Bahia
(
October 25, 2008)
Excerpted from Moon Handbooks Brazil
Salvador
It’s difficult to think of a place in South America more rich in history, more steeped in art and culture, more tied to the conquest of liberation than Salvador da Bahia. Many consider Salvador to be the very pulse of Brazilian culture, the grand palace overlooking Brazil’s ethnic landscape. Salvador’s heart remains in Africa and the African influences here are strong and colorful, having been filtered through almost three centuries of slavery and hardship. Today Salvador celebrates its liberation with music, dance, art, festivals, and traditional religious ceremonies. The streets of Pelourinho, the Centro Histórico, vibrate with history, music, art and food—both during the day and at night. The night scene in Pelourinho is a non-stop festival of the senses. Besides the historical buildings throughout the Centro Histórico, there are numerous museums, architectural monuments, and Baroque churches to explore.Now let’s talk about the beaches: Salvador is guardian of the All Saints Bay, which is home to several tropical islands. On some islands, you can sit on a sandy beach and look across the bay at the Salvador skyline. Others offer more secluded experiences. Up the northern coast of Salvador are the famous beaches of Itapuan and Flamengo, both with excellent beach bars for relaxing in the shade. There are also restaurants and a variety of hotels.
Geographically, Salvador lies on the tip of land that separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Bay of All Saints. The most interesting elements of the city are concentrated on the coastline and the city can be divided into three parts: The coastline along the ocean (Flamengo Beach, Itapuan Beach, and the Blue Coast areas); the coastline along the bay (Pelourinho, Cidade Baixa, Bonfim, and Campo Grande vicinity); and the point in-between (Barra). This chapter uses these three basic divisions.
The best time to visit Salvador is from October–December, part of the dry season. The months of December–March are also good in terms of weather, but things can get a bit crowded at this time, as these are holiday months for Brazilians (at least until Carnaval in February). During these months, prices go up in most hotels. The rainy season begins full-on in March and goes until June. Of course, you’ll get rainy periods during any of these times and some years have seen endless storms throughout October and November, but this is not the norm. Salvador is always warm and tropical with plenty of humidity.
PLANNING YOUR TIME
There is so much to do and see in Salvador that planning takes on a new dimension. Most visitors not only want to see Salvador, but also some of the islands in the bay (especially Morro de São Paulo) and some of the northern coastline (especially Praia do Forte). Here’s my advice for setting yourself up in Salvador: Get a decent hotel along the bay in the Campo Grande area (see listings below) and take taxis back and forth to Pelourinho and Bonfim to see the sights and nightlife. You can walk around these areas once you get there (Bonfim only during the day, please) and it’s easy to catch a taxi back from Pelourinho at any time of the day or night. You can walk to many of the sites in the Campo Grande area, since you’ll be staying right there. Hire a taxi to take you on a tour of the few distant sites between your hotel and Pelourinho—or to the sites in Barra.
Next, move your base to Itapuan for the next day or two. Besides enjoying the Itapuan and Flamengo areas, you can make day-trips to the north coast. This is a good time to rent a car, so you can come and go as you please. When you’re ready, catch a small plane from the airport (not far from Itapuan) to Morro de São Paulo for the final few days of your trip. I personally can’t imagine a better Brazilian vacation.
For a more economical version of this trip, just substitute a hotel in the Barra neighborhood and catch the frequent busses back and forth from Pelourinho and Bonfim. You can splurge for a taxi if you end up staying out too late. For the sites between Barra and Pelourinho, take a bus to the Carlos Costa Pinto Museum and walk from there up to the São Pedro Fort, passing various sites along the way. Take a taxi to the final few sites on the way to Pelourinho. You can take day-trips to Itapuan and the northern beaches and catch a boat across the bay to Morro de São Paulo. Voila! A perfect trip on a budget.
A couple more tips: Try to avoid the city beaches on weekends, unless you like rubbing elbows with the masses. This is especially true in the summer months. Weekdays in the summer are best for visiting the Salvador coast. On weekends, you can head up to the northern coast or to Morro de São Paulo or even take a trip to Itacaré to the south (these locations are covered in the following chapter, South of Salvador). Itapirica Island has wonderful beaches, but will also be very crowded on the weekend, although less so than the coast of Salvador. A weekend exploring Pelourinho and the museums in Campo Grande is a decent option. Many churches and museums are closed on Monday or Tuesday, so these are perfect days to hit the beaches. If it’s raining when you wake up, don’t despair. Most likely it will pass in a couple of hours, so keep you plans intact. Remember that any place you have to pay to get into will be safer than those you don’t. That means that it’s safer to sit in the actual area belonging to the beach bar, rather than on the sandy beach. The same is true for any sidewalk establishments in town.
HISTORY
One of the first cities to be developed in Brazil, Salvador’s official founding is 1549, when Captain Tomé de Souza came to govern the land given to him by King João III of Portugal. A dubious honor, but certainly better than suffering the inquisition back home. Others had failed at keeping the colony free of French pirates and other invaders—not to mention populating the territory and converting Indians. The first captain to be given the territory of Bahia, Francisco Pereira Coutinho, shipwrecked in the Bay of All Saints a year after he came to govern the territory. He was captured and later eaten by the Tupinambá Indians. They knew who he was. The good captain Tomé de Souza was now to be governor of the territory and Governor General of the entire Brazilian colony. He established Salvador as the capital city, made his home in the area that is now Pelourinho and built a palace for himself out of mud and sticks. That palace was eventually to become the Palácio Rio Branco on the edge of present-day Pelourinho.
Tomé de Souza arrived with his small fleet of ships carrying a troupe of workers (smiths, masons, etc.), numerous Jesuits for converting the native inhabitants, and a small flock of prostitutes. So it was that Salvador’s inception was marked by a mixture of Catholicism, enslavement (native people who did not convert), and bawdiness. When the slaves proved insufficient to work the new sugar mills, cocoa harvesting, and Pau Brasil cutting (a tree used for its hard wood and for the die made of its red bark and seeds), African slaves were imported to take over. Between 1600 and 1888 (when slavery was finally abolished in Brazil) almost 1.5 million African slaves were brought to Brazil.
Salvador was the nucleus of the colony and its sugar production and it was here that African slaves were most severely treated. A kind of resistance movement grew among the slaves that found its way into their religion (mixing African Candomblé with Catholicism), music, and dance (Capoeira evolving out of an African fighting technique and practiced through “dances” in the slave communities).
Salvador soon became the most important trading port between Brazil and Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries—until Rio de Janeiro usurped its position in the early 1700s as a result of the gold rush in Minas Gerais. But Salvador remains a kind of cultural capital of Brazil, with its mix of African, Portuguese, French and Dutch influences—mixed with the native tribal races already flourishing on the continent.
Rio, Sao Paulo, beaches, excursions
(
September 8, 2007)
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The Road from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro
The road between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo is one of Brazil’s most traveled tourist destinations. Called the Rio-Santos road, the trip is perfect for many visitors who want to see the big cities of Brazil, some excellent beaches and tropical islands (including some that are touristy and full of beautiful people and others that are remote and deserted), and also a touch of the interior. You can rent a car and take the trip at your own pace, visiting the highlights that you set for yourself. In this article, I’ll try to answer some of the most common questions about this trip. I’ll add more as they come in, so this will be a work-in-progress.
The road between São Paulo and Rio is a popular road trip for tourists and Brazilians alike. It’s about 450 kilometers of coastline and takes you past some of the most beautiful beaches and beach towns in the country. The water gets greener and warmer the closer you get to Rio, but the beaches near São Paulo are not to be missed either — for their water sports, beautiful people and great boardwalks.
The road itself is in good shape, but it can get a bit windy along the mountain passes around the São Sebastião area, so take it slowly and carefully and enjoy the time.
While you’re in Sao Paulo, you can take the Walking Tour of Downtown Sao Paulo. Also, I’ve listed some good hotels in the Sao Paulo area in my article on The Accor Hotels. I always suggest starting in São Paulo and driving to Rio. This way, your trip will keep building and building to the end, saving the most spectacular for last. There are so many things to see and do between these great cities, that you may want to make the trip twice to get it all in. You wouldn’t be the first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a lot of violence in this region?
Outside of Rio, there is nothing excessive and even inside Rio, the problems are mostly located in the Copacabana Beach area. Of course, you should always be aware and careful. Keep a minimum amount of cash on you and no significant valuables. Split up your cash and when you drive, leave as much in the trunk as possible (your bags, valuables, and credit cards).
What are THE best places for snorkeling?
I’d say that the top snorkeling on this trip would be around Ilha Grande and Angra dos Reis. It’s hard to say which of these is best, but I can say that Ilha Grande requires a bit more time and commitment. If you have the time, it’s totally worth it. If you choose Angra, then be sure to take a boat out to the islands AWAY from the mainland — so you get away from the Angra pollution. That said, there are some wonderful dives there.
The next best place would be the north coast around Ubatuba. There are some wonderful waters there and you can charter boats out for great snorkeling.
How are the roads in this area?
The BR freeways (called rodovias) are much faster and in better condition than the small roads. Also, this is a mountainous region and the roads can be difficult at times. I suggest sticking to the main estradas that will offer the smoothest ride. However, the roads in general in this area are well maintained and generally problem free. You have to get used to maneuvering in two-lanes of traffic is all.
How do Ilha Grande, Paraty, and Buzios compare?
These are all different from one another and Buzios is completely different than just about any other place on the coast. It’s a great place for adults and offers a lot of shopping, modern facilities, great hotels and lots of beaches — both crowded and secluded. You also have some economical options for hotels, so it’s not only for the spenders. A lot of Brazil’s TV stars can be seen at Buzios.
Paraty is an excellent place for tourists and provides a bit of the historical side of Brazil along with beaches and great restaurants. It’s a small town, but the best beaches are outside of town to the north or south. Don’t miss the waterfalls in Paraty, as well as the boat trips.
Ilha Grande is the most remote of the three. There are very few cars on this huge island and only one major town — called Abraao (Abraham). The town, hotels, and eating establishments are all very quaint and you can walk around town with no problem to take it all in. There are beaches all around the island and you can hike or take boats out to them. Some of these are among the prettiest in Brazil and offer great snorkeling, diving, and other fun activities. You really feel the island experience at Ilha Grande because of the lack of cars.
What is the best rental car service to use there?
Here’s a comment from one of my readers about that…”We used Unidas rent-a-car and they were great and about 50% cheaper than Hertz or Avis (12 day rental of a Chevy Meriva was $500, including insurance). It was practically new and they gave us an 800 number to call in case of problems. We booked them through Autoeurope.com.”
Is it worth going inland to Teresopolis?
Absolutely! Teresopolis has a lot to offer and is completely different than the coastal sights. The feature there is hiking and rafting and you should probably set this up ahead of time — like while you’re in Buzios or Rio — with one of the agencies that offer packages or trip planning. For most people 48 hours is enough, but if you’re really into hiking and rock climbing, you might want more.
Rio, blog
(
March 31, 2007)
The best views of Rio de Janeiro and the entire coastline around it, are from the two view platforms of Urca and Pão de Açúcar, both part of the famous gondola ride. It’s worth going up once during the day and again after dark to see both aspects of the city.
Rio, excursions
(
March 31, 2007)
RIO DE JANEIRO–Over 4,000 European travelers were taken into “Rocinha,” Rio de Janeiro’s oldest slum, so far this year. And that’s just by one of several agencies specializing in the favela tour. Now, it seems, the city’s official tourism office, Riotur, is including the favela in their list of approved tours for international travelers. It seems visitors want to see “all” of Rio de Janeiro.
And see they will. The favelas in Rio de Janeiro are famous for their incredible views. They are located on the choicest highlands overlooking the coastline. Dangerous as they may be for the uninvited, the official favela guides have been operating these chaperoned visits for over a dozen years without a hitch. Tourism, in fact, is a legitimate and promising source of income for the favelas and it doesn’t hurt to have international visitors see, first hand, the conditions of the big city slums.
Marcelo Armstrong of Favela Tour is one such “official” guide and leads people into and around the Rocinha favela by van and on foot…through the street markets and all the way up to the highest viewpoint. It’s more than worth half a day while you’re in the marvelous city–if not for the eye-opening educational content, then for the panoramic ocean views.
Coffee, excursions
(
March 31, 2007)
Brazil has been producing its unique variety of coffee since the bean was introduced into the country in 1727. Since then coffee has become a national passion, not to mention an important export and once the driving force behind a great economic and cultural boom. Coffee is the principal reason why São Paulo grew into the most important financial center in Brazil and the third largest city in the world. At the end of the 19th century coffee overtook sugar as Brazil’s leading agricultural product. Today, Brazil produces over 25% of the world’s coffee, making it the largest coffee producer on the planet. Almost every blended coffee in the world and most espresso blends contain Brazilian coffee.
Originally oriented to mass production of Arabic beans, Brazil recently began competing in the world market with high-end and specialty coffees. In fact, the hills of São Paulo state are known for producing high-quality coffee. Besides São Paulo, the hills of Paraná, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, and Bahia states are loaded with coffee plantations and some are becoming known for their special brews. Fortunately for Brazil’s coffee trade, most of these coffee plantations are relatively small, with anywhere from 1-5 square kilometers of land, and are often run by families that have been producing coffee for generations. Only a small number of Brazil’s plantations are large and industrialized, which means a rich future is brewing for specialty Brazilian coffees.
As the region grows and develops, more opportunities open up for travelers to visit and experience the wonders of this region—from planting time to harvest activities. The coffee harvest takes place in June and July and travelers can visit various coffee plantations during this season and even participate in the harvest and production. At other times of the year, activities may include hiking through plantations and their surrounding coutrysides, coffee roasting and tasting, horeback riding, barbecues and ecological expeditions.
Brazil’s Coffee Harvest
June is the month of the great coffee harvest in Brazil. The principal coffee growing regions are in Southern Minas Gerais and Northern São Paulo states. The area between Minas and Rio is also abundant wth the bean. You can partake in the harvest by staying at one of the many hotel fazendas in the region. Harvest time activities include bean picking, horseback riding, and of course, lots of coffee roasting and tasting.
The adventure starts in São Paulo, where much of Brazil’s rich history during the coffee boom are based. You learn about the myths and legends of the coffee trade and how Brazil became the largest producer of coffee in the world. You then journey to various coffee plantations of different sizes, from the interior of São Paulo to Southern Minas Gerais, to the hills of Espirito Santo and Rio de Janeiro. You stay overnight at different working ranches and learn about coffee growing, cultivating and processing. The countryside is magical and the hosts are traditional folks from the region..
