilometer haul all the way down to Trancoso. You’ll have to cross a few small rivers that empty into the ocean, but otherwise, it’s quite possible to accomplish in about five hours with a canteen of water, a hat and plenty of sunscreen. There are kiosks along the way for filling up and resting your feet and you’ll pass the large Club Med establishment about halfway down. You can catch a bus or taxi back from Trancoso.

NOTE: If you like the idea of walking along the beach at night, be sure to bring a flashlight, as there are no lights to guide you (but for the beckoning moon), as the beach bars are all shut down for the evening. It’s perfectly safe to walk along these beaches at night, although you should be aware the some stretches will have plenty of water splashing in at high tide. At night, the walk along the northern coast is probably a bit more straightforward than on the south coast.

Porto Seguro: Night Life & Fun

There is almost nothing but nightlife in Porto Seguro and it’s wild and well organized. Each night of the week belongs to a different club or super-barraca. The party just moves from one to the next during the week (see sidebar). The Passarela do Alcool goes all week long and weekends, but it ends at around 11pm so as not to interfere with the club schedule. It’s almost too well organized. And the offerings are all pretty much the same: Axé music and dance, some techno and some Forró. It’s made to appeal to young Brazilians, visiting Porto Seguro on a packaged trip, and not to visiting foreigners. If you’re young and single, you might be able to wedge yourself into the scene with some broken Portuguese. Otherwise, the scheduled Porto Seguro night scene will probably not serve your cup of tea.

Happily, there are a few clubs in town that are not part of the main Porto Seguro itinerary and are open at different times during the week–providing some alternatives to the main schedule of events. One is called Porto Night (Av. dos Navegantes, www.portonight.com.br) and another is Cia do Mar (next door to the ferryboat station, www.ciadomar.tur.br). There are also bars that stay open late in the Praça da Bandeira area.

Porto Seguro

Get all the information on visiting Porto Seguro, the land of the Super-Barraca (huge party cabanas on the beachfront). You’ll see young people from all over Brazil in Porto, especially from Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. The parties are non-stop and every night is a different venue. Find out more…

Arraial d’Ajuda: Old Village, New Village

Arraial d’Ajuda means Settlement of Help and the original village center is just that–a kind of small settlement on top of the bluff overlooking the beautiful ocean. (As a side note, the village was not named because of its helpful nature, but was in honor of one of the principal ships that landed here in the discovery, called the Ajuda). There really wasn’t much to it, just a few small houses and a village square. But as time and tourism moved on, the village extended in the direction of the beach. Now the old part and the new part form a kind of L-shape where the old village leads up to and along the top of the plateau and the new village goes back down toward the beaches on the other side. Both parts are full of restaurants and shops, but the old village houses these shops in small, historical buildings while the new village has modern, well-decorated structures made to be charming and attract customers. The restaurants and shops in the old village are, naturally, cheaper than those in the new village. For sure, you’ll want to spend some time walking around both.

As you enter the town of Arraial d’Ajuda, you’ll most likely enter through the old village. The main road up onto the bluff passes under the old Igreja Nossa Sra. d’Ajuda (Our Lady of Help Church) past the Banho da Santa. The Banho is really just an outdoor shower/bath that is used by hippies and poor villagers. However, legend has it that anyone who bathes there will return to Arraial d’Ajuda.

When you finally make it up into the village, you’ll arrive in the old town square, Praça Brigadeiro E. Gomes, which is a grassy area with shade trees and a relaxed atmosphere. One side of the praça is the main bus stop in town, so if you arrive by bus, you’ll likely get off right there. Bordering the praça are numerous colonial buildings; the 16th century type…small, boxy houses with a window and door in front, colorfully painted and facing the praça. Although most of these have been converted into simple boutique shops, you can still see residents of the town sitting at their windowsills, staring onto the praça. On the far end of the praça is the Nossa Sra. d’Ajuda Church, which is open for visitation from 8am – 5pm daily, closed for lunch. More impressive than the church is the view from behind the church. From there you can see the entire northern coastline of Arraial. If you turn right on the road behind the church (rightly named, Rua Bela Vista) you will come to a couple of very nice and simple pousadas and a couple of bars with incredible views.

Another highlight of the old village is the road that extends from the praça to the new village, called Rua Broduei (that’s phonetic Brazilian for Broadway). This part of the old village is quite popular for restaurants and shops and some economical eateries, such as a bakery and lanchonete on the end near the praça. When you reach the end of Rua Broduei, you’ll come into the Praça São Braz, which is the final part of the old village. Here, you’ll find more quaint colonial buildings, currently in use by the city government, post office, and such. This is also called the Praça Hippie, since it’s usually filled with hippies selling their hand-made jewelry. Since they are not allowed to sell on the streets in town or on the beaches, they took over the praça as a place to set up shop. An unfortunately side affect is that they work aggressively to pull potential customers (can you say gringos?) into the praça from the streets nearby. If you walk near the Praça Hippie, you’ll undoubtedly make one or two new friends there. The hippies and surfers actually discovered Arraial d’Ajuda back in the 1970’s and are now being pushed out by all the upscale progress and evolution in the village.

As you walk from Praça Hippie toward the ocean, you’ll be walking through the new village. Here you’ll find more pousadas, boutique shops and restaurants, but here the offerings are mostly upscale and charming. Thankfully, the atmosphere here maintains its village look and feel and, although the construction is more modern, everything here is quite charming and inviting. It’s worth spending an afternoon walking along the main village road, the Estrada do Mucugé to check out the many shops there. Evenings in this part of the village are buzzing with people choosing restaurants and places to sit for the evening, to watch the movement on the street. The far end of the Estrada do Mucugé bumps into Mucugé Beach, the first and most popular in the area.

Porto Seguro: Getting There & Around

Porto Seguro is 705 kilometers from Salvador. It has a fairly well equipped airport that receives flights from all over the country. Most flights into town are with Nordeste (73/288-3131), but you can also get here on TAM (73/288-4926) and Vasp (73/288-1205). Arriving by bus from Salvador, you can take the Aguia Branca line (71/4004-1010), which leaves from the main bus terminal several times a day.

You can easily walk around the lower city of Porto Seguro on foot–from the Trevo do Cabral to the ferryboat that goes across to Arraial d’Ajuda. You’ll need a taxi, bus, or tour van to take you to the beaches along the north coast. There are busses that go up and down the coast all day until early evening. You can catch these across from the Shalimar hotel. You might want to take a bus or taxi to and from the rodoviaria. Although it is within walking distance, the heat and uphill climb make it a bit uncomfortable during the day and it’s probably not a good idea to walk there at night. Likewise the stairway that goes up to the Cidade Historica is ok during the day, but should be avoided at night.

Arraial d’Ajuda

The hot spot of Southern Bahia, Arraial d’Ajuda is a sleepy beech town with everything you can imaging…great food, amazing beaches, beautiful people, music, nightlife and so much more. Discover it…

Trancoso

The place where Brazil’s rich and famous go for a beach get-away in the northeast region, Trancoso is a small, traditional town with handicrafts, fine dining, simple food, elaborate cabana-style Inns as well as luxury beach hotels. Find out more…