Trancoso Bonito

In the tropical and tempestuous state of Bahia, Brazil, lies the gorgeous beach town of Trancoso. A place so splendidly swell, it should, by rights, be deemed illegal on the grounds of “altogether too pleasurable.” Like most pleasures, you must earn your visit to Trancoso; as reaching this wondrous destination is a bit tricky. You must hop a flight from the mega-cities of Sao Paulo (or Rio or Belo) to reach the port town of Porto Seguro, where ferries and cars are then required to traverse the rivers and sandy roads to reach the tranquil town itself.

Founded in 1586, by a very early Portuguese colonial settlement, Trancoso is based around a lovely quadrado, a large grassy square. This central square overlooks a gorgeous stretch of sublime sand, the rolling Atlantic, and a supremely cute wee whitewashed church. Both the church and quadrado are now UNESCO protected.

Beyond the cute town, and its accompanying brightly colored houses, charming bars and restaurants, the main reason to come here is for the beaches. These shimmering expanses of sand are called Praia do Nativos (the local beach), Praia dos Coqueiros (Palmtree Beach) and Praia do Espelho (Mirror Beach)–and there’s more where that came from. Each one is more stunning than the next and they all come equipped with beach bars at which to enjoy a Caipirinha or a coconut water.

There’s plenty of great places to stay in Trancoso. We recommend the rustic, yet effortlessly chic Uxua, or the understated, simple and elegant Etnia which also has some great beachfront villas at its Clube de Mar. One could easily spend a week or two here, relaxing after all the sights and sounds of Salvador de Bahia, the Iguazu Falls, the Amazon, and or the Pantanal, or you could skip the sights and sounds and come straight to paradise (we wouldn’t blame you).

Anton is drinking lemon tea and pretending it is a Caipirinha. Give him a call to chat more about the wondrous beaches and mega relaxation that is Tancoso.