Brazil by Alex Robinson

Author:Alex Robinson
Language: spa
Format: mobi
Publisher: Footprint Handbooks
Published: 2004-08-29T22:00:00+00:00

Trancoso

In the last five years this once-sleepy little village, 15 km south of Arraial, has become Bahia’s chicest beach destination, beloved of the Brazilian and international jet-set for its combination of low-key atmosphere and high-fashion labels. The coolest São Paulo names fill the tiny shopping centre and the town and beaches are dotted with smart designer boutiques and haute-rural restaurants offering the best food outside Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Celebrities come here to be recognized only by those they wish to be recognized by, especially the Mario Testino set. Despite its status, Trancoso remains a simple little town at heart, and herein lies its charm.

It is glossy but intimate, with life focusing on the Quadrado, a long grassy square where locals play football in the evening. The square is crowned with the little whitewashed 17th-century church of São João Batista, and lined with colourful little casas, each housing a bikini boutique, crafts shop, fashionable restaurant, bar or guesthouse. The houses are particularly enchanting at night, when they contrast with the dark indigo canvas of the rainforest, under a dome of stars.

Below the Quadrado are a stretch of beaches extending away to the north and south. The most famous and the closest to town are Praia do Trancoso and Praia dos Nativos, both washed by gentle waves, with coral far offshore and a cluster of chic-shack barracas that host parties for the designer-label brigade during the summer months. Coquieros, across the little river to the north is quieter, with one simple restaurant and a view. To the south beyond Trancoso beach are Rio Verde, with a little river, and beyond it Itapororoca a deserted beach with just a few very expensive houses and good clear-water snorkelling.

Espelho

A 50-minute drive along the dirt road to Caraiva, Espelho is one of the state’s most beautiful beaches: a glassy bay fringed with white sand and rocks with a handful of very plush beach hotels and a delightful restaurant. The Caraíva bus will drop you at the turn off to the beach, from where it is a 5-km walk; or you can visit as part of a tour with an agency such as Mata N’ativa Travel, either by car or boat.

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