Morro de Sao Paulo - Tourist Paradise

Travel Tips, Hints, Recommendations and Suggestions

Quick jump index:
Basic Information

Map of Morro

Where to stay

Tips and advice

20 things to do

Visit to Garapua

Panoramic view of Morro de Sao Paulo, click for image

Great pictures of Morro de Sao Paulo
This page is intended to be definitive guide to Morro de Sao Paulo on the island of Tinhare south of Salvador in Bahia, Brazil. I hope. I am writing this because I had to plan a trip to Morro and was not able to find a good unbiased guide on the Internet. There are many sites with hotels and recommendations, but they are commercially sponsored and may or may not be entirely objective. While in Morro de Sao Paulo (Dez/07-Jan/08) I took 2 days to visit most places in the village and gather information about what attractions and facilities are available for the visitor. This page is the result of that effort. I will provide general information and give a few recommendations (pro and contra) based on my experience.

About these pictures... The four photos above are the best ones I have that show an overview of the beach area. The first two (on the left) are taken from the Tiroleza area (jump-off point for zipwire cable ride down to 1st beach) on the hill near the lighthouse. They show the fabulous view from that point. The other two are aerial (airplane) views showing different angles along the three main beaches. The MSP2 image is a great picture showing the 3rd beach looking north. You can see the Eco-Estrada road on the left among the palm trees. It is the only real road in Morro. Everything else is just basically dirt paths for foot traffic. Enjoy the pictures!

1. Internet Sites with useful information about Morro

First of all, let me give you some links to other sites that provide info on Morro. Most of these are about hotels, hostels, pousadas and other places to sleep.

A great personal review by a visitor, from Revista Stars (in Portuguese):
Information from the Virtual Tourist website (very good):
More information from the Trip Advisor website:
This is the "semi-official" website for Morro de Sao Paulo with good information and an excellent list of places to stay by location and price:

I used the www.morrodesaopaulo.com.br

site for my planning, it is good but I found it incomplete in some ways. Even so, it is very useful and I recommend it. The best personal review is the one in Revistas Stars (above). It is a simple and direct critique by a Brazilian visiting the island. It is a 'must-read' in my opinion. The VirtualTourist and TripAdvisor websites are always good. They have thousands of members and many leave useful information (good and bad) about their travel experiences around the world. They include sections about where to stay, warnings, rip-offs, where to eat, safety issues, places to see 'off the beaten path' and other important tips for the tourist.

2. Map of Morro de Sao Paulo

The village is relatively small. You can walk most of it in 15 minutes. Well, that is the time it takes to walk from the port (or the historic Portaló arch) to the end of the seawalk (sidewalk) at the middle of the third beach, where for all purposes, the "urban" area ends. From the middle of the 3rd beach on it is mostly "rural" with larger, more expensive resort-type pousadas along the thirds and fourth beaches. Most people don't walk to these but take taxis, trucks, carts, trailers, and tractors from the Terminal behind the second beach.

Tourist maps. There are some good commercial maps available on Morro de Sao Paulo (MSP) for R$4-5 each. I have put vague pictures here but they are not readable (for copyright reasons). I suggest that if you go to Morro that you buy one of these. Note: Be aware that I love maps - I even collect them.

map of Morro de Sao Paulo Tinhare Island

I decided that to write about Morro and its attractions I needed a map! I bought the tourists maps on sale but I can't reproduce them here because of copywrite laws. Anyway, I needed a map so I made one based upon my notes and observations (see draft!). It has a few scale distortions but is reasonably accurate and shows most of the important points of interest in the Morro area, I believe. I walked just about every place, every path, to every hotel on the map. I had a few good pictures of the island, so I put them together and added streets and points of interest. Here it is, a real work of art:
Map Mapa of Morro de Sao Paulo on Tinhare Island Bahia Brazil

Map Mapa of Morro de Sao Paulo on Tinhare Island Bahia Brazil

I have indicated landmarks and important places. There is a legend for streets and paths, at least the ones that have names. All the hotels and pousadas I visited are in numbered in yellow and placed in their approximate locations. I have also numbered the thumbnail pictures on this page to correspond to the numbers for the locations on the map, so people will know where the photo was taken. Click on the thumbnail image for the full photo. So, anytime you see a name or place with a number between brackets [ ], that corresponds to the location on the big map and to any thumbnail image on this page. Beware that some are panoramic (wide) made up of several pictures stitched together.

3. About Tinhare Island and Morro de Sao Paulo

Planta de Morro de Sao Paulo Tinhare Island

satellite view of Tinhare and Morro de Sao Paulo, click for image

Tinhare Island and satellite view
Morro de Sao Paulo is the biggest and most famous of the settlements on the island of Tinhare. There are several other villages, but only Gamboa and Galeao are somewhat large. Tinhare has a long history because of its ancient fort, which was built between 1630 and 1728. Actually Morro is much older, being founded in 1535 (that makes it one of the oldest towns in the New World!). The Old Fort was established as one of several costal fortifications to protect the city of Salvador, the Itaparica Channel and the important sugar plantations along the coast of Bahia (which were constantly being attacked by the Dutch, English, French, etc…)

I am not going to write much more about the history except to say that for about the first 300 years the island and Morro was basically a military base and a lighthouse. By the end of the 19th century the fort was pretty much abandoned. From 1900 to about 1970 Morro de Sao Paulo was just a nice, quiet village on the coast with a lighthouse and kilometers and kilometers of palm plantations (cocozal). Then in about 1975 or so, tourists started to discover the beauty and beaches of the island and everything changed. By 1990 dozens of pousadas had been built and Morro had become a favorite weekend getaway for the people of Salvador. In simple terms, it became a 'getaway' place much like Ilha Bela to São Paulo, or Angra or Buzios to Rio de Janeiro. By 2000, Morro de Sao Paulo had become an international destination. Morro is now the third most popular tourist destination in Bahia.

Tractors, Mules and Wheelbarrows

Mules at work in Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia

Mules at work
No cars are allowed in Morro de Sao Paulo. Yes. No. Technically that is not true. There are cars, trucks, jeeps, buses and tractors. These are, for the most past restricted to certain roads or areas and must serve a commercial purpose. Most of these are to be found at the Terminal Reception station behind the second beach. The buses take people to different settlements on the island, but probably most of all to Gamboa or Galeão, the fastest way to get to the mainland. The taxis and jeeps take pasengers to the more distant pousadas and hoteis fazendas. They will also take you to other places like Garapua or the landing to take a boat to Boipeba. They are expensive.

A common sight are the tractors, often pulling passenger or service carts. These go to different places, but the most common destination is Garapua (I think). It is a 40-45 minute ride and usuallly costs about 10 reais (but subject to negotiation). It is also a bone-jarring experience over 10,000 bumps and holes on a trailer cart with springs but no real suspension. If you have false teeth, you will lose them. After our ride to Garapua my wife complained and asked the driver to go slower on the way back -- so it took almost 60 minutes of bone jarring bumps instead of only 45 minutes.

Taxis
There are lots of small 'taxis' in Morro. Well, not real taxis but wheelbarrows with the word 'taxi' on them. They are commanded by a legion of young men (official porters according to their t-shirts) that carry luggage and suitcases for the tourists. Up and down they go for prices may vary considerably (more about that below). Here is an observation that may be useful: don't let the first 40 meters of Morro scare you, after getting off the boat. After going through the Portalo (arch) there is a steep grade up a hill to the church. This is where the 'taxis' like to find customers. People look at the grade and decide they need a porter. At the top the price is less. From there the rest of Morro is mostly down hill. There is another smaller incline (downhill) at the end of the Caminho da Praia approaching the 1st beach.

There are also mules. Lots of mules. It is a common site to see these beasts of burden carrying goods in the streets of Morro. On the first beach, in the early morning hours, the mule packs would meet small boats to unload merchandise for the shops and pousadas in the village.

4. Where to stay when in Morro

Pousadas and hotels in Morro de Sao Paulo on Tinhare Island Bahia Brazil

Some business cards from the Pousadas
First of all let me explain what a pousada is. It is just a hotel, or maybe an inn, but a small one. Traditionally it is usually a large house that has been converted into a "Bed and Breakfast" type establishment.

Here a just a few of the cards from the many, many inns, hotels and pousadas I visited in Morro de São Paulo (also MSP). There are plenty, of all types and all prices. I am going to list the ones I visited and add a few comments. Usually I would walk into the reception, look around, ask a few questions, take a business card and leave. I will make a few recommendations, but understand that my impressions are mostly about the location, visual and the people I talked to. Remember it was the New Year holiday and the town was packed and all rooms were occupied and the staff was busy. There were no vacancies, so I was not really able to look at and evaluate the rooms.

I also did not consider prices, because these change and "High Season" holiday prices are not an indication of normal daily rates. In my 'recommendations' I tried to select a range of prices (from modest budget pousadas to regular or average accommodations and even more expense hotels or resorts) in different locations. If you are on a budget, do not consider anything beyond the middle of the third beach, from that point on there are only newer, larger and more expensive pousadas. Also, it is really too far to walk between the village and many hotels on the 4th or 5th beaches. Guests must use the trucks, jeeps or tractors that pickup and take passengers to the Terminal Receptivo (bus and taxi station) behind the 2nd beach. I don't think they charge for this but I forgot to ask about how and when this works. Sorry!

Here is the list of 100 or so places I personally visited, grouped by location, with the recommended ones in bold font. Remember, the numbers in brackets [ ] correspond to the location on the big map and to the numbers on the thumbnail images. All hotels are numbered in yellow, landmarks or points of interest in black, and roads or paths are identified by green squares.

A. Upper area, Old Town and Central Square

Recommended:
Pousada Portalo
Pousada Natureza
Pousada Casarao
Pousada da Tia Gloria

Arco ou Portalo entrada para Morro de Sao Paulo

Porto de chegada Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia

The Port and historic Portalo Arch
This is the old central area where the Arch [02] or Portalo is, under which all visitors enter. It leads up a ramp to the old Matriz Church called Nossa Senhora da Luz [03] in front of the Praça da Amendoeira [04], a square with a huge fig tree. Picture 10b gives a good view of the arrival area, and the ramp from the porto up to the church. There is a medical station [05] here but it didn't look like it could handle much beyond a stomach ache (more about that later). There is a path that goes up the hill, past the cemetery [06] to the farol or lighthouse [07]. Just a few yards away is the Tiroleza [08] cable ride down to the 1st beach.

Pousada Portalo [11] - this is the first pousada you will see in Morro. I talked to the manager, Sr Fernando, and he was very cordial. It has 22 apartments and it looked very nice.
Pousada Passargadas [12] - Another pleasant place. They are known for their fresh pao de queijo (little cheese bread balls) they serve every afternoon around 4pm.
Pousada Natureza [13] - Very nice area and as the name says, very green. I like the Praça da Amendoeira area [picture 04] because it is quiet and cozy, away from the bagunça further down.
Pousada Xerife [14], Pousada Ninho de Aguia [15] - Don't know too much about these two. They were there and they were full.
Note that I have some pictures here of the area and the pousadas, indicated by the numbers on them. A picture is often worth a thousand words.
The main square in Morro is next [picture 10], called Praça Aureliano Lima (or "Seu Bonzinho" - Mr. Nice Guy). The pousadas in this area are: Pousada Casarao [18] - This is the oldest house in Morro and it is where the Emperor Dom Pedro II stayed when he visited the island. Clarice has stayed here and says it is good.
Pousada do Tempo [19], Pousada da Praça [20], Pousada da Tia Gloria [21] - I spoke with Sr Manuel at the front desk and he showed me some of their installations. They told me they were "ambiente familiar" which means it has a family atmosphere.
Pousada Solar do Morro [22] - If I remember correctly this is the one with the Cafes das Artes restaurant in front. If so, very nice. As the name says, they like art (It must have been fun getting that piano up the hill). They serve a great afternoon coffee or tea snack.
Pousada do Joe [23]. I don't know anything about old Joe. It is up the hill from the praça. Probably has a nice view of the Vila.

B. Interior, from the Fonte Grande road

Recommended:
Pousada Escorregue no Raggae
Pousada Aquarela

Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia, click for image

A good picture of the Fonte Grande (Big Fountain)
Just off the Praça Aureliano Lima, the Main Square [10], there is another arch next to the Casarão Pousada and a road called Rua da Fonte Grande [E] that goes to the old Imperial Fountain [27], built in 1746. There are three roads that branch off from the fountain:
1. to the right is the Caminho do Porto de Cima [S] that goes down to the beach on the northern side of the island to a place called Ponta da Praia [151]. This area is very scenic and there is a walkway along the beach and a path [W] to Gamboa. Except for the first part through the forst near the Ponta da Praia [151], this path goes along the beach.
2. the middle road is called Caminho da Logoa [T] and because there is supposed to be a small lake somewhere above (I didn't see it, but I saw several ponds). There are several branches in this road and one becomes Caminho da Fonte do Ceu [V]. This area is isolated and many locals live up here. There is a humble area called Santa Luzia , but better known locally as the Burraco do Cachorro [182] where one women told me not to continue alone, whatever that means. There are many different paths in this area that go to Gamboa, the Fonte do Ceu [156] or back to the Campo da Mangaba and the communication towers [91]. From there one finds paths that go down to the 2nd beach or to the Rua da Biquinha [F] on the 1st beach.
3. On the left there is a road I marked as Travessa da Biquinha [U] on my big map. There are almost no signs on the streets (or better, paths) in this area and I had to ask the locals what the streets were named. I often got several answers, or no answer. Anyway, this is the path that leads up to Pousada Fonte do Imperador [38], Pousada Escorregue no Raggae [39] and Pousada Caravelas [40]. The key word there is "up".

Oh yes, very few houses or businesses in Morro have street numbers. On the the Internet you will see addresses listed as Rua this or that, S/N. The SN means "sem numero" - without number. The village is small, everybody knows where you live or where a certain pousada is, so why have stupid street numbers nobody needs?

Rua da Fonte do Imperador em Morro de Sao Paulo Bahia

Street in Morro de Sao Paulo, click for image

Here are some pictures of streets in this area. Notice the mule delivery in photo [E] - this is a typical scene.
Next to the Casarao [18] there is another arch [25] over a road leading to the Fonte Grande [27], the old Imperial Fountain. The hotels back in this areas are as follows: Pousada Tia Preta [28], Tinhare Pousada [29], Pousada Aquarela [31], Pousada Porto de Cima [32], Pousada Camping [33], Pousada Solar Flordenice [34], Pousada Villa do Sossego [35], Pousada Aconchego [36], Pousada Cairu [37], Pousada Fonte do Imperador [38], Pousada Escorregue no Raggae [39], Pousada Caravelas [40], Pousada Canto da Sereia [41], Pousada Village da Fonte [42].
As you may have noticed, there are lots of pousadas in this part of MSP. It it was sometimes difficult to get information from staff because it was morning, the inns were full and all were busy. My impression is that the establishments in this district are among the less expensive, probably because they are away from the beach. I saw one pousada with a pile of mattresses on the porch; another one was letting visitors put up tents in the yard. Actually, this area is really not far from the ocean, probably only a five minute walk. One place I would like to mention is Pousada Escorregue no Raggae. I had a change to sit down and talk with Rasta, the owner, and he was very nice and talked about the challenges of doing business in MSP. He says he does OK because he has regular, repeat customers. That is a good sign. As the name indicates, the pousada was a Jamaican feel to it. Cozy!

c. Along the Caminho da Praia

Recommended:
Pousada Charme
Pousada Casa Blanca

This is the main drag. The Caminho da Praia [D] (translated: Way to the Beach) is the busiest street in Morro. Most of the shops, commerce and even restaurants in Morro de Sao Paulo (MSP) are here, along with about a dozen pousadas, as follows: Pousada Portal do Morro [43], Pousada Ruby [44], Pousada Baleira [45], Pousada O [46], Pousada Estevao [47], Pousada La Onda [48] - which has a sign says it has dormitorios (dorms), Pousada Gaucho [49], Pousada Natal [51], Pousada Caminho da Praia [52], Pousada Mareira [53], Pousada Sabor da Terra [4], Pousada Charme [56], Pousada Casa Blanca [57], Caita Hotel [58], Pousada Ilhas das Flores[59].

All of these pousadas line the street, on both sides, next to or above shops, restaurants and even the market. I stopped at Pousadas Charme, talked to Cristina at the front desk and was offered probably the only room available in Morro for R$400. They had just had a cancellation a few minutes before. It was a very nice room with a mezzanino but I already had a room down on the 1st beach. Another nice place is the Casa Blanca. It was neat, clean and looked well run. One place I didn't like was the Hotel Caita, simply because it is a skyscaper (aranha ceu). This ugly five story building is out of place in a small villa like MSP.
Near the end of the Caminho da Praia street [D] there is a small area with a police station [60], phone service and the Cafe do Morro Internet shop [61], a good place to stop for a cafezinho and to check your email.

D. First beach (Primeira Praia)

Recommended:
Pousada Morena
Pousada Brizamar
Porto dos Milagres

Panorama of the 1st beach
This is the first, smallest and oldest beach in Morro. Up until the late 1960s this was the only beach with houses on it and only a few of them. Everything south of here from the 2nd beach and beyond was coconut tree plantations. Must have been nice. Note the mules being loaded from the boats that come up to the beach. This is how much of the goods and supplies are delivered to the businesses.

Pousada Morena hotel em Morro de Sao Paulo

The first beach is the area where we spent most of our time. It is convenient, between the Caminho da Praia (commerce and food) and close to the 2nd beach (where 'everything' happens, as they say).
Directly on this beach you will find the following pousadas: Pousada Morena [64] - We stayed here. Nice, comfortable, very good breakfast. The owner, the Morena herself, treated us like royalty, even when there was a mix-up on the dates of our reservations.
Pousada Palmeira [65] - For some reason I didn't really explore this place, even though we were next to us and it looked nice. It was busy.

Eva guard dog at Pousada Morena in Tinhare Island

Eva. This is Eva, the guard dog at Pousada Morena in typical attack mode. I tried to tell her to have some self-respect and act like a real dog, but she let those cats walk all over her. Eva needs to get some self-esteem and shape up. Maybe she thinks she is a cat. I don't know.

Pousada Brizamar [66] - We almost stayed here, but Clarice selected the Morena because she had been there before. It is less expensive then the other three pousadas on the 1st beach, but it is a good deal. Picture [65/66] is taken from the beach and shows the front of the Palmeiras and Brizamar.
Pousada Porto dos Milagres [67] - This is the newest pousada on the first beach and is nice. It was crowded but the manager [photo 67], Sr. Tasso, took time to give me a tour of the pousada, from top to bottom. Recommended.

Vista geral de Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia, click for image

Panoramic views of 1st Beach from boat
After a few days in Morro we took a boat to the small village of Garapua, further down the coast. Here are two panoramic pictures taken from the boat showing the 1st beach and the Morro do Farol (Lighthouse Hill). Notice the old fort [01] on the right. Notice also that the Morro do Farol hill has a serious erosion problem.

The Tiroleza. The 1st beach is also where the tiroleza cable ride comes down from the hill. Here is a picture and a movie. If I were younger, maybe I would do it. It is called "tiroleza' because they do it in Germany (?). I watched the kids go down the thing for about 10 minutes and one girl decided that it was not a good idea. I was told there is a weight limit on the ride, about 100 kilos.

Recommended:
Farol do Morro

Behind the 1st beach there is a small road called Caminho da Prainha [G] (but officially known as Rua Mestre Domingos). Actually this is just a continuation of the Caminho da Praia. It goes along behind the beach and leads to some stairs that go down to the 2nd beach.

On this road you will find several convenient pousadas: Pousada Ilha do Sol [70], Pousada Kaza da Praia [71] - it advertises itself as "A Economica" (the cheap or budget one), Pousada Perola do Morro [72], Pousada Lua Cheira [73], Pousada Ilha da Saudade [74], Pousada Via Brasil [75], Pousada Aroeira [77], Pousada Farol do Morro [76] - This is the one in the picture [G] with the miniature lighthouse. It is nice, well equipped and I was told that it is one of the few pousadas with its own tours and even a boat. Recommended.

That is it for the places near the first beach. Remember, just because I don't "recommend" a place, it doesn't mean that any specific pousada isn't a good value. I just don't have enough information about it (or that nobody was available at the front dersk to answer my questions). You can tell a lot by walking into the entrance and talking to a clerk or manager, but that isn't enough for a professional opinion. What you find here are just quick impressions based upon two days of walking around MSP.

E. Rua da Biquinha

This is the small winding path [F] just off and behind the first beach. If you follow this path up and down you will end up at the Rua da Fonte Grande [E], explained in Group B above. Here are the pousadas on the Rua da Biquinha (The closest to the 1st beach are listed first):

Pousada hotel cheap hostel em Morro de Sao Paulo

Pousada Vista Bella [80], Pousada Toca do Arraia [81], Pousada Sheherazade [82], Pousada La Onda [83], Hotel Morro de Sao Paulo [84], Pousada Passarte [85], Pousada Carambola [86], Pousada Uma Janela para o Sol [87]. This area is very much like that of the Fonte Grande (Group B above) -- most establishments in these areas are more modest. The pousadas here are inland, but still only a short distance (100-200 meters) away from the ocean, along narrow, winding paths. The Rua da Biquinha is interesting because it starts at the 1st beach and winds up and around and ends up on the Rua da Fonte Grande, not far from the main square. This is not a street. It is a 'path' and in some places is 3 or 4 feet wide. "Biquinha" means faucet or small spring, so I guess at sometime there was a place where people filled water bottles there.

F. Second Beach (Segunda Praia)

Recommended:
Vila das Pedras
Pousada da Torre

Video and views of the 2nd beach
This beach is about 400 meters long and it is the one with all the night life. It is also by far the widest beach in MSP with about 50 meters of sand. Sometimes (rarely) it is also called Praia da Saudade after the small island at the end. I have a video here and two nice wide-angle photos that show most of this beach.
Directly on the 2nd beach are the following: Pousada Villa das Pedras [93], Pousada da Torre [94] - These are the only two places I am going to recommend. I walked in and they are large extablishments and looked very looked nice (and maybe expensive). The are at the beginning of the second beach next to the road. Although they are on the 2nd beach, the Vila das Pedras and Pousada da Torre are in the quiet part.
There are several more pousadas along the beach but they are back and behind the bars and restaurants - almost hidden. The problem I have with these is that this is the area where all the agitação occurs - the night life, shows, music, parties, and the vendor stands. It can be somewhat crowded in this area so keep that in mind. Here are the pousadas in this area along the 2nd beach: Pousada Tapirandu [95], Pousada Clube do Balanço [96], Pousada Brisa do Caifa [97], Pousada Estrela do Mar [98]. Le Terrace [99].

View from Mangaba in Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia

Mangaba Hill [91] and panorama from top
There is a paved road [H] usually called the Eco-Estrada (Ecological Road) from the 2nd beach to the main terminal building [90]. This is the only 'real' road in MSP. Near the beginning of the road, on the right side, a small side path [Y] goes up the hill to the two radio towers on Morro de Mangaba [91]. The view from the top is great, similar to that from Morro do Farol. Notice the picture of the path with the beach below (image on the right). Actually their are two easy ways to get up to the towers, from the path at the beginning of the Eco-Estrada on the 2nd Beach and a path off the Estrada da Biquinha (stay left) from the 1st Beach.

Terminal em Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia, click for image

The Terminal Receptivo in Morro. This is the taxi, van, jeep, tractor and bus station. This is about the only place in Morro where you find motorized vehicles (except maybe for the tractors that pick up trash). It is here that many hotels and pousadas on the 4th and 5th beaches receive their guests. There are vans and jeeps that go back and forth to these more distant locations. Also there are buses that take people to Zimgo, Gamboa and Galeao, from where they take ferry boat to the mainland. I am told that most local people that go to Salvador take the bus (about 200 km), not the boat from the port (50km).

An alley behind the 2nd beach There are many pousadas in paths and alleys behind the second beach, called Rua Nova [J] and Caminho do Meio [K]. These are narrow (see picture) and somewhat unattractive. Some are only 6 feet wide, but they are they only way to get to some of the these establishments: Pousada Delirio dos Mares [101], Pousada Varanda do Sol [102], Pousada Michele [103], Pousada Encanto da Lua [104], Pousada Portal do Sol III [105], Pousada Millenium II [106], Fantasia do Morro [107], Pousada Timbalada [108].
Maybe the pousadas are OK but I don't know. The Timbalada looked OK but I'm not going to recommend any of them because I didn't like the narrow paths getting to them. They were dirty and ugly.

G. Third Beach (Terceira Praia)

Recommended:
Barravento
(I am sure there are
more good ones on the
3rd beach, but I was
cheio of visiting
pousadas by this time!)

Sidewalk or walkway on 3rd beach Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia

Walkway along the 3rd beach
This is a much longer beach, about 800 meters long. The first half, along the walkway or sidewalk [P], has many pousadas and hotels. The second half is sparsely used with only an airport (Addey Taxi Aereo) [144] and a few larger resort-type hotels. Sometimes (rarely, again) this beach is known as the Praia do Caitá, after the small island at the end, again. The hotels at the beginnng of the beach, along the side walk, are as follows: Pousada Minha Louca Paixao [111], Pousada Paraiso do Morro [112], Amendoeira Praia Hotel [113], Morro Praia Hotel [114], Pousada Kanzua do Marujo [115], Pousada Chez Max [116], Pousada Agua Viva [117], Farol das Estrelas [118], Pousada Paradise [119], Pousada Aparecida do Mar [121], Pousada Grauca [122], Pousada Aradhia [123].
There are quite a few pousadas behind the beach, along two narrow paths (becos). The first is an ugly path called Rua Shalom [M] and most establishments along this path are very modest. These are: Pousada Vila Nova [126], Pousada Sampa do Morro [127], Pousada Encanto do Morro [128], Pousada Rosa dos Ventos [129], Pousada Aquarius [130], Pousada Maria do Pao [131]. I have the same problem here as I did with the small alleys behind the second beach. Too ugly and dirty.

Pousada hotel hostel em Morro de Sao Paulo

The other path off the 3rd beach is known as Rua da Saudade [N] which has much better visual. I have a picture here and, as it shows, the pousadas along this path are much nicer: Pousada Tia Cita [133], Pousada Coqueiro do Caete [134], Pousada Tranquila [135], Pousada Barravento [136], Pousada Albatroz [137], Pousada Genova [138]. Any of these are probably OK, but I am going to recommend the Barravento. I talked with the owner, Sr Railton, and he kindly showed me around.

For all purposes the urban area ends at the end of the sidewalk [P] at the first half of the third beach, after the Rua da Saudade [N]. Everything beyond this point is newer, larger and more expensive.
Panoramic view of Addey Airport on 3rd Beach and coconut plantations. One of the pictures show a road through the coconuts next to the landing strip. It was nice but I wasn't able to walk all around it.
As stated, after the Rua da Saudade [N] one finds a few more pousadas, an airport, and then more pousadas. These are pousadas of the resort type, or 'Hotel Fazenda,' as they are often called in Brazil and most of the occupy large areas that were at one time farms or plantations. I visited the following establishments in this area at the end of the 3rd beach: Village Paraiso Tropical [141], Hotel Fazenda Vila Guaiamu [142], then Addey Air Taxi airport [144], Pousada Fazenda Caeira [145], Pousada Vila dos Corais [146]

The third beach ends here. The only establishment I visited on the fourth beach was the first one, Pousada Aymores [149]. It is on this beach that you can rent horses and carts (charetes).

G. Fourth Beach (Quarta Praia) and beyond

Everything after the 4th beach is rural in nature, mostly. This beach is sometimes informally called praia das piscinas because of the natural pools (piscinas naturais) that form among the reefs (depending on the tides, of course). This is common all along Morro de Sao Paulo and Garapua.

As I mentioned, I didn't visit any more hotels after the Aymores [149] at the beginning of the 4th beach. There are two more long beaches and a couple of dozen more hotels, all of which are resort-types and are probably very nice and probably more expensive (I think?). There are the hotels on the 4th beach, in no particular order: Catavento Praia Hotel, Pousada Vila Marraro, Tatiba Praia Hotel, Toca do Tatu Pousada, Casa Branca, Patachocas Eco Resort, Pousada Coqueiro, Canto do Zimbo (or Porto do Zimbo), Hotel Puerto Beach, Pousada Vila Mato Verde, Hotel Praia do Encanto, and Hotel Vila dos Orixas.
Let me say, once again, that many of these establishments are too far to walk to and from the village, so guests use tractor carts or jeeps to and from the Terminal Receptivo behind the 2nd beach.

There is also a 5th beach (sometimes called Praia do Encanto, but a part of it is also known as Praia da Alegria - Beach of Happiness) with still more hotels and pousadas. These are: Hotel Anima, Vila dos Orixas, Hotel Praia do Encanto, Hotel Karapitangui Praia.

I have not given contact information for these hotels and pousadas. You can find most of them listed on www.morrodesaopaulo.com.br

or you can do an Internet Google search to find them, if you wish.

That is it. The above are all the places I visited in Morro, and some I didn't. As I said, the recommended ones are in bold. This does not mean the others are bad or worse, it only means that for some reason or other I would not stay there myself (or, in some rare cases, I would prefer an old cardboard box from Walmart). I am sure I missed or did not recommend some very nice, friendly places. The reason I am writing this page is that so if I ever return I will have a better idea of where to stay and what to do. I hope that this information will be helpful to other people visiting Morro and Tinhare Island.

Tips and information for the visitor

Here are just a few things to consider when preparing for a trip to Morro de Sao Paulo and Tinhare Island ...

Electricity is 110 volts in Salvador but and 220 volts in Morro de Sao Paulo
You will be walking a lot. Take comfortable shoes. Many people wear sandals or flip-flops.
Take only the essential clothes: shorts, t-shirts, etc... Dress in Morro is very informal and consists of a bathing suit and a shirt. It is so informal that I told a friend that women should take a casual bikini, a regular bikini and a formal bikini (a joke). Oh yes, it is a custom to wear all white for the New Year’s celebration. Leave heavy clothes at home.
You should not need more than a single, small or medium-size suitcase for your trip. Many visitors arrive with a small backpack. Also, most hotels and pousadas will do washing and laundry for R$1 each piece per clothes item.
It will be warm (in the summer) and it may rain. You will want to take sun-screen lotion. A hat is not a bad idea, specially if your hair is thin (like mine!)
If you use medications, take a supply with you. There are at least two pharmacies / drugstores in Morro. Most prescriptions (even antibiotics) are available over the counter without any problem. If you have any concerns about health, mobility or disability issues, remember that Morro is uneven (with hills and steep paths) and somewhat primitive. The local medical station (posto medico, near the main church) didn't look like it was equipped for heart transplants or even minor surgery.
In the summer I recommend a room with AC (air-conditioning). Morro is hot (around 40C/100F) in the summer and very humid. If you are in a room with a breeze and a ceiling fan you will probably be OK. In the winter I am guessing (?) that a light jacket might be useful.
If you visit the Morro in the high season (Usually this means the week around the New Years holiday and Carnaval, but also the week after the New Year is called the "resaca" or 'hangover' week and prices are still higher than usual) you will need reservations. The hotels will be full and prices are 2-3 times what they normally are in the low season.
The Internet is easily available in Salvador and Morro de Sao Paulo.
If you hire a service -- a boat, a taxi or even the wheelbarrow taxi -- be sure to agree upon the price first.
I recommend that you have a Skype account (with credits) to make Internet-based phone calls home. It is much, much cheaper than using the many telephone services (postos telefonicos) on the island for international or even domestic calls. The rates are about one Real per minute, compared to a few cents for Skype.
There are no banks in Tinhare Island. You will need to take extra cash for your personal expenses. There are two (?) ATM machines but they often do not work or are out of money. Credit cards are accepted in many stores and restaurants, of course.
If you go out on your own, let your friends or family know who you will be with and where you are going. This is just good, general advice and has nothing to do with Morro de Sao Paulo. This is everywhere!
I will write a few words about safety and crime issues below, as I always do, although for the most part, these are NOT problems in Morro. I will also say a few words about food safety and health.
Always make copies of your passport and airplane tickets. Also have the 1-800 numbers for lost credit/debit cards. Take a set with you and leave one with family and/or friends.

Safety and Health Information

Crime. As far as I am concerned it is NOT a problem in Morro. There is a small police station [60] on the Caminho da Praia [D] near the first beach, but I didn't see many police in the streets -- probably because they are not needed. I asked about crime, of course, and was told that there had been a armed robbery the previous year on the far south end of the third beach, at night. This is outside the 'urban' area and was probably an isolated case. One lady mentioned that there had also been some trouble between locals and a group of Norwegian visitors (another version says it was Australians). This involved some kids that had come for a few months and got involved with local riff-raff in some unspecified way but I did hear the words "mulheres," "maconha" and "drogas."

The one experience I had that I would like to mention is that when walking the remote paths west of the Fonte Grande near a place called "Burraco do Cachorro" (Dog's hole) [182] a woman told me that it was better that I not continue alone. I asked about the name of the area and was told that it was because that is where they buried dead animals. I marked the place on the map and took a picture. The lady also said that if I needed a hard worker she would move to the US and work hard.

Health and food. As I mentioned, there is a medical clinic [05] (posto medico) in Morro but it is only intended for minor problems. The best medical assistance in Morro is the airplane trip to Salvador [144].

Food and drink may be a problem. Five of eight people in our group got sick, some more and some less, over a two and a half week period -- and it was mostly eating problems. What some of them got was is a local version of Montezuma's revenge that is known as Caramuru's revenge (My bad joke: Caramuru was a Brazilian Indian chief and is also a brand of fireworks). It seems that sanitary conditions, in many places, leave a lot to be desired. The owner of the pousada asked us what he had eaten and we said he had a pastel from a stand on the second beach. She shook her head and said: O pastel da praia 2 e' mortal. You don't need to understand Portuguese to get the idea. At least three of the group got it bad for a day. One was in tears from the pain; another just laid down and didn't move for hours. We had to kick him once in a while to see if he groaned and was still alive. In Garapua, one of the group mentioned this problem to another visitor (Felipe) with long-time experience on Tinhare, and he simply said "Welcome to Bahia." The worst experience was one of the group vomiting on another guest walking by at a restaurant near a big house on the main square [10]. Very embarrassing, and not a good way to make friends. Later, to add insult to injury, some of the kids insisted on posing for a picture outside pretending to throw up (see image) to commemorate the event. It really was something the boy had eaten earlier the day, not the food at that restaurant.

What I am trying to say is -- be careful. The food and water may not be up to American or European standards or even to those in Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. Drink bottled water. Maybe even drink agua gasosa (or 'com gas') - that way you know it is not a local refill out of the local faucet (that was advice given to me 40 years ago in a remote area of southern Brazil). One of the hotels I visited had a sign saying that guests should be aware that Morro had infrastructure problems including water supply, sanitation and even with electricity shortages.

The one exception was the batidas de frutas and caipirinhas (made with cachaça or vodka usually). No one got sick from the different fruit-based batidas, pina coladas, etc... I guess the alcohol kills all the germs. Beer and wine are also safe options, I guess.

Insects. I did see a few mosquito nets in some pousadas, but I am happy to report that I didn't notice any bugs at all. None. zero. This is nice, I have been to places where the pernilongos (mosquitos), moscas (flies), pulgas (fleas), and other insects would drive you bananas in 1 day, or 1 hour. I have experienced all of these but the worse things were the burrachudos (small gnat-like flying insects with teeth like a crocodile) on the coast of Ilha Bela island in Sao Paulo state. I would rather be in a room with a hungry lion than a dozen borrachudos. I digress. Anyway, insects don't appear to be a problem in MSP, at least during the summer months, so you probably don't need insect repellants.

Shopping in Morro

This is simple: don't. There is nothing in Morro to buy that can't be bought for less in Salvador. Buy food, pay your hotel, spend money on a tour or boat ride, but don't buy clothes, souvenirs, lembranças, art or just about anything in Morro. You don't go to Morro for shopping. As far as I'm concerned just bring back pictures and good memories.

Prices, Money, Credit Cards and ATM

If you don't speak Portuguese at least learn these words: de acordo com a cara do sujeito (or sometimes, de acordo com a cara do fregues). This is the key to the price system in Morro. It means "depends on what you look like." In other words, prices for anything can vary according to the place, time of day and specially what you look like. If you a dark and look Brazilian a batida may cost R$5; if you are white, old and obviously not a local, it may cost R$7 or R$8. The wheelbarrow taxi service from the Portalo to the second beach may cost R$10 for three or R$10 for one suitcase. It all depends. The worse rip-offs on the islands are the taxis at the Terminal Receptivo. I was waiting for the tractor to come but because it had no timetable I asked a few drivers "How much?" to get to Garapua. Well, this is what I was told in 30 minutes: R$ 60 all, R$40 each for 4 people, and R$100. I took a boat. Here is another useful phrase: vai para o inferno, cara!

As far as I know Morro has two ATM machines. I did not say 'working' ATM machines. They had no money, probably because of the crowds in town for the holiday. One is a Banco do Brasil ATM at the Supermercado Estevão on the Caminho da Praia [D] and one is a Bradesco Bank at the end of the 2nd Beach in a shopping area.

Most businesses (except beach stands) accept credit cards. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT GIVE YOUR BANK CARD TO ANYBODY. Have the waiter or clerk bring the portable electronic machine to you and you swipe your card. Do not let them touch it! I know this is hard to believe but if a person takes your card back to the counter or cashier they can make a copy, run a second ticket or write down your credit card numbers, expiration date and confirmation code. I know this is shocking but it does happen!

Restaurants and where to eat

This is a hard one. I am not going to recommend any restaurants. We tried about a dozen different ones (on the 2nd beach and Caminho da Praia, mostly) and they were "OK" but nothing special. You don't go to Morro for the international gourmet dining experience. Be careful with the seafood dishes (non-fish, I mean) and some of the so-called typical baiano foods, including but not limited to acarage, vatapa, mocoto, sarapatel, caldo de sururu, etc. Chicken is usually the safest bet. In many ways, as far as I am concerned, the best restaurant in Morro is the Supermercado Estevao.

One thing I like, however, are the continental breakfasts in the hotels and pousadas. Usually these have a very nice selection of breads, fruits, juices, cheeses and other healthy foods, along with the traditional coffee. It was, in my opinion, the best meal of the day.

Wildlife

No, I am not talking about nightclubs, boates or parties. I mean animals and fish and little creatures. I like to take walks and a forest or a reef is always an adventure for me. There were lots of crabs everywhere and small fish. Out on the reef there were small, beautiful (15-20cm) yellow and black fish but I couldn't get any good pictures of them. There was also a bigger sand-colored fish that didn't move at all (see picture) even when I put the camera two feet from him. He wasn't afraid. I didn't mess with him because he had barbs or thorns on his back. I figured that if he wasn't afraid of me, I ought to leave him alone. A also saw an eel, or was it a black water snake? Probably an eel.

Birds on Tinhare Island in Bahia, click for image

Na ilha de Tinhare na Bahia, click for image

On the north coast on the way to Gamboa I saw hundreds of small purple jellyfish (aguaviva) washed up on the shore. Don't mess with them either; they have a bad reputation.

The best place, however, to see wildlife is in the mangroves (mangues). There are all kinds of birds from small ones to big cranes. There was a really beautiful red and black bird in the bushes but, again, I couldn't get close. They are also monkeys around Garapua but they don't come close. You can see them move and they are very loud. The chatter is intense. I was also told that the island has capivara, but didn't see any. There also was this big 2 meter nurse shark in Garapua, right where we had been swimming the day before in the reefs near the floating bar. I have a picture of it here somewhere.

Holidays, Crowds and the High Season

Music and party in the streets.
This is a video of a common event during the celebrations: a group of young people go around to different places and start sing and dancing to the music of a band. They play for 5 minutes in one place and then everybody moves down a block and it starts all over.

New Years party, festa nas ruas de Morro de Sao Paulo

New Years celebration in Morro.
There are two seasons in Morro: high and low. The high season is when the vila fills up with thousands of visitors. This means both the New Year holidays and the Carnaval (Mardi Gras) week (usually February). Everything is full and the hotels are much more expensive. I asked around about how many people had come to town that weekend and got two estimates: 20-25,000 and 10-15,000 people for the New Year week. The streets were crowded but I think that maybe 15,000 is about right. I asked the official municipal staff at the port (they charge a fee for every tourist and should know) but they wouldn't tell me (state secret?). I understand that things are rather slow in the low season, especially the winter months from May to August. You can get some good deals on pousadas. Of course, this is summer in the northern hemisphere so Morro gets a lot of young people from the US and Europe at this time of year.

Pictures and a video of the fireworks.
From my experience, I estimate that over 90% of the visitors in Morro were Brazilians during the high season (December, January, until the end of Carnaval - usually February but sometimes March). I was told that during the mid-year season at least 33% are foreigners, mainly European youth seeking a place in the sun to relax and go crazy. Anyway, they had a nice New Years celebration on the 1st and 2nd beach.

20 things to do in Morro

1. Hangout on the beaches. This is the main activity in Morro.
2. Take a walk along the third or fourth beach in the early morning, as the sun comes up. Beautiful.

Forte de Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia, click for image

Fortaleza Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia, click for image

3. Go to the old fort [01] at the northern tip of the island, near the port. This a nice walk along the shore to the historic fortress. Don't forget to check out the small beach in front of the fort and the natural pools (depending on the tides, of course). I have a great 180 degree picture of the fort (image on the left) made up of 6 photos put together.

lighthouse or farol at Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia, click for image

4. Walk up the path to the lighthouse [07]. The path starts at the Praça Amendoeira [04] in front of the church. The climb is fairly easy (see picture). Look for the old cemetery on the left -- it is easy to miss. From the lighthouse go another 50 meters to the tiroleza area, where there is a fantastic panoramic view of the island. Take a few photographs.

5. Jump off a cliff. If you have R$25 (about US$15) in your pocket, ride the tiroleza [08] sling down the cable to the end of the first beach (about 20 seconds). I was told the jump is about 60 meters high, or approximately equivalent to the top of a 20 story building. I saw one girl chicken out. Note: Somebody told me that this is called a 'zipline' in English.

6. Go to the terminal (station) [90] and take a tractor to Garapua. The problem is that there is no regular schedule. The trip costs R$10 per person, maybe, depends. This is a picture taken from the trailer looking forward. The land is basically flat south of MSP.

7. Visit the Fonte Grande [27] and Caminho da Biquinha [F] area. This is just off the Main Square (under the arch) [10]. This is sometimes called the Fonte do Imperador because old Dom Pedro II was here 150 years ago. As you can see in the picture there are three roads from the fonte to different areas behind it. pd

8. Take the Caminho da Porto de Cima [S] path from the Fountain (see map) [27] down to the beach near Ponta da Praia [151]. There is a very scenic walkway along the coast. Please take a look at these pictures so you will see what I mean. The man with the fish kindly offered it to me and even said he would build a fire and cook it. That was nice!

Vila de Gamboa em Tinhare, click for image

Povoado de Gamboa perto de Morro de Sao Paulo

9. Follow the coast along the northern side of the island [W]. If you walk along the beach for about a kilometer you will get to the village of Gamboa. Notice: if the tide is in you will have to wade in certain spots, but it is a very nice walk. You will go by the Costa da Argila, Ponta do Cural (a beach) and the Coroa sandbank where people cover themselves with mud or clay (argila). This is supposed to be fun but what do I know. Gamboa is everything that Morro is not - or vice-versa. Morro is lively, full of people and on the ocean. Gamboa is quiet, deserted and on the inland coast side of the island. The beaches there are great for kids and have no reefs or sharp rocks. Notice the 180 degree picture taken of the main street area. There is a regular boat from Gamboa back to Morro that is dirt cheap (R$2).

10. Rent some scuba diving equipment and go out to the reefs. If you are too poor, old or gutless to go diving, then just walk along the reefs on the 3rd beach during low tide. There are small fish and crabs everywhere. If you are lucky you will see an eel or octopus (polvo)

11. Go to the 2nd beach at night, or to the Main Square [10], and check out the fruit in the many vendor stands. Experiment five juices of fruit types that you are unfamiliar with (or for which you don't even know their names). Try the caju, maracuja, pitanga, umbu, cacau, carambola, cupuaçu or graviola. Try the jaca if you are brave. I hate jaca. I was almost killed by one in Rio de Janeiro (It fell off a tree in my backyard and a large jack fruit weights about 15 kilos can be much bigger than a basketball).

12. Go to the 4th beach and rent a horse or take a charrette (carriage) ride along the beach.
13. Get a boat and visit Boipeba island. There is also a tractor (or taxi) that takes you to the southern point of Tinhare and from there you can take a small boat across the Rio do Inferno (Hell River) to Boipeba. This is what Morro looked like 25 years ago, they say. This is a "must do" in my opinion.

14. I like to walk trails and paths to see where they go. I do this a lot. There are lots of paths through the forests in Morro. Take one of the two trails (marked X or Y on the map) up to Mangaba Hill near the towers [91]. On the south side there is another great panorama of the island. Be aware that most of these paths and small roads lead to areas where the locals live, not where the tourists stay. This includes the areas behind the Fonte Grande and Campo da Mangaba. I didn't see any tourist but myself. There should be no problem walking along these paths around the Mangaba area. Everybody I spoke to was very nice and helpful. There was one exception, however, mentioned in the "Safety and Health Information" section.

Capoeira na praca, Morro de Sao Paulo na Bahia

15. Watch a capoeira demonstration on the beach or the main square [10]. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazil dance slash martial art that has become very popular around the world in the last few years. It makes my back hurt just looking at them do the moves. Guess which of the lutadores is a foreigner and member of our group.

16. Go to the Cafe do Morro Internet cafe [61] and check your email, call mom, tell her you love her, and then leave a few words about your impressions in the guest book (see image). The owner, Pedro, knows just about everything in Morro. He also has a nice book exchange where you can find used books to read. If you are Israeli and need a Hebrew keyboard, this is the place to go.

17. Go to the Praça da Amendoeira [04] and enjoy the quiet location. Go to the Passagua Pousada at 4 pm and have a few of their delicious pão de queijo (cheese bread). There is another cafe-type restaurant nearby called Cafe das Artes, just a few meters away, at the beginning of Praça Aureliano Lima that has a great afternoon tea (I think it is in the Solar do Morro pousada).

18. Let me see... island ... water... what do people do on islands? Go fishing! I confess that I really didn't see that many people fishing but I know there are fish somewhere. This was one thing I wanted to do but didn't. In Garapua people go out to the reefs and pick up octopuses, but I am not sure how they do this.
19. Do a passeio ecologico. There are quite a few nice nature preserves on the island and some agencies offer tours. The Fonte do Ceu [156] is a very nice waterfall (cachoeira / cascata) on the way to Gamboa, in a very scenic area. Usually this location is part of a package that includes Gamboa and a mud bath (banho de argila).

20. How about more nature? In many places along the coast, Tinhare has mangroves (mangues), a unique ecosystem. In Garapua, I was able to explore them for about two ours. Lots of crabs, birds of all types and monkeys. While in Garapua an old guy told me that if I wanted to do something different to take the local tractor and boat from there to Valença. It leaves at 5am and takes people to the river where a boat takes them along the Taengo River (the big one in middle of island) to Valença. The voyage takes three hours. People then go their shopping in the city. The boat returns at 1pm. Roberto said this is how people in the Garapua area buy the basic necessities of life. He said that it is a great trip and the boat goes down the river for miles, under dense vegetation, in some places only a few meters wide. He also said that only nativos take this trip, not the damn tourists. I didn't go but it is at the top of my list for the next trip.

Good and bad, other thoughts

Was Morro worth it? Yes, definitely! Absolutely! The best things were the beaches and the easy-going life that is so typical of Bahia (and being on vacation may have helped). The people were nice and helpful, at least when I could find a local (nativo, or 'pessoal da ilha' as they usually call them). I don't know if I would say it is a tropical paradise, but maybe semi-paradise would be a fair description. At least I didn't have to put up with the daily dose of the American political election coverage for two weeks.

And the bad things? Well, other than certain short and temporary stomach related issues, I would say that it is obvious that Morro doesn't have the infrastructure to properly handle 20,000 extra people, even for a few days. It manages to get by, barely. I guess it is the famous Brazilian jeitinho. I am guessing that Morro is nicer when it is not a big holiday. Oh yes, about infrastructure -- I heard one pousada owner complaining that they had to send the bedding and kitchen laundry to Salvador (by air!) to be washed because the only commercial laundry in Morro had gone bankrupt.

Also I would like ask the prefeitura (city government, in Cairu, I guess) and people of Bahia to work harder on sanitation. Pick up the garbage every day, or even twice a day, please. Clean the sidewalks and paths regularly. Fix the holes. Pull or cut the weeds. Why the heck did they put the dump (deposito de lixo) and sewer pump plant near the terminal on the main Eco-Estrada road? It looks ugly. It smells ugly.

One last thing... I love the trees and plants of Bahia. They have the most exuberant and gorgeous trees on the planet. I don't know all their names, but the tree flowers and the ones with the yellow ones are absolutely stunning. The flowers are dazzling and the vegetation is lush and magnificent all over the island. Also, I wish I had a few days just to find out more and experiment with the many different fruits I saw. That would have been very interesting. Maybe next time (there will be one, I hope), I can make this (the fruits) my project, instead of this guide for the visitor I am writing here.

Visit to Garapua

We also sent a few days in Garapua, a small fishing village about 10-12 miles south of Morro. A friend came and picked us up on his boat -- now that is traveling in style. This was much better than the "tractor ride from hell" (according to Clarice) we had taken a few days before (actually I thought the tractor and trailer ride was fun -- kind of like an amusement park ride but longer and cheaper).

Garapua is totally different from MSP. It is small, quiet and deserted. I was told that it has about 500 people. It is in a big half-circle bay protected by reefs and the waters are crystal clear and shallow. The beach is surrounded by coconut groves that circle the bay. It is just wonderful! The beaches are clean and empty. You can walk out 100 meters in many areas and be only waist deep. During low tide the reefs are above water and people walkout maybe 300-400 meters to catch fish, crabs and octopuses.

Floating bar at Garapua on Tinhare Island, click for image

In the summer months a floating bar is moored out on the reefs, about a kilometer out. It is great. For R$2 we took a boat out and enjoyed the reefs and sand. The water was 1.3 meters deep (about 4 feet) and warm. Great. There were lots of fish around, which may explain the shark caught the next day very near to where we were swimming. Just what I need -- a shark chewing on my leg. I asked the folks there and they said nobody remembers any shark atacks in the area. Still, what if the shark had amnesia? There was a skeleton of a whale in front of a house on the beach -- with a sign asking for R$5 for a photo. Yeah, right.

Garapua Beach hut in Bahia on Tinhare Island

Capitao Pipoca Garapua Tinhare Salvador Bahia

Food preparation in Garapua Tinhare Island

Here are a few more pictures of Garapua, including the tractor that makes the trip to Morro at undetermined times. There are about half dozen quiosques (or kiosque) along the beach selling refreshments and meals. These are just like the barracas (beach stands) at Morro but more permanent. One is run by a character known as Capitão Pipoca, or Captain Popcorn (3rd picture). Notice also the picture of the good captain himself and an assistant cleaning shrimp and clams on the grass next to the road, which may explain our some of our indigestion issues during the trip. I may be wrong but I think I saw a dog doing 'it' near that spot earlier in the day. Oh well - Welcome to Bahia, as they say.

Here is the casinha of our friends Graça and François from Scottsdale (long way away, that!). They not only sent the boat to pick us up in Morro but also took us back to Salvador on it, and treated us like kings. There was also a celebrity guest visiting them, a well-known artist named Ferreira. Notice the video comparing his picture in an art book to the real thing standing next to us.

So, where to stay? There aren't many options. There are only three pousadas in Morro with limited space. There is the Pousada Boavista, the Pousada Garapua (see picture of the owner, Roberto, with Clarice) and the Garapua Praia Hotel. I also saw a small modest place at the north end of the village but it didn't look like much. Campers also come a pitch tents along the beach among the coconut groves.

Bumba Meu Boi folklore dance in Garapua, click for image

Bumba Meu Boi, danca folclorica em Garapua

One of the things I most enjoyed in all the trip was a bumba-meu-boi celebration in Garapua -- done by the people of the village. Just regular people, dancing and singing the most traditional folkloric dance of the Northeast of Brazil. Not many tourist or visitors see things like this. I also saw a show done by a professional theatre group in Salvador, but this was much, much better. I would go back just to see the bumba meu boi again. The video and pictures are kind of dark because the dance was done in the streets at night, without any illumination.

I am going to stop here. I have written enough about Morro and Garapua. I need to wrap up this page. Here are some final pictures of a girl showing me her catch and also one of the mangroves that surround Garapua at each end. Many of the pictures of the wildlife I put above (in the '20 things to do' section) were taken in these mangroves near Garapua. You can see part of the village in the background behind the trees.

The empty beaches and quiet life in Garapua may be coming to an end. While we were there a helicopter landed with three business/investor type people. I walked over and they were using words like projeto and proposta. In a few years Garapua's quiet beaches will be lined with hotels and all the things that come with thousands of people. Such is progress.

Final Words...

While doing research for this page I found several good videos on Youtube. Here is a short one-minute movie one taken on the first beach:

Great, isn't it? A real paradise!

Later: I am not kidding about this trash thing in Morro. It is not just me. Here is another movie on Youtube:

It was put there by some environmentally conscious person as a wake-up call. Good for him or her. The people and government of Morro de Sao Paulo had better take better care of their island and its scenic environment.

Of course the tourist usually doesn't see the lixao (garbage dump) in the mato behind the Vila. They mostly see THE NICE THINGS like the first video above.

Page updated: February 2008