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Arraial d'Ajuda
Bahia State
- Brazil
Rustic Elegance
Arraial d'Ajuda is located in the south of the Bahia State, 730 km far from Salvador and 1130 km far from Rio. If you plan to go by plane, like I did, you need to consider that the closest airport is in Porto Seguro, a neighboring town.
Once I arrived there, I took a taxi and after some minutes we came across an enormous ferry boat (the ferry was really big, since it was also carrying many cars). I stepped down the taxi and put my luggage into the ferry so that we could cross river Buranhém.
The crossing is very pleasant and you can even feel a warm breeze on your face. Gradually the boat moves away from the lights and noise of Porto Seguro and heads to the calm atmosphere of Arraial. The trip through the river takes less than 10 minutes and the ferries work 24 hours a day in regular crossings.
On the other border, you need to take another taxi or do the transfer by kombi.
Some minutes later, you will be arriving to downtown Arraial d'Ajuda. The main street is called "Estrada do Mucugê", a very pleasant place and commercial heart of the village.
In this street you will find fine restaurants, bars and stores. The harmonic design of all the stores is something that deserves to be stressed.
There are plenty of dining options, like restaurants Boi nos Ares, Ciboulette, Estrela (in the charming, funny "Beco das Cores" street). I also remember a certain pizza house owned by 2 or 3 Argentines, where besides offering a delicious pizza they proved to be very friendly and honest (I late realized that I had inadvertently left my camera in one chair and when I went back they had been keeping it for me).
In fact, it is curious to notice that many restaurants are run or owned by Argentine people living in this Bahia location.
There is another downtown area in Arraial called "Bróduei" Street (ie. "Broadway" literally pronounced by a Brazilian), where the village's church and main square are located. This area is just like the typical Brazilian village, with some cheap bars, 1 dollar shops, etc.
"Estrada do Mucugê" is something completely different, as it was specially created by and for tourists. In turn, "Bróduei" represents the natural evolution of most small villages.
The Inn:
My stay at the inn was nothing less than superb, with its simple yet stylish rooms. Breakfasts were a real unforgettable delight, as every morning I was prepared croissants au chocolat and also different tropical juices. New age background music completed the heavenly atmosphere and prepared you for a very relaxing day.
The inn doesn't welcome couples with children, which in some way helps to generate and keep the magic in the air. Without any doubt, I highly recommend this inn for some romantic holidays.
Beaches in Arraial: The beaches in downtown Arraial seemed a bit noisy to me, as they were always crowded, even in the low season. I'm referring to beaches like Mucugê, Parracho or Pitinga. Next to those you will find Taípe, a beautiful beach where you can easily go on foot departing from downtown Arraial.
Going South of Arraial: After some days I decided to rent a car to visit neighboring cities. Without any doubt, this proved to be the right decision as the array of beaches and places to explore got multiplied.
To the south of Arraial there is another village called Trancoso, a very colorful and calm place. The town is also home to one of the latest Club Med resorts.
In the downtown area, you will find the famous Quadrado square. "Quadrado" is the Portuguese word for the square shape, although this area is in fact a rectangle.
Around this place there are lots of old houses painted with attractive colors, which were given a commercial use. At one of the rectangle faces you will find a simple church and to the other corner the town cemetery.
There are some modest stands in this square, which are still good options to visit.
In the stores of Quadrado you can buy crafts and decoration items, mainly. There are also some good places to eat at any hour of the day. I was lucky to find one lady who prepared superb French crêpes.
Rio da Barra is a dream beach located near Trancoso. From this point on, the brownish-red cliffs or "falésias" begin to populate the Bahia coast. The only way to get there is through a gravel road. Needless to say it's hard to do by car, but worthwhile the effort.
Espelho is one of the most extraordinary beaches I know in Brazil. One famous Brazilian road guide ranked this beach as the top 1 in the country - without any doubt they were not mistaken. Besides the cliffs and the palm trees, a river meets with the sea creating a real postcard scenery. Given that you are in paradise, there is only one or two stands where you can eat, and both are rustic yet quite expensive for Brazilian standards.
Espelho is close to Caraíva town, and in your way you literally go into an indian tribe, with its mud houses and handcrafts.
Curuípe Beach, near Caraíva, is also a very pleasant place.
At Pedra Grande beach there is a famous, small resort called "Pé na Praia". There you will find lots of young people surfing, listening to electronic music and even some girls sunbathing topless (what is very unusual in Bahia from what I saw).
Not everything is positive though, as the marijuana guys are also there spreading that smell around.
Going North of Arraial: To the north of Arraial and after crossing the car by ferry, I reached Porto Seguro. To be honest, I found this an ugly city and very different from Arraial or Trancoso. To begin with, there are just too many people, crowds of people, and the city attractions are basically two: endless stands selling handcrafts and the "Alcohol Catwalk" (no comments, the name says it all).
Despite all those negative items, I thought I would find a good variety of restaurants, but I was wrong. I even requested some recommendations from locals, but I didn't like any of them.
One day I decided to go north again and that was how I reached Santa Cruz Cabrália, the village where the first religious ceremony took place in Brazil. I quite liked the town and its desert beaches. To get there you need to go past a Pataxó Indian tribe and to head from there to Santo Antônio and Belmonte you have to cross another river in a similar ferry. Belmonte is a quite interesting town, with several beaches to visit.
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