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.
arraial d-ajuda
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.
alagoas, alagoas-hotels
Some people are looking for vacation spots that are great party places. Others want peace and tranquility. Nothing against the high-energy bump-and-grind now and again, but if you’re looking for paradise, then I suggest heading about an hour and a half north of Maceió, among coconut groves and mangroves to a beach village known as São Miguel dos Milagres and a beachfront lodge called the Pousada do Toque.
About the Pousada
This is where tranquility and charm come together and create an unforgettable experience. Simple people; warm, crystal-clear water; snorkeling in offshore tide pools and drinking coconut water and beer…this is what Brazil is about for a great many of us.
The Pousada do Toque is part of the group of hotels known as the Roteiro do Charme (the Charm Circuit) and is the passion of its proprietor, Nilo Burgarelli, one-time restaurateur in the nearby city of Maceió. Nilo and his wife Gilda have created a more than a hotel and restaurant on the beach…they’ve created a family. You can’t leave after a few days at this pousada and not feel a pang of sadness at the prospect.
Service at Toque is impeccable and personal and the grounds are a perfect beach cabana style with plenty of amenities to keep you satisfied: outdoor bar areas, tennis court, a beautiful swimming pool and hot tub, hammocks, massage cabana and tropical plants and animals at large. The pousada also offers snorkeling excursions and boat trips out to see the manatees and nearby flora and fauna. Rooms are individual cabanas with comfortable and well appointed interiors and some even have their own hot tubs in front. Three special chalets have private entrances, beach views from their hot tubs and hammocks, and front decks for viewing the sunrise over the ocean. The entire pousada is surrounded by coconut groves and inside is a private herb garden which is used to supply the restaurant.
My View
A highlight of this hotel is the restaurant, where Nilo and the head chef take care of every guest. Specialties of the house include Italian cuisine, seafood (naturally), and excellent top-shelf caipirinhas. My favorite is with pineapple and I also recommend the seafood Moqueca (a kind of fish stew with coconut milk) and the fish grilled in banana leaves.
Warm, freshly-baked bread accompanies your breakfast, which also comes with tropical fruit, local foods from the Northeast of Brazil, crepes and more. I have nothing but superlatives for the Pousada do Toque. The only caveat is that you must be prepared for a slow, relaxing time – there are very few establishments nearby and absolutely no nightlife other than at the pousada. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from heading back to Maceio for an evening of fun and excitement if you wish.
Details
- Rooms: Wine cellar, solar energy, hair dryer, air conditioning, DVD player with library of films, king size beds and mini-bar.
- General: Breakfast service included in restaurant/café, tennis, outdoor bar, massage kiosk, Jacuzzi.
- Price: From $90 to $300 at low season with breakfast and lunch or dinner included.
- Location: Rua Felisberto de Ataide (no number), Povoado do Toque, São Miguel dos Milagres, Alagoas. A little over an hour north of Maceió by car.
- Contact: 82-3295-1127 or pousadadotoque@uol.com.br
- Site: http://www.pousadadotoque.com.br/
blog
Are you ready to check out Brazil’s amazing coastline? I’ve uploaded a series of photos from some of my travels up and down the long coastline of Brazil…from the Northeast Region to the Southern Region and everything in between. Well, not exactly everything, but I’m working on it.
Check out the photo journey at Brazil’s Beaches (A Photo Journey) and see if you don’t think the water is as blue as the sky and the sand as soft as a bed sheet. I recommend a cool coconut water and a stroll along the boardwalk!
