blog, food, porto seguro
Chocolate, or more specifically the Cacao fruit, first appears on our radar in Egypt in the 16th century BCT. Little is know of its use in Egyptian culture, but the first known cultivation of the fruit is by the Aztec culture of around 600 CT. The Aztecs and Mayans believed that their ancestors brought the Cacao seeds from paradise where the god Quetzcoalt presented the fruit as a gift. This fruit bestowed wisdom and power upon all who ate it or, in most cases…drank it.
In Southern Bahia, Cacao (or Cacau as it’s spelled in Portuguese) created something of a revolution in the area. Although sugar was the region’s principal cash crop, Cacao played an important part in exports to Europe. In the years before Spain managed to steal a number of seedlings in an act of bio-piracy, the fine powder came mostly from South America, with Southern Bahia being among the main producers. Cacao is not easy to cultivate. Trees are sensitive to weather and temperature and prefer to be surrounded by other trees. The Cacao industry in Southern Bahia was consistently riddled with problems and hardships. Nevertheless, the European market for Cacao powder increased throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, although it was still used principally by the rich. It wasn’t until the 20th century that chocolate was mass produced and industrialized. By then Spain had created and lost its vast monopoly of Cacao production, which it had established in Africa and Malasia. Today, most of the Cacao produced in the world comes from these same African nations, although it is believed that the plant originated in the Amazon Region.
porto seguro
Visitors arriving in Porto Seguro for the first time are often surprised by what they see. It’s a common misconception that Porto Seguro is a quaint, Bahian-style beach village. Porto Seguro has a very particular appeal. Specifically, it appeals to young, working class Brazilians. It offers everything that this group desires: sun and sand, mobs of people dancing and pulsating together, and lots of food and cold beer. As famous as it is, and as appealing as the beach-blanket party atmosphere can be, the truth is that Porto Seguro was not made for you and me. It’s full of all the things Brazilians like and only a few of the things that foreigners like. Most of the things that foreigners like, lie in the surrounding coastal regions to the north and south, away from Porto Seguro.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should avoid the place as there are some redeeming factors–like the excellent prices for food and accommodations, including many resort-style hotels. Another great thing about Porto Seguro is the quantity and variety of shopping you’ll find there. Shops line the coastal road and in the evening when the Passarelo de Alcool revs up, you’ll find even more stands with local artisans selling their wares. Finally, you should not miss the historical city of Porto Seguro, which rests on the high plateau, watching over the city and beaches below. The view alone is worth the hike up there.
porto seguro
Trips up and down the coast leave from the various piers at the southern tip of Porto Seguro. Here you’ll find excursions that visit all of the popular outlying areas from Santo Antônio in the north to Caraíva and even the distant Caravelas in the south. There are tour agencies all over town, including several right around the pier area, that can arrange tickets and passage for you. A few possibilities are Cia do Mar (Praça dos Pataxós 15, www.ciadomar.tur.br), which has Schooners or small speedboats. Passeios (Av. 22 de Abril 286, 73/288-5898) has a variety of trips both by van and boat (not their own boats). Prices given in this section are mostly based on this company’s price list. Finally, you can try Yes Tours (Rua Rui Barbosa 15, 73/288-3363, www.yestours.tur.br) located at the southern tip of the city near the boats. They offer every tour you can imagine, but their prices are a bit higher than the others. The group Luanda (Av. 22 de Abril 172, 73/268-3723) has boat excursions to all the major locations, plus an extended trip to Abrolhos (see The Extreme South of Bahia article for details).
Local Trips
Several agencies offer city tours that take you up to the historical village for a look at the monuments and indigenous arts and crafts. The trip usually continues up the coast to give you a quick look at the principal beaches of the area, all the way to Coroa Vermelha, where Cabral and his crew had their first mass on the newly discovered continent. The trip takes a half day and costs around R$30. Another local tour is a trip out to the Ilha dos Aquários, also known as Ilha do Pirata. Most of these are not guided, since you can usually just show up at the pier and head on over to the island to look at the fish.
Excursions to the North
A day trip to Santo Antônio, drops you off at the extensive beach, where you can spend the day kicking back at the beach kiosks and swimming in the ocean. For only R$20 per person (lunch not included), it’s a great way to see this northern beach and the town of Santo Antônio. An alternative version of this trip is made by boat, 45 minutes up the coast to Coroa Alta for a swim. Here the water is shallow due to a huge sand bar in the ocean. You also get a chance to sit at the beach cabanas on Praia de Santo André and have lunch, plus stop at the small island Ilha Paraíso to look at the local culture, crafts, and foods. This trip is around R$25 not including lunch. It lasts pretty much all day. For one of the best snorkeling excursions in the region, you’ll want to take the trip to Recife de Fora, a large area of tide pools and underwater reefs that present a huge diversity of fish and sea life. Trips from Porto Seguro by Schooner cost about R$25 per person, not including equipment. The trip lasts about five hours. There are also trips that drive up the coast and then embark on a boat out to the reefs. This version costs about R$20 per person and lasts only four hours. Times vary on these trips depending on the tide (low tide is required).
You can also take excursions up to the Parque Ecológico do Santuário and the Fazenda Mãe Tereza where you can hike along trails and enjoy great boat trips along the river. The Fazenda charges around R$30 per person to spend the day and a packaged tour with transportation will cost around R$60.
Finally, you can visit the indigenous groups in the Jaqueira Reservation in a van with a tour guide for about R$25. The trip lasts about three hours. Snacks at the reservation are extra.
Excurions to the South
Day trips from Porto Seguro go by van to Arraial d’Ajuda and/or Trancoso just 20 minutes to the south. These trips are designed for folks staying in Porto Seguro on vacation packages, since by far, the preferred method for visiting these two locations is to stay a couple of nights in Arraial and rent a car or buggy and drive to Trancoso for a day. On this packaged excursion, you visit the old, historic centers of both Trancoso and Arraial, with enough time to walk the beaches of Trancoso. It costs about R$20 per person. Lunch in Trancoso is extra. A more interesting excursion is the visit to Praia do Espelho and Curuípe. Some versions of this trip pay a visit to the town of Caraíva as well. The beach at Praia do Espelho is one of the prettiest in the area and some say in all of Brazil. It is lined by shady trees and the water is clear and blue with offshore reefs that make for great snorkeling and diving. During low tide, you can walk right from the beach to the reefs. There are palm trees and sandy cliffs all around. This is a beach you might want to visit more than once. The price of this excursion is about R$35 per person and there are versions that go by van or by boat. Snorkeling equipment is not included but available for an extra R$5-10.
You can take long trip out to the Abrolhos Islands from Porto Seguro. You should plan well ahead for this as it takes a couple of days and requires some equipment. The trip usually has a tour and overnight stay in Caraíva, then heads out to the islands early the following morning. There are tourist versions and scuba diver versions of this trip. Of course, the diver versions are a bit more intense and should be booked through one of the dive schools in Porto Seguro or Arraial d’Ajuda.
porto seguro
Shopping takes place all over town and especially in the shops the line Av. 22 de Abril and the Passarela do Alcool, all the way to the tip of the city where the ferry boat docks. The Passarela do Alcool is especially active after dark, when locals set up stands to sell clothing, arts and crafts on the street. There is an arts and crafts market Inside the tourist information office at the far end of the Passarela do Alcool (and past the Praça da Bandeira).
You’ll find the atelier of Bahian artist Menelaw Sete directly across the street from the Praça da Bandeira. Sete is recognized nationally for his cubist works–in the tradition of Picasso. There is an interesting art gallery featuring many Bahian artists, called Galeria da Preta (Av. Portugal 148). They are open daily until around midnight and are located at the beginning of the Passarela. The best deals on tee shirts can be found in the Cidade Historica (although there are some very cool tee-shirt designs in the shops around the Praça da Bandeira) and the best shopping mall in town is Shopping Avenida (Av. 22 de Abril), which has coffee shops, boutique stores, ice cream shops and a good Italian restaurant upstairs. You can find Cuban and other international cigars and smokes at the Officina Café e Tabacaria inside the Shopping Avenida mall.
porto seguro
One of Brazil’s official marine parks, Recife de Fora is a great place to check out marine life with a mask and snorkel. The park encompasses 17.5 square kilometers of reefs and underwater rock formations that are home to various species of marine life. The water is from 1-6 meters deep and very clear. You’ll see various types of fish, crustaceans, coral (18 different types), squid, octopus, and sea turtles. The diversity and visibility are both excellent and the area can be appreciated by both skin divers and scuba divers–although the most common activity in the area is snorkeling. Most trips out to the park leave at low tide to take advantage of the better visibility and you’re advised to bring tennis shoes or diving booties in case you have to step on the rocky reefs (which you should avoid doing anyway, but it happens).
porto seguro
Way past the popular beaches of Porto Seguro to north are two areas known as Santo Antônio and Santo André. Together, these two areas provide a completely different experience of the southern coast of Bahia. First, there are wonderful beaches with excellent conditions for swimming and simple but inviting kiosks. In particular the Praia do Santo André, Praia das Tartarugas, and Praia Santo Antônio are excellent choices. The atmosphere here is more relaxed and laid back than the party-till-you-puke energy of Porto Seguro. The food is excellent and the beers are ice-cold. The area surrounding the beaches is green and full of coconut trees.
A major highlight of the area is the sandy island of Coroa Alta, which brings boatloads of people from Porto Seguro every day. You can swim and snorkel in the shallow waters of the island. In the Cabrália area just a short distance to the south, you’ll find a long coastline of sandy beaches, some of them nearly deserted and others with just a small kiosk or two. Check out the Praia dos Lenções for a good example. Here you’ll also find the Fazenda Mãe Tereza, a private sanctuary that opens its gates to the public. Inside you can hike around the fazenda with or without a guide pointing out the flora and fauna of the area. You can also take a canoe trip up the river to a fresh-water swimming hole, check out the various crab habitats, or learn about the harvesting and processing of Palm oil, a principal ingredient in Bahian Cuisine. Your entrance fee of R$30 includes lunch at the fazenda.
A final option in the extreme north of Porto Seguro is a trip out to the Indian Reservation of Jaqueira. Here, the native groups have created their own attraction for visitors, offering a look into their culture and native lands. The first 30 minutes of your visit will be a presentation by the Indian guides that is only given in Portuguese. Afterward, you will hike along trails into the reservation, where you’ll see one of their rituals and get the opportunity to taste some of their cuisine. Be aware that this experience is very produced and does not exactly look like a visit to an authentic Indian village. Still, it does provide a look at the culture from one point of view.
porto seguro
The tiny island of Pacuio (also known as Ilha do Pirata, but most commonly called Ilha dos Aquários) sits on the far side of Rio Buranhém, almost directly across from the ferryboat that heads over to Arraial d’Ajuda. The island is most famous for its parties on Friday nights that spin up several types of music, from techno to Brazilian Axé. The party takes place around the island’s principal attractions, the 220,000 liter salt-water aquarium and two other, smaller aquariums that are home to various types of fish, sharks, lobsters and other marine animals. You can head over to the island on the Cia do Mar Schooners that are docked near the ferryboat. For more details, check with Cia do Mar (Praça dos Pataxós 15, www.ciadomar.tur.br).
porto seguro
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.
beaches, porto seguro
Up the northern coast of Porto Seguro, the beaches stretch on for miles. There is little difference among the beaches along this ten-kilometer stretch. They all have fairly wide strips of fine sand with medium-sized waves and semi-blue, semi-clear water (depending on the season). If you’re looking for charming tropical beaches with white sand and coconut trees blowing in the gentle breeze, this is not the place to come. Rather, what makes these beaches popular are the many barracas, or beach bars dotted along the coastline. Three of these barracas have grown up to become super-barracas, multi-level centers of activity at three principal beaches along the northern coastline. Between these super-barracas are several mere mortal beach bars with lunch menus, cold drinks, tables, chairs and beach service.
The Super-Barracas
The super-barracas host all kinds of activities: most notably, they have continuous stage shows going (from morning to sundown), featuring different types of music and dancing (see sidebar on Axé Group Dancing). The have several environments for drinking and eating, including service on the sandy beach where there are plenty of lounge chairs and shade umbrellas. The activities spill out onto the beach and even to the ocean where you can usually partake of water sports, like kite surfing and banana boat rides. It’s non-stop, high energy and it’s all sponsored by the super-barraca.
There are three super-barracas on the north coast: Tóa Tóa is the first one, located at Praia Mundaí about six kilometers from town. Axé Moi is next, located at Praia Taperapuã about seven kilometers from town. The farthest is Barramares at Praia Barramares, about ten kilometers away. It’s difficult to say which is better or worse since they all have about the same kind of activities and attract the same type of large crowds during the day–mostly young Brazilians and a few scattered international tourists. The question is not which barraca is best, but whether or not you like the super-barraca scene at all. To best answer this question, its worth visiting one of these mega beach bars during the day. If you don’t like the energy there, you can probably find a smaller, cozier beach bar nearby, or (if you have a car or don’t mind paying for a taxi) continue north to the more charming beaches near Santa Cruz de Cabrália and Santo Antônio.
On weeknights, the barracas have a rotating schedule to produce super-luau beach parties. Each of the three super-barracas has a different night and they never overlap. They even coordinate nights with other clubs in town. The night scene is a mega-version of the day scene. They generally break out the main stage for the Axé dancing groups and get ready for crowds that number into the thousands during peak season. To keep the ugly masses out, there is a cover charge to enter the luau (around R$25, but women usually get a heavy discount). The barracas encourage you to purchase your tickets through a tour guide or at your hotel. This is partially to respect the vacation packaging system of Porto Seguro (see sidebar).
Praia do Curuípe and Itacimirim
A day at these beaches might not seem all that different from any other beach on the Brazilian coastline. Here, the scene moves along a bit slower than at the super-barracas and the beach kiosks are of a normal size, offering shade under the palm trees, cold drinks and decent lunch plates. The beaches here are great for swimming with small waves and warm water. Some of the beach bars available here include Mayumi, Ponto das Tartarugas, and João de Sunga (the largest, across from the Hotel Solar do Imperador). These are good beaches to retreat to, if you need a break from the super-barracas to the north.
porto seguro
It’s ironic that the Passarela de Alcool, or Alcohol Pass, did not get its name because of all the booze that gets sold their every night. Rather, the name was given to this particular road back in the 1800s because it was the principal passage by which alcohol was carried down to the port for shipping out of the city.
Today, the area is Porto Seguro’s main spot for eating, drinking, shopping, and drinking some more. The Passarela is lined with shops, restaurants and temporary stands that sell jewelry, clothing, crafts, and traditional Bahian cocktails. It has become difficult to define exactly where the official pass begins and ends; the area has spilled over onto the streets leading up to the original road and even along one or two of the side streets. After dark, the first signs of festivities are noticeable at the Praça da Paz (with the large clock sculpture in the middle) as you walk through town along Av. 22 de Abril (with the ocean to your left).
The praça is not the official start of the Passarelo, but there are several restaurant/bars there with outdoor seating and live music to deter you for a while. Keep walking, passing the intersection of Av. 22 de Abril and Av. Getulio Vargas, where you’ll see a large sculpture of a mermaid in the small Praça Ináia. (The sculpture may also represent the Candomblé deity, Iemanjá, a sort of goddess of the sea.) Keep walking straight and you’ll come to Av. Portugal, which is, officially, the Passarelo de Alcool.
The Passarelo warms up every night at around 5pm and goes until about 11pm It’s not a late night party zone. Rather, it’s where the crowd begins the evening’s activities. There is a small amusement park with a Ferris Wheel around halfway down the Passarelo and just prior to the park, there is a strip of restaurants with outdoor seating where you can eat and watch the mob. Here you’ll find the famous barraca (or tent) Help, which was one of the first on the Passarela and still the best place to get drinks, especially the traditional Capeta.
At the far end (the calm end, relatively speaking) you walk into an area lined with 17th century cottages that are now restaurants, artist ateliers, and boutique shops. This is called the Praça da Bandeira. There are places to sit and relax for a while in this area–before you make your way back up the Passarelo for the second round.
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