Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
claim to being the oldest town in Brazil, and buildings still survive from that period, but
the modern city is a no-nonsense beach resort in the mould of Spain's Costa del Sol - it
can be a fun place to party, but if you value character keep on going to Arraial (see below).
Cidade Alta
The colonial area,
Cidade Alta
, is built on a bluff overlooking the town, with fine views
out to sea and across the Rio Buranhém. The
Igreja da Misericórdia
, begun in 1526, is
one of the two oldest churches in Brazil. The
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Pena
, nearby,
dates from 1773 but is said to contain the oldest religious icon in Brazil, a St Francis
of Assisi, brought over in the first serious expedition to Brazil, in 1503. There are the
ruins of a Jesuit church and chapel (dating from the 1540s) and a small, early fort; the
squat and thick-walled style of the churches shows their early function as fortified
strongpoints in the days when attacks by indigenous tribes were common. Near the
ruins of the Jesuit college on Praça Pero Campos de Tourinho, and encased in glass, the
Marca do Descobrimento
is a 2m-high column sunk to mark Portuguese sovereignty in
1503; nearby is the
Museu do Descobrimento
(daily 9am-5pm; R$3), a small museum
which adds context with displays on the early history of the region.
3
The beaches
North of town is a string of superb beaches along the Beira Mar coast road. The nearest,
Praia Curuípe
, is 3km away and has some natural pools and reefs, as well as beachside
restaurants. More popular, and just 1km further away, is
Praia Itacimirim
. hese beaches,
and others further north (notably Mundaí, 6km, and Taperapuã, 7km - both good for
scuba diving), are connected to Porto Seguro by regular seafront buses.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
PORTO SEGURO
By plane
Porto Seguro Airport is 2km from the centre,
with flights from Belo Horizonte, Ilhéus, Rio, Salvador and
Vitória. Taxis to the centre or beaches are around R$35.
By bus
The rodoviária is 1.5km out of town, but taxis are
cheap and plentiful (R$25-35 for the centre or beaches).
Destinations
Belo Horizonte (2 daily; 17hr); Ilhéus
(4 daily; 4hr); Rio (2 daily; 18.5hr); Salvador (1 daily;
11.5hr); São Paulo (2 daily; 25hr 40min); Vitória, Espírito
Santo (2 daily; 10hr 15min).
Tourist information
There
are
several
tourist
information o
ces: at the rodoviária, the airport, and
in the centre of town at the Secretaria de Turismo, Av
Portugal 350 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm;
T
73 7811 3450,
W
portosegurotur.com).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Hotel prices in Porto Seguro vary astonishingly between
high and low season
: a budget hotel in November can triple
in price by Christmas (remember this when considering the high-season prices quoted).
Cidade Baixa
, below the
colonial area, is where the nightlife action is; the riverside Av 22 de Abril and its continuation, Av Portugal, are a mass
of bars, restaurants and hotels known at night as Passarela do Álcool, or “Alcohol Street”.
Best Western Shalimar Praia
Av Beira Mar 1, Praia
do Cruzeiro
T
73 3288 2001,
W
shalimar.com.br.
Standard, spacious chain a/
c rooms
, but with pool, gym,
sauna, jacuzzi and free wi-fi.
R$245
Hotel Estalagem
Rua Marechal Deodoro 66
T
73
3288 2095,
W
www.hotelestalagem.com.br.
Excellent-
value hotel located in a colonial building from 1810 close
to the Passarela do Álcool, which has been carefully and
tastefully renovated. Rooms are small, but have a/c and
cable TV and th
ere's a
swimming pool; it's a 10min walk
from the centre.
R$100
Portinha
Rua Saldanha Marinho 32
T
73 3288 2743,
W
portinha.com.br.
Justly popular local restaurant - à la
carte dishes are on offer but the buffet
por quilo
(R$36) is
the best way to go. Leave room for the amazing desserts
and avoid lunch between 1pm and 2pm when it tends to be
mobbed.
Daily noon-10pm.
Arraial d'Ajuda and around
Just south of Porto Seguro across the Rio Buranhém,
ARRAIAL D'AJUDA
is a lively beach
resort that can become very crowded, though the further you get from the bars and the
