Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Palacios (though the current complex dates to 1650). Perched on a granite outcrop
towering over the city, it's worth visiting not so much for the convent itself - interesting
though it is - as for the gasp-inducing panoramic views. It is a major pilgrimage centre
and in the week after Easter thousands come to pay homage to the
Virgem da Penha
(a venerated image of Mary originating around 1569 in Portugal), the most devout
making the climb up to the convent on their knees.
You can drive or take a taxi to the car park at the top (from where there is another
short, steep climb to the chapel), or take one of the two walks up from the lower
entrance. The steepest and most direct is the fork off the main road to the left, shortly
after the entrance gate, where a steep cobbled (and extremely uneven) path leads up to
the convent. Less direct, but considerably easier and with better views, is the winding
Rua Luísa Grinalda - a very pleasant thirty-minute walk. Once at the top, the city is
stretched out below you, Vitória to the north framed by the silhouettes of the
mountains inland and, to the south, by the golden arcs of Vila Velha's beaches. The
chapel's builders thoughtfully included a
viewing platform
, which you reach through a
door to the left of the main
sanctuary
, itself a relatively simple space remodelled in
1910, with a marble, wood and gilt altar framing the famous Mary statue (the side
corridor displays paintings representing the foundation of the chapel). There's also a
Pietà
by Carlo Crepaz (1961) in the main entrance. On the way up from the car park
be sure to visit the
Sala das Milagres
, which houses a collection of photos,
ex votos
,
artificial limbs and artefacts from grateful pilgrims. By the car park itself is a small café
and a 1950s replica of the first chapel, the
Capela São Francisco
.
ARRIVAL AND EATING
2
VILA VELHA
By bus
Several buses run over the bridge between Vitória's
beach districts and Vila Velha, making a day-trip easy from
the former: #509/#508 runs all the way down the beaches
and across into Vila Velha (R$2.50); from the rodoviária
take bus #500.
Gramado Churrascaria
Rua Lúcio Bacelar 90, Praia da
Costa
T
27 3063 9080,
W
gramadobarerestaurante.com.
Local favourite for delicious
churrasco
, steaks, salads and
racks of succulent lamb, with a bargain
rodizio
of R$39.90 at
lunch.
Tues-Sat 11.30am-3.30pm & 6-11pm.
Guarapari
The most enticing beaches south of Vitória are around the town of
GUARAPARI
, 54km
to the south of the state capital, to which it's linked by buses running every half-hour.
here are dozens of hotels here - mostly white skyscrapers catering for visitors from
Minas Gerais. If you fancy raucous nightlife and holiday-making Brazilian-style, then
Guarapari is the place; the beaches around here are among the finest in southern
Espírito Santo, with a pleasant backdrop of hills covered in tropical vegetation, and
they're extremely popular in the summer. If you need to escape to somewhere more
tranquil, a mere 7km to the south of central Guarapari, accessible by trail from Meaípe,
is tiny
Praia dos Padres
, a protected area lapped by a wonderfully green sea. The fishing
village of
Meaípe
itself has some excellent restaurants, a long sandy beach, and is also a
good place to stay overnight.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
GUARAPARI
By bus
Buses run hourly between Vitória and Guarapari
(daily 7.30am-9.30pm; 1hr 15min). Guarapari's bus
station is at João Gomes de Jesus 50 in the centre of
town, a short walk from the main beach. Buses also run
every 30min-1hr from here to points south including
Anchieta (40min).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
★
Cantinho do Curuca
Av Santana 96, Meaípe
T
27
3272 2000,
W
cantinhodocuruca.com.br.
The most
popular restaurant in the area is especially recommended
for its
bolinhos de aipim
and
moqueca capixaba
, though
everything is good. Most dishes cost R$50-90.
Mon-Sat
11am-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm.
Pousada Enseada Verde
Rua Duarte Matos 27,
Meaípe
T
27 3272 1376,
W
enseadaverde.com.br.
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