Nearly two years after the publication of my first list of favourite places in Brazil (Top 10: favourite places in Brazil) a revamped version of that list makes the blog’s frontpage – gaining a catchier title in the process. So here is the 2009 ranking of my 10 must-see places in Brazil. Click on the names of the places to go to their full destination cards here at the blog, and find out more about them. Some of the destinations are really well-known. Others fall within the hidden jewel description. Bear in mind I have only included places I have been to (places I’ve read/heard about but I haven’t visited didn’t make it into the ranking).

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1. Fernando de Noronha (Pernambuco)

Noronha is where you will find the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Brazil, and crystal-clear waters of unparalleled beauty. If that wasn’t enough, locals do care about the environment, no mean fate in the Brazilian context. A unique place. Not even its dear price tag will remove it from the number 1.

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2. Paraty (Rio de Janeiro)

Atlantic rainforest, desert beaches and the best preserved colonial architecture in the country come together to make of Paraty a very special destination.

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3. Lençóis Maranhenses (Maranhão)

While it’s not easy to reach the Lençóis Maranhenses, the reward more than makes up for the long journey. A unique landscape of dunes and lagoons where mass tourism hasn’t left its mark yet.

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4. Ilha Grande (Rio de Janeiro)

In spite of the numerous threats looming, Ilha Grande is a fantastic and incredibly beautiful nature destination.

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5. Boipeba (Bahia)

Wild beaches and crystal-clear waters the way you won’t find anywhere else in Brazil – bar Noronha. On top of that, a charming quiet village where civilization has yet to leave its imprint.

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6. Iguaçu falls (Paraná and Argentina)

The breathtaking beauty of the falls will captive you the moment you set your eyes on them.

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7. Bonito (Mato Grosso do Sul)

In the southernmost tip of the Pantanal lies Bonito, a mecca for ecotourism and fun in close contact with nature.

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8. Morro de São Paulo (Bahia)

A unique combination of sublime beaches with a great atmosphere at the end of the day.

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9. Arraial d’Ajuda (Bahia)

Great variety of beaches and a lovely village. Rest and relax during the day, have fun when the night begins.

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10. Jericoacoara (Ceará)

Another destination with a nearly-mythical status among travellers. Captivating sand dunes in a remote setting.

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HONOURABLE MENTION. Florianópolis (Santa Catarina)

The only reason for Florianópolis not making the top 10 is that rather than a single destination, the island of Florianópolis contains an exciting collection of villages and beaches.

Ready to make that trip and looking for accommodation in Brazil? Choose from a wide range of cheap to luxury hotels in Rio de Janeiro and many other cities from beautiful Brazil!

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Here’s two maps of the Arraial d’Ajuda and Porto Seguro region, with the most important beaches highlighted as well as other places of interest.

ARRAIAL D’AJUDA

See larger map

PORTO SEGURO


See larger map

The most recent entry completed the core of entries related to our recent trip to the region. In a few week’s time we will be reviewing the pousadas where we stayed and will also mention some other topics. But the essential entries are here. To help locate the information, here’s a small index:

• location of the pousadas
• low season and the weather
• prices
• trips
• photos of Arraial
• photos of Caraíva
• photos of Trancoso

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Here’s a shortish listing of prices we paid for some services during our week in Arraial d’Ajuda. This info complements this blog’s Prices page.

TRANSPORTATION

• Ferryboat Porto Seguro – Arraial d’Ajuda: R$2,5 (each way, on the way to Arraial you pay a full return fare, no fare is paid on the way back)
• Bus ferryboat – Arraial d’Ajuda: R$1,30 (ida)
• Bus Arraial d’Ajuda – Trancoso: R$4 (ida)
• Van back from the Pitinga beach to Arraial d’Ajuda: R$2
• Trip to Caraíva in 4-wheel drive: R$200 (4 people, low season price)

FOOD

• crepe: from R$8 to R$15.
• ice-cream (two scoops): from R$2,50 to R$3
• coconut at the beach: R$2,50
• pizza for two at a restaurant: from R$15 to R$25
• beer at a beach bar: from R$2,5 to R$4
• caipirinha: from R$7 to R$10
• single-course meal (in Portuguese, prato feito): around R$15
• baked fish for two (with rice and a salad): from R$40 to R$60

SEE ALSO: Round-up of entries on Arraial 2007

The region around Arraial d’Ajuda is an extraordinary destination for foreign tourists: wonderful landscapes, safe, and with an efficient and affordable public transport system – something absolutely uncommon in the Brazilian context. Making base in Arraial d’Ajuda, you can spend days exploring the area. Here are some suggestions on things to do in and around Arraial.

But first, two important warnings on walks along the beaches:

1. Make sure you make the most of the low tide. When the tide is high, you are forced to walk on soft sand, a tiresome exercise. In some specific spots, the high tide makes it very difficult to continue your path. Look at the following two snapshots of the same beach, one during the high tide (and there was still another hour of high tide to go) and another one during the low tide:

2. The beaches on the region (as well as a sizeable number of beaches along the Northeast coastline) are not ideal for swimming, as there are lots of rocks and reefs near the beach. Rocks and reefs are hidden during the high tide and can cause an accident if you are not extra careful (special attention as there are sea urchins aplenty).

TRIPS (see map at the bottom of the entry):

- walk from Arraial to the ponta do Apagafogo. From Arraial, go down to the beach following the main road (estrada do Mucugê). Once you get to the Mucugê beach, turn left (north). A pleasant walk that can be completed in less than two hours will take you through the beaches of Pescadores, Araçaípe and Apagafogo to the point where the Arraial d’Ajuda Eco Resort is located, right next to Porto Seguro. To return, find your way to the main road and take a bus back. There are few bars at the beaches. Pictures of the beaches you will walk cross:

- walk from Arraial to the Taípe beach. The beginning of the walk is identical to the previous one. Go down to the Mucugê beach but this time turn right (south). You will walk along the Parracho beach, where natural pools are formed during the low tide. After half an hour, you will reach Pitinga beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the region. There are several bars there where you can eat or have a drink. As the shore turns right, a beautiful scenery unfolds before your eyes: the cliffs of Taípe beach. From Pitinga to Taípe there’s an hour’s walk right under the cliffs. To go back to Arraial, you can hop in a van near Pitinga beach. Pictures of the beaches (the two photos illustrating the high and low tides above were taken at the Parracho beach):

- Trancoso. Do not bother buying and organized trip (a real rip-off), this is a visit you can do on your own for next to nothing. There is a bus from Arraial to Trancoso every 30 minutes (it leaves from the square with the church). Each way cost R$4 and the trip lasts approximately 40 minutes. Do find out when you get to Trancoso at what time it leaves the last bus back to Arraial. If you can afford it, stay at least the one night in Trancoso. The Quadrado, the quaint and picturesque square of the village, comes to life after dawn. There is no public lighting and the lights from the shops and the candles from the restaurants give the place a very magic feeling.

- walk to the beaches in Trancoso. Go down the beach following the path that leaves from the Quadrado (right-hand side of the church). When you get to the bottom, you will walk along a wooden path that crosses a mangrove swamp on the way to the beach. Once you reach the beach you have two options: turn right (south) to visit the delightful Coqueiros beach, or turn left (north) to visit the Nativos beach (to go there you will have to cross a river, either swimming or on a boat). A short walk to both beaches. A picture of Coqueiros and Nativos:

- trip to Espelho beach. This is the only trip where you will probably require the services of a third party (ie, travel agent), as the beach is not served by public transportation (the two daily buses going to Caraíva stop quite far away from the beach). Best option is to join an organized trip from Arraial. Don’t worry, you will be taken to the beach and left there on your own for most of the day. Be careful, the road from Trancoso to Espelho is a dirt track in terrible conditions. I would think it twice before entering it with a rented car, if you are careful drivers you will have a hard time. Someone said some time ago that Espelho beach was one of the most wonderful beaches in Brazil, and ever since then the industry has been repeating the same old story as a mantra. I was disappointed. It could well be that I went there on a grey and cloudy day, when the emerald green of the waters is nowhere to be seen. It could well be that the outrageous prices (daylight robbery) practiced at the bars pissed me off. Everything at Espelho costs much more than at Trancoso, which in itself is an expensive place. There is no other justification for the prices at Espelho than the elitist claims of those well-off that have set base at the beach. Take a sandwich and a drink. There are bars that charge a minumum of R$25 no matter what you drink at them! Pictures of Espelho:

- trip to Caraíva. If you can, go and sleep at Caraíva. There are two daily buses from Arraial, one leaves early (around 7.30, confirm the times, please) the other one at around 4 pm. If you want to visit Caraíva on a day trip, you will have to hire a car or join an organized trip. During the high season the cost of the trip is R$85 per person (during the low season we did it for R$50). You will be taken to Caraíva on a 4-wheel drive in under two hours. You get to spend the day there. The dirt track all the way to Caraíva is atrocious. Do not even think of driving your rented car there, especially if it has rained during the previous days. View of Caraíva and the meeting of the river and the Ocean:

- trip to Porto Seguro. I wouldn’t stay even a day in Porto Seguro, but I feel it’s worth visiting the historic part of the city. From Arraial, take the bus (R$1,30) to the balsa (ferryboat). From Arraial to Porto Seguro you won’t pay anything. On the way back you will pay for the return ticket (R$5). During the day, there is a boat every few minutes. Once in Porto Seguro, it’s a 40-minute walk up to the historic part of the city.

Here is a basic map with the main beaches from Porto Seguro to Caraíva:

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RELATED POSTS:
Round-up of entries on Arraial 2007

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The final album from our recent trip to the south of Bahia corresponds to Arraial d’Ajuda and its surrounding area: Arraial d’Ajuda.

You will find images of the beaches:

And the cliffs:

And of the odd characters earning a living at the beaches:

And Arraial d’Ajuda at night:

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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 time around I won’t be writing a trip report (like I did last year in Arraial d’Ajuda y la Costa do Descobrimento). Writing a trip report takes a very long time, time I would rather devote to the blog. Instead, I’m going to write a handful of shortish impressions of useful things for anyone planning a trip to the area.

May and June are right in the middle of the low season in the region. So low that some restaurants and pousadas shut their doors so their owners can rest or implement alterations on their premises. This year, the opinion of absolutely everyone we have talked to is that it is the weakest lowest season they can remember, in terms of numbers of touristas. This is mainly due to the strong position of the Brazilian currency, that has driven lots of Brazilian tourists abroad rather than to domestic destinations.

For the tourist, the low season has two main advantages: lower prices and few people around. During the low season you don’t need to book your accommodation before arriving in Arraial (or Trancoso, or Caraíva). Your best approach is to look for a pousada once you get there, as nearly all of them have plenty of spare rooms.

As for the weather, we had sunny days, cloudy days, and just the one rainy day. The weather in the south of Bahia is very difficult to forecast, because it undergoes quick changes. If you get up in the morning and the sky is overcast, don’t despair, in less than an hour you could see a blue sky. The contrary can happen too.

Temperatures between a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 25 to 30 degrees during the day.

SEE ALSO: Round-up of entries on Arraial 2007

NAME: Manacá Pousada Parque

WHERE: Arraial d’Ajuda, Bahia

WEBSITE: www.pousadamanaca.com.br

IN ENGLISH: yes

PRICES ON THE WEBSITE: no (consultation by email available)

LOCATION: five minutes from the centre of Arraial, on the road to Trancoso.

THE BUILDING: the different buildings of the pousada are found in the middle of a 6.000 m2 garden with numerous trees (species identified with labels) and flowers. The rooms surround the garden. There is a small swimming pool at the top of a cliff with views to the sea and Porto Seguro.

THE ROOMS: there are two types of rooms: the ones found on single-floor chalets, and the ones found on the two-storey houses. All the rooms have air conditioning, ceiling fan, minibar, tv, bathroom and a hammock.

PRICES IN AUGUST 2006: accommodation was included in the package we bought from São Paulo – the flights worked out at unbeatable prices this way. We paid approximately R$90 per room per night.

BREAKFAST: included in the price. Good buffet with freshly-squeezed juices, hot and cold food, and desserts.

MEALS: sandwiches, snacks and pizzas prepared while you wait.

FRONT DESK: correct.

OTHER FACILITIES: the front desk will get in contact with the local agencies to arrange trips for you. They will also put you in touch with car rental companies – cars are delivered at the pousada.

CONTACT BY E-MAIL: there was none as we bought our package through a travel agent.

OUR OPINION: an interesting option of accommodation in Arraial, a bit far from the centre (10-minute walk). The pousada is really nice and quiet.

GOOGLE MAPS: Arraial d’Ajuda

[read the 2010 update: 10 must-see places in Brazil]

This is a list of my top 10 favourite places in Brazil. It only includes places I have visited – for that reason you will not find on the list potential jewels such as Ilha Grande. Click on the names of the places to find out more about them.

1. Fernando de Noronha (Pernambuco)

Noronha is where you will find the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Brazil, and crystal-clear waters of unparalleled beauty. A place like no other in Brazil.

2. Paraty (Río de Janeiro)

Atlantic rainforest, desert beaches and the best preserved colonial architecture in the country come together to make of Paraty a very special destination. On top of that, Paraty is close to Rio and São Paulo.

3. Lençóis Maranhenses (Maranhão)

While it’s not easy to get to the Lençóis, the reward more than makes up for the long journey. A unique landscape of dunes and lagoons where mass tourism hasn’t left its mark yet.

4. Jericoacoara (Ceará)

Another destination with a nearly-mythical status among travellers. Captivating sand dunes in a remote setting.

5. Iguazu falls (Paraná and Argentina)

The breathtaking beauty of the falls will captive you the moment you set your eyes on them.

6. Arraial d’Ajuda (Bahia)

Hard to believe you would find a charming place like Arraial d’Ajuda so close to Porto Seguro.

7. Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro)

Rio is a city like no other, not just in Brazil, but throught the world. Its serious problems do not allow for a higher place on the list.

8. Bonito (Mato Grosso do Sul)

In the southernmost point of the Pantanal lies Bonito, a mecca for ecotourism and fun in close contact with nature.

9. Trancoso (Bahia)

Trancoso is near Arraial d’Ajuda and shares with its neighbour a series of wonderful beaches and a relaxed atmosphere.

10. Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais)

In spite of the sorry state of conservation of its World Heritage, Ouro Preto makes it to the top 10 because of the truly mesmerizing historical riches found in its churches.

MyMaps!: mash-up that will allow you to locate of all the places listed above at GoogleMaps!

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