Porto Seguro Attractions
Porto Seguro
Porto Seguro lies 730km/454mi from Salvador in the far south of Bahia state, on the stretch of coast where Pedro Alvares Cabral landed in 1500. With some of the oldest cultural monuments in Brazil, the town has been declared a national monument.
Porto Seguro consists of a lower town and an upper town, its historic core. Near the lower town are the beaches of Cruzeiro and Vila.
Porto Seguro lies 730km/454mi from Salvador in the far south of Bahia state, on the stretch of coast where Pedro Alvares Cabral landed in 1500. With some of the oldest cultural monuments in Brazil, the town has been declared a national monument.
Porto Seguro consists of a lower town and an upper town, its historic core. Near the lower town are the beaches of Cruzeiro and Vila.
Igreja da Misericórdia
The Igreja da Misericórdia (1526-30) is the oldest church in Brazil. It contains paintings of the Christ of Compassion (1526) and the Mater Dolorosa (1582).
Jesuit College
Nearby are the ruins of the Jesuit College built in 1534. The College's church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário has paintings dated to 1582.
Memorial Stone
Close by to Nossa Senhora da Pena, is a memorial stone erected by Gonçalo Coelho recording the discovery of this region.
Nossa Senhora da Pena
The church of Nossa Senhora da Pena, patroness of the town, dates from 1535. It contains a likeness of St Francis of Assisi brought by Gonçalo Coelho on his 1503 expedition, the oldest sacred image in Brazil.
Casa do Ouvidor
One notable secular buildings is the Casa do Ouvidor José Xavier de Machado, built in 1535 to house the local judge (ouvidor).
Porto Seguro Surroundings
Arraial d'Ajuda, Brazil
Arraial d'Ajuda
Arraial d'Ajuda, 4km/2.5mi south of Porto Seguro, is reached by a ferry across the delta at the mouth of the Rio Burinhaem. In the village is the church of Nossa Senhora d'Ajuda, built between 1549 and 1551, but its main attractions are its completely unspoiled beaches. Near the village is the Praia de Mucugà, and the still more celebrated beaches of Pitinga and Taípe lie between the village and Trancoso.
Arraial d'Ajuda, 4km/2.5mi south of Porto Seguro, is reached by a ferry across the delta at the mouth of the Rio Burinhaem. In the village is the church of Nossa Senhora d'Ajuda, built between 1549 and 1551, but its main attractions are its completely unspoiled beaches. Near the village is the Praia de Mucugà, and the still more celebrated beaches of Pitinga and Taípe lie between the village and Trancoso.
Trancoso, Brazil
Trancoso (25km/15.5mi south of Porto Seguro), is famed as the birthplace of lambada (a type of dance music) and attracts thousands of visitors. Pitinga is a nudists' paradise, and the beach of Taípe, edged by high cliffs, is one of the most beautiful on this stretch of coast.
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Parque Nacional do Monte Pascoal
This park, south of the town of Porto Seguro, is an area of forests, beaches, lakes, dunes, mangroves, and swamps. Found in the park are a number of species of monkeys, giant armadillos, and other wildlife.
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Santa Cruz Cabralia, Brazil
Santa Cruz Cabrália contains a fine collection of colonial buildings, and several nearby beaches.
Beaches
Beaches
To the north of Porto Seguro are the beaches of Curuipe (3km/2mi), Mundai (6km/4mi), Itaperapuã (7km/4.3mi), Rio dos Mangues (9km/5.6mi) and Ponta Grande (12km/7.5mi), which is near the coast road to Santa Cruz Cabrália (25km/15mi).
To the north of Porto Seguro are the beaches of Curuipe (3km/2mi), Mundai (6km/4mi), Itaperapuã (7km/4.3mi), Rio dos Mangues (9km/5.6mi) and Ponta Grande (12km/7.5mi), which is near the coast road to Santa Cruz Cabrália (25km/15mi).
