Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are located. All the main city beaches here look attractive, with palm trees and
promenades in the best Brazilian tradition. At the northern end of the strip in the
Jardim da Penha neighbourhood,
Praia de Camburi
is a gorgeous, wide stretch of sand
with beach volleyball courts and bars located strategically along the promenade à la
Copacabana. It's not good for swimming, however: the beach is overlooked by the port
of Tubarão in the distance, where iron ore and bauxite are either smelted or loaded
onto supertankers.
2
Praia da Curva da Jurema and around
At the southern end of the beach strip lies the appealing
Praia da Curva da Jurema
in
the Enseada do Sua district, popular for kayaking and sailing but not recommended for
swimming because of nearby shipping - backed by posh condos, this is where the rich
flaunt themselves on the sands, though the
kioskos
at the end provide relatively cheap
snacks and booze. Curva da Jurema is hemmed in by two islands, both elite enclaves of
large, modern houses:
Ilha do Frade
, linked by bridge to the mainland with two tiny
but attractive beaches (Praia Ilha do Frade and Praia das Castanheiras); and
Ilha do Boi
,
now completely attached to the mainland and also boasting two small strips of sand
that are popular with families and good for snorkelling (Praia Grande and Praia da
Direita). Just to the north of Frade is
Praia do Canto
in the district of the same name, a
pretty beach but facing the local marina. If you want to take a dip, you're better off
crossing the bay to Vila Velha (see p.190) or travelling further afield along the coast.
ARRIVAL AND GETTING AROUND
VITÓRIA
BY PLANE
Vitória airport (Aeroporto Eurico Sales;
T
27 3235
6300) is situated a couple of kilometres from Camburi
beach on Av Fernando Ferrari, some 11km north of the
centro histórico
.
By bus/taxi to the city centre
Bus #212 (R$2.40)
runs from the airport via Camburi beach and the old
centre to the rodoviária (around 1hr). Taxis operate on a
well-managed fixed-rate system; line up and tell the
despatcher where you want to go; you'll get a receipt
telling you how much the fare will be (pay the driver):
R$19 to Camburi, R$25 to Praia do Canto and R$35 to the
centro histórico
.
BY BUS
The city's enormous, modern rodoviária
(
T
27 3222 3366)
is only 1km from the centre and all local buses from
the stop across the road run into town; returning from the
centre, most buses from Av Jerônimo Monteiro pass the
rodoviária and will have it marked as a destination on their
route cards. If you're heading straight for the beaches on
arrival, any bus that says “Aeroporto”, “UFES”, “Eurico Sales”
or “Via Camburi” will take you to Camburi; for the southern
beaches you need “P. da Costa”, “Vila Velha” or “Itapoan” -
all can be caught at the stops outside the rodoviária or in
the centre. Like the airport, taxis at the bus station tend to
charge according to a fixed-rate system: it's R$15 into the
centro histórico
.
Destinations
Belo Horizonte (6 daily; 8hr); Brasília (1 daily;
22hr); Domingos Martins (13 daily; 1hr); Fortaleza
(5 weekly; 36hr); Guarapari (every 30min; 1hr); Linhares
(4 daily; 3hr); Rio (hourly; 7hr 30min); Salvador (2 daily;
17hr); Santa Teresa (10 daily; 2hr-2.5hr); São João del Rei
(1 daily; 13hr); São Paulo (5 daily; 14hr); Venda Nova
(hourly; 3hr).
BY TRAIN
Over in the mainland district of Cariacica, the daily
train
from Belo Horizonte pulls into the Estação Ferroviária Pedro
Nolasco (
T
27 3226 4169), 1km west of the rodoviária; it's
connected to the city and rodoviária by yellow buses
marked “Terminal Itacibá” and by most of the city's orange
buses, including those marked “Jardim América” and
“Campo Grande”. You can buy tickets at the station or online
(
W
tremdepassageiros.vale.com).
Destinations
Belo Horizonte (daily at 7am; 13hr; R$58
one-way; calling at all stations, including Governador
Valadares and Itabira).
BY CAR
Car rental
The following rental firms are based at the
airport: Avis (
T
27 3327 2348); Localiza (
T
0800 99 2000);
Unidas (
T
27 3327 0180).
INFORMATION
Tourist information
There are tourist information
booths at the rodoviária
(Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat
9am-4pm;
T
27 3203 3666) and at the airport (daily
7am-8.30pm;
T
27 3235 6350,
W
vitoria.es.gov.br), both
of which have lists of hotels, brochures and city maps.
