Piauí
Piauí
is a state at the extreme north of the area known as the Brazilian northeast,
with 252,379 sq. km., 4 national parks with unique geography and diverse
vegetation, all lending to the development of adventure tours and radical
sports. From north to south: trails, dunes,islands, sea, lagoons, rivers,
rocks prepare you for entrance into the famous 'cerrado', a sub-forest of
the Amazon which seduces those that are emotional. Piauí combines
beauty, culture, history, and mysteries to their visitors and presents it
like they were old friends. The natural hospitality of the Piauiense conquers
everyone that sets foot in their state in search of adventure, vacations
and discovery.
The
entire world, including Brazil, is searching these days for new adventures.
Radical emotions, mysteries, and the indescribable is looked for by this
new type of tourist. Traveling alone doesn't signify only diversion and
laying around doing nothing. Above all, the traveler is looking for research,
discovery and principally, contact with rich cultures and emotional experiences.
And with one fundamental difference" everything here has the flavor
of newness, authenticity, and unexplored.
Sete
Cidades (national park)
Serra
da Capivara (national park)
Serra
das Confusões (national park)
Delta
/ Litoral / Lagoa do Portinho (protected ecological area)
ACCOMODATIONS:
Parnaíba
- Hotel Pousada dos Ventos
The
capital of Paraiba State, João
Pessoa (pop.
497,000), lies on the easternmost tip of South America. The main reason
to visit is to see the Igreja Sao Francisco, one of Brazil's most interesting
churches: Elements of several European architectural styles can be seen
in its facade (the Dutch, French and Portuguese all occupied the city at
different times).
ACCOMMODATIONS
Pousada
Formosa - Formosa Beach - Cabedelo
J.R.
Hotel - Centro - João Pessoa
Pitimbu
-
Fishing
village with dark sands and many coconut palms. Excellent camping
area, surfing, and diving.
Tambada
-
Nudest
Beach. Persons with clothes are not admitted
Cabedelo
-
Situated
at the mouth of the Paraíba river, the port of Cabedelois rich
in folklore, in artesanal handicrafts and history.
Baía
da Traição
Indian
reservations with their traditions, like the Feista do Toré, are one of
the major attractions of this fishing village.
A
primeira cidade praiana da Paraíba, Pitimbu,
é uma vila de pescadores com alguns quiosques na praia extensa, de areia
escura e coqueirais. Por sua proximidade de João Pessoa,
recebe cada vez mais turistas e casas de veraneio. Na praia de Pitimbu
há locais indicados para camping selvagem, surfe e mergulho.
A
Praia de Tambada, em Conde, com suas
piscinas naturais, falésias de até20 metros e cavernas é um conhecido
reduto dos que praticam o nudismo. Como a permanência nesta praia
com qualquer peça de roupa não é admitida, há uma área reservada para
quem prefere ficar vestido.
Maceió
is a pleasant, but not particularly interesting port city of 500,000.
Vacationing Brazilians flock to the Praia da Pajuçara, a beach just 3 km north
of the centre that's famous as a piscina natural. lined by
a distant coral reef, Pajuçara turns into a vast, shallow pool at low tide,
filled with scores of tourist-laden jangadas.
Maceió
is loaded with beachfront barracas serving seafood, and it's a good
place to sample the tasty agulhas fritas (fried needlefish).
Pajuçara
ACCOMMODATIONS
Água
Verde
approx. US$ 30 - 35
Hotel
Glória
Hotel
Miramar
Pousada
Zeide
Pousada
Saveiro
Ponta
Verde
ACCOMMODATIONS
Mar
e Sol
approx. US$ 35
Bela
Vista
Praia
do Francês
Great
body surfing. Possible to rent every type of sporting equipment
such as kayaks, ultralights, surf boards, jet skis, and jangadas.
Barra
de Santo Antônio and Barra do Camarajibe
From
the fishing village of Santa Antônio you can take a boat
to Ilha da Croa (approx. US 4.8 miles) or cross the Santo
Antônio river to the small village on the north side. An interesting trip
for hikers is two days from Santo Antônio to Porto
de Pedras. The coast consists of a series of spectacular,
crescent-shaped bays separated by headlands and bluffs to the east.
Not a single human dwelling stands here.
Barra
do Camarajibe reportedly has pousadas popping up, but none of
register.
Pontal
Bay - Alagoas - Private Villa for rent
E moldurada
pelo Rio S. Francisco, a pacata Penedo tem um casario colonial
muito bem conservado, que lhe valeu o apelido de "Cidade dos Sobrados".
Para conhecer o artesanato em barro, o melhor é ir até Santana de
São Francisco, na outra margem do rio.
Coruripe
tem 30 km de lagoas e praias, entre recifes de corais e aquários
naturais. Já Barra de São Miguel, de urbanização
recente, é um dos locais mais movimentados do litoral de Alagoas. De lá
partem passeios pela Lagoa do Roteiro e Praia do Gunga.
A Praia
do Francês, que pertence à histórica Marechal Deodoro,
era um dos locais onde os franceses faziam o contrabando de pau-brasil.
Hoje é uma praia badalada, com alugel de todo tipo de equipamento esportivo:
caiaque, ultraleve, prancha de surfe, jet ski e jangadas para passeios.
Muitas praias,
lagoas, coqueiros, culinária saborosa (frutos do mar, cuscuz e tapioca)
e artesanto (em renda, cerâmica, madeira e palha) estâo entre as atrações
de Maceió. O programa obrigatório é o passeio de
jangada até as piscinas naturais, que ficam a 2 km da costa. Também vale
ir de escuna até a lagoa do Mundaú.
Until
1763, Salvador reigned as Brazil's capital city. It
is probably the cultural capital of the country, and vies with Rio
as the centre of tourism. Salvador boasts the best
musicians (Caetano Velosa, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia and Moraes
Moreira, among many others), the most churches (reportly one for each day
of the year), the most famous poets and authors (among them Jorge Amado),
the richest and spiciest food, and the most vibrantly African influence of
any Brazilian city. Bahia also provides 880 km of palm-strewn shoreline.
Salvador
lies at the entrance to the vast Baía de Todos os Santos, which lends the
city its full name, Salvador da Bahia. Frequently referred
to simply as Bahia, Salvador is
a sprawling metropolis. The centre is divided into two sections: Cidade Baixa
(lower city), where most businesses are located, and the Cidade Alta (upper
city), the older part of town containing the major historical sites and cheap
hotels. A century-old elevator joins the two cities.
A strong
African influence derives from the slaves brought to work in the sugar cane
fields more than 400 years ago. Salvador is divided into an upper and lower
section, and the enormous Lacerda elevator, which goes from one level to the
other, affords outstanding views. Multicolored homes, red-tiled roofs, a great
market, twisting and narrow cobblestone streets, great beaches, terreiros
(cult worship houses) and about 300 churches make this an excellent place
to stay for two or three nights. No tour of the city is complete without seeing
the Igreja de Sao Francisco-although relatively plain on the outside (as are
most Portuguese churches in Brazil), the inside is covered in gold leaf and
is as ornate as it is beautiful. Also visit the Farol da Barra (a 16th-century
fort overlooking one of several sites claiming to be the original spot where
Portuguese navigator Cabral's party landed in Brazil) and the Igreja do Bomfim,
where believers from across the state go to worship and celebrate (don't miss
the Room of Miracles, where believers leave reproductions of body parts in
need of miraculous healing-you'll be amazed by the number of plastic arms,
legs, heads, hearts and lungs dangling from the ceiling).
Shopping
is good on Rua Alfredo do Brito and exceptional at the Mercado Modelo (good
African and Brazilian souvenirs). Pelourinho, one of the oldest areas in town,
has colonial architecture and a pillory (where slaves and prisoners were tortured).
Other reminders of the city's past can be seen at the Museu de Arte da Bahia
(17th-century antique displays) and the Museu Abelardo Rodriques (colonial
paintings). The city's culture is celebrated in the Museu da Cidade (Yoruba
tribal displays), the Afro-Brazilian Museum (African displays), and the Carlos
Costa Pinto Museum. Try to attend a candomble ceremony, which illustrates
the lively African religious culture found in the city, and watch capoeira,
an amazing combination of martial arts and African folk dance (don't take
pictures of the participants unless you are willing to pay for the privilege).
Salvador
also has a great Carnival celebration, though it's not as flashy as the one
in Rio. North of Salvador is the fishing village of Praia do Forte, which
borders the Sapiranga Ecological Reserve. The reserve protects one of Brazil's
last stands of Atlantic rain forest. Itaparica, a lush island 12 mi/19 km
southwest, has several nice beaches and a great view of Salvador across the
bay. The Sao Joaquim Ferry makes the 45-minute crossing several times daily,
but be sure to reserve a space in advance-Salvadorans like Itaparica, too.
Note: Salvador has more than its share of poverty and crime. When you're having
a soda or beer in an open bar or cafe, be prepared for beggars with cups or
glasses to ask you for a drink. Crime directed at tourists is a problem, particularly
in Pelourinho after dark or the sparsely populated beach areas. Avoid the
temptation to change money on the streets at attractive rates-you'll be inviting
trouble.
Salvador
- Villa da Barra Beach 
Mangue
Seco
Made
famous by the Jorge Amado novel - TIETA DO AGRESTE, and the television
series TIETA based on the novel (1989), and later the movie version,
starring Sônia Braga. Fame boosted tourism in Manque Seco.
Mangue
Seco - the towns official name is Santa Cruz da Bela Vista -
is the most northerly village along the coast of Bahia.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Hotel
Village
approx. US$ 40
Telma's
Pousada approx.
US$ 10 - 25
Hotel
Manque Seco approx.
US$ 10 - 25
Casa
da Doña Berenice - (Grão de Areia) - approx.
US$ 20
Portal
do Sol
approx. US$ 10 - 25 (Pontal)
Seu
Fontes
approx. US$ 10 - 25 (Pontal)
Imbassaí
Salvador
- Club Imbassai
Morro
de São Paulo
Morro
de São Paulo, like Ceará's Jericoacoara, has
finally been 'discovered'. Soon it may turn into another
Canoa Quebrada, but its stunning beaches, clear water, and
traquil (as yet) fishing village still make Morro de São Paulo
a deserving destination.
The
village consists of but a single street. Lodging is available in a number
of simple pensions or you can rent a house from the locals.
Camamu
ACCOMMODATIONS
Green
House approx US$ 20 - 50
Rio
Acaraí
NOTE:
Cap. Andre Barbosa - FELIZ NATAL - 073 255-2200
Cajaíba
This
tiny mainland town is where craftsmen still build the massive wooden
Bahia schooners.
Barra
Grande
Barra
Grande is a scenic two hour boat trip from Camamu
which passes first through the placid Baía de Camamu, a mangrove-lined
waterway where fishermen tend their crab pots and silvery needlefish
flit across the surface of the water like skipping stones.
ACCOMMODATIONS
PRAIA
Três Coqueiros
Pousada
Três Coqueiros - Camilo Silva Reis 073 255-2112 - approx. US$ 30,
cabanas - US$ 15, and some campsites - US$ 5
VILLAGE
BARRA GRANDE
Pousada
Tuburão - approx. US$ 15 - 30
Pousada
Meu Sossego - approx. US$ 15 - 30
Pousada
Maria de Firmino - approx. US$ 15 - 30
Pousada
Entrada do Sol - approx. US$ 15 - 30
Porto
Seguro
Porto
Seguro is a bustling tourist mecca, with scores of hotels,
pousadas, bars, and dance clubs.
Porto
Seguro - Hotel Mucuge Village
Porto
Seguro - Pousada Quinta de Bucanero
Transco
Transco
sits on a bluff above the beach, with an ever-burgeoning number of pousadas,
bars, and organic-chic cafés. Brazilian celebrities like singers
gal Costa and Elba Ramalho now own homes nearby.
Caravelas
Near
the extreme southern tip of the State of Bahia, some 890 km from Salvador.
A pleasant colonial port at the mouth of the Rio de Meio. caravelas
is the jumping-off point for trips to the Pargue National Marinho
dos Abrolhos.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Hotel
Navegantes - approx. US$ 30
Hotel
Caravalense - approx. US$ 30
Shangri-lá
- approx. US$ 10
Pousada
do Juquita (Praia de Grauçá) - approx. US $12
Pousada
Yemanjá (Praia Yemanjá) - approx. US$15 - RUSTIC
ISLAND
BOATS
Abrolhos
Turismo - day trips approx. US$ 95, overnight US$ 140
Paradise
Abrolhos - day trips approx. US$ 95, overnight US$ 140
Abrolhos
Embarcações - overnight US$ 140
Back
to Don's Select
Copyright
© 2000 / 2001 - AndeTUR Turismo Ltda.
July 7, 2001
