Arraial d’Ajuda: location of the pousadas
I wanted to raise attention to an important aspect of Arraial d’Ajuda: the location of its pousadas. There are pousadas in the village, and pousadas far away from it (more than an hour’s walk in some cases). There are pousadas within the Arraial d’Ajuda boundary limits that are physically closer to Porto Seguro than to Arraial d’Ajuda itself.
Travel agents sell all the pousadas as if they were located in Arraial. Do find out the exact location of the pousada so you won’t be surprised when you get there. Nightlife is an important part of the Arraial experience. If you stay in the village you will enjoy it by foot. If you find yourselves on a distant beach you will depend on public transportation to go and come back. In case of doubt, leave a comment here and I’ll try to tell you whether the location of the pousada that interests you is good or not.
SEE ALSO:
- Round-up of entries on Arraial 2007
- Hotels and pousadas in Arraial d’Ajuda
This post has 4 comments
March 6th, 2009
I am planning a two week trip to arraial in June. I found a couple pousadas that sound interesting, claim to be walking distance to both beaches and the city center. One is called Pousada Coqueiros. The other is Beijo do Vento. Can you comment on the pros and cons of the locations of each? The plan is to spend days at the beach and evenings in the town center. And we really want to be able to walk back and forth without feeling that outings are a chore.
March 16th, 2009
Hi Francisca. Pousada Coqueiros is not far from the main street of Arraial (where the shops and restaurants are). Good location. To get to the beach there is a steep slope (the village is on top of a hill).
Beijo do Vento is one of the nicest pousadas in Arraial but it’s at the top of another hill. To go from the center to the pousada you have to descend the slope that takes you to the beach and the climb up another steep slope. To go to the beach from the pousada you just have to descend/climb the one very steep slope.
From a location point of view, Coqueiros is the best of the two.
I have a bit of bad news for you. June is probably the worst month to go to Arraial, as the weather is quite rainy and the place is half-deserted. Because it is the height of the low season, some pousadas and restaurants close their doors during that month.
All the best!
June 15th, 2009
Dear Tony,
Thanks for responding to my question about Beijo do Vento and Coqueiros a while back. We returned from our trip to Arraial d’Ajuda on Saturday (June 13). The trip was worth the 25+ hours of travel to and from San Francisco! Out of 11 days, it rained only 3 days. We stayed at Beijo do Vento and have NO regrets. The views from the rooms and the pool area are just so amazing. The breakfast (included with daily rates) was wonderful–lots of fresh fruit, juices, cakes and breads, crepes (fresh made), strong coffee, etc. And the walks to and from the beach and city center were not bad at all (BUT, after a day of eating and drinking at the beach, I have to admit, the walk uphill was a bit harder!). We took my 84 year old father with us–he made the walks up and down the slopes with us each and everyday with no problem (plus, we walked to and from the pousada to Pitinga and sometimes Lagoa Azul each day–such a beautiful walk along the beach, and the pousada location was ideal for us to do this everyday). We could hear the ocean from our rooms at the pousada. If I had it to do over again, I’d still pick Beijo do Vento and I’d still go in low season. The pictures on the pousada web site do not do it justice! We were all so sad to leave Bahia…
June 20th, 2009
Francisca, many thanks for your helpful feedback. I’m glad the quality of the services and location offered by Beijo do Vento more than made up for the walks up and down the hill! I’m glad you had a smashing time in Arraial d’Ajuda, it is a place we are really fond of. All the best!