Whales Coast

carnaval.com/bahia/whate presents

Alcobaça ||Caravelas || Cumuruxatiba || Prado || Mucuri ||Viçosa

Alcobaça || top || 836 kilometers from Salvador & 966 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro

There is considerable historic heritage in Alcobaça and it is not just the plunder from the first Portuguese expeditions that the French pirates buried there. The São Bernardo Church, the "Cacimba do Conselho"

and the houses at Pedro Muniz and Senador Melgaço streets are all worth a visit. The city is very calm and pleasant with colonial houses built on streets full of trees.

Besides offering sun and wonderful beaches, it is also the gate to Abrolhos National Marine Park. . The park consists of an archipelago of five islands lying 52km offshore. Among the clear waters and coral reefs you can see all kinds of rare fish, sea turtles and birds, and between July and early November the waters are home to whales taking refuge from the Antarctic winter.
The sea, the mangrove and the rivers provide a large variety of seafood, which are the basis of the local cuisine. Thanks to the tropical climate, Alcobaça offers plenty of different fruits, such as cashew, mango, pitanga, star fruit, passion fruit, pineapple, acerola, papaya, cajá and coconut, which are used as ingredients for juices, ice creams and sweets.

Beaches (Praias) near and at Alcobaça:
• Coqueiro - surfing to the North with rough waves, rest mostly deserted, fronted by coconut plantations
• Farol at Alcobaça - swimming, sunning, lighthouse, fronts village
• Alcobaça - swimming, calm waters, turbid waters, fronts village
• Barra at Alcobaça - fishing, swimming, coconut trees, fronts summer homes, near mouth of Itanhém River
• Zeloris - swimming, coconut plantations and mangrove to north, clear beach to south

GETTING THERE: Empresa Expresso Brasileiro has a bus route from Caravelas/Alcobaça/Prado/Itamarajú and vice versa. The Água Branca bus company runs the line to Salvador and Victoria, and the São Geraldo bus company links São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, with a connection in Teixeira de Freitas. A regular bus line of Expresso Brasileiro, connects Itamarajú, Prado, Alcobaça and Caravelas with five schedules per day.
by car
The cities of Prado, Alcobaça and Caravelas are connected by BA 001 in excellent condition. Following highway BR 101 to the city of Teixeira de Freitas, turn onto highway BA 290. The city is connected with the municipalities of Prado, Caravelas through BA 001.

By plane.
The Conchas Airport in Caravelas, 22 kilometers far from Alcobaça, receives charter flights from São Paulo, flown by Linhas Aéreas Pantanal.

Caravelas || top || 87 km Teixeira de Freitas; 150 km Mucuri; 261 km Porto Seguro; 885km Salvador, 993km Rio de Janeiro

On the banks of the Rio Caravelas, in the extreme south of Bahia, lies CARAVELAS , an attractive, unpretentious colonial town which makes an ideal farewell or introduction to the Northeast. Founded in 1503, it became an important trading centre in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Walking tour of Caravelas: Try the streets between the Caravelas River and the Rodoviária, which is located on Praça Teófilo Otoni in the centre of town. One block to your left as you come out of the Rodoviária is Praça Quinze, the liveliest square in this sleepy town. Another block further on and running parallel to the river is Rua Marcílio Diaz, which becomes Rua Sete de Setembro and eventually leads to the beautiful Praça de Santo Antônio

Best time of the year for diving:
January to April.
Best time of year for whales: between July and November.

Abrolhos turismo.com.br
phone numbers: (55 73) 297-1149 and (55 73)297-1332 fax number: (55 73) 297-1109

Diving operators:

Abrolhos Embarcações
phone/fax numbers: (55 73)293-2259; (55 73)293-2195 or (55 73) 297-1172
AbrolhosSub.com.br/
phone numbers: (55 73)208-1395; (55 73)9986-0167 or (55 73)9994-4447
divetech.com.br
phone numbers: (55 73) 297 1666
HorizonteAberto.com.br
phone/fax numbers: ( 55 73) 297 1474
Parcel Paradise Abrolhos
phone number: (55 73)297-1433
fax number: (55 73) 297-1352
Abrolhosdive.com.br
phone/fax number: (55 73)297-1777

Beaches (Praias) near Caravelas:
• Ponta da Baleia - swimming, rough waves, site where whales were once deboned, coconut trees
• Iemanjá - fishing, swimming, turbid waters due to nearby mouth of Caravelas Rives
• Grauça - swimming, fishing village where whales were once deboned
• Barra de Caravelas (or Aracaré) - swimming only during high tides, fishing, man-grove
• Pontal do Sul - swimming, deserted
• Quitongo - at Caravelas River mouth, site of Ibama Fishing & Abrolhos National Park Center
• Barra Nova - swimming, calm wave, warm waters, deserted, coconut trees
• Ponta do Catueiro - swimming, transparent waters, coconut, mangaba & pitanga trees

Reservas : (073) 668-5111 (073) 9993-1393

We left on the speedboat at around 8am. Most of us sat on the front part of the boat. As the boat sped through the waters, the waves got choppier and choppier and the ride got rougher. The boat flew sometimes and upon landing, huge splashes came at us. Soon, we were soaked to the skin, our eyes stinging with salt-water. I had to wrap my camera inside my waterproof jacket to protect it.

We slowed down. Someone spotted a

whale or two. Yeah, right over there. They surfaced a little and then, the tail flipped up and went silently down. Wow... I tried to imagine the entire size of the mammal. It must be huge. And to be so gentle and elegant... I was awed. ....

Trish's Trip from Ilheus to Caravelas
from her 2002 travel tales fo rbootsnall.com

Caravelas at virtual tourist

GETTING THERE:
by bus
go first to Teixeira de Freitas , further inland. Águia Branca run five buses a day on the four-hour journey between Porto Seguro and Teixeira de Freitas. From Teixeira de Freitas, Expresso Brasileiro run five buses a day to Caravelas, an agreeable two-hour meander through lush tropical fields. From the south, you can get there from Minas Gerais or Espírito Santo or, if you want to miss out those two states altogether, São Geraldo run a daily executivo service from Rio which leaves in mid-afternoon and takes fifteen hours ($50).
Rodoviária is located on Praça Teófilo Otoni in the centre of town
by car
The access for asphalted highways is made through BR-101 until the height of Teixeira de Freitas, proceeding for the NANNY-290 in direction Alcobaça (57 km), and of the access trevo Alcobaça proceeding for the BA-001 even Caravelas (30 km).
By air,
daily flights for Porto Seguro; Monday flights Friday for the Abaeté airlines in the space Teixeira de Freitas (BA) - Salvador (BA) and for the Swampland airlines in the space São Paulo (SP) - Mucuri (BA).

Cumuruxatiba || top ||

Beaches (Praias) near and at Cumuruxatiba:
• Corumbau - swimming, snorkeling offshore at coral reefs, lighthouse, fishing vil-lage, mangrove
• Tauá - swimming
• Barra do Caí - fishing, big waves, bay with rough waves
• Calambrião (or Arnaldo) - swimming, fronts ranch
• Imbassuaba - swimming, bay with small waves
• Moreira - swimming, fronts ranch
• Rio de Peixe Pequeno - swimming, small waves, near small stream with clear waters
• Grande - swimming, small waves, near small stream with clear waters
• Cumuruxatiba - on a bay, swimming, sailing, fishing, lighthouse, reefs
• Dois Irmãos - on bay with calm waters, swimming, good for wind surfing and ca-noeing
• Areia Preta - on bay, swimming, dark sand with pale yellow rocks

PLACES TO STAY

http://www.cumurumare.com.br
Av. Atlântica, s/n Rio do Peixe, Dist.Cumuruxatiba - Prado/BA
Fone: (073) 573-1104

http://www.pousadaluana.com.br/
Telefax: 00 55 (0xx73) 573.1090
Rua Bela Vista, s/n - CEP: 45983-000 - Cumuruxatiba - Prado - Bahia

Prado || top ||

PARQUE NACIONAL DO MONTE PASCOAL

Created in 1943, Mount Pascoal at 536 meters of altitude was the mountain and first land sighted by squadron commanded for Pedro Álvares Cabral,on the 22nd of April 1500.
The Park is one of Brazil's most important reserves of Atlantic bush with 22,500 hectares. There's great diversity in the ecosystem with more than 10,000 species of plants, and hundreds of species of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Trees of great presence include visgueiros, jatobá and jacarandá.
The climb up to the peak is worth doing with a good view from the top
The access is made by km 796 of BR 101, then go 14km further until you get to the park entrance. The Pataxó indians have taken possession of the area around the park entrance.

Beaches (Praias) near and at Prado:
• Japara Pequena - calm waters, good for snorkeling & fishing, mangrove
• Ostras - cut by various streams, swimming, good for wind surfing
• Tororão - bay with green-colored waters, swimming, small waterfall
• Paixão - swimming, coral reefs, rocks and a small stream
• Viçosa (or Amendoeira) - fishing, with a amendoeira (almond) tree
• Farol - swimming, coral reefs, lighthouse, point of departure for trekking north-ward to Arraial d’Ajuda
• Lagoa Pequena - swimming, fronts new housing development
• Lagoa Grande - swimming, fronts new housing development
• Prado - sunning, big waves that are rough, with high winds, in June & July, light-house
• Barra - sunning, rough waves, coconut trees
• Quati - on bay with calm waters, fishing, coconut trees
• Guaratiba - on bay, swimming, fishing, mostly deserted, but with some rustic fishermen’s houses

PLACES TO STAY
http://www.cahy.com.br
Conjunto das Mansões - Lagoa Pequena
Tels: (073) 298-1811 / 298-1814

http://www.casademaria.com.br
Fone: (0xx73) 298-1425

Viçosa || top ||

Beaches (Praias) near and at Viçosa:
• Barra Velha on Cassumba Island - deserted, nude swimming & sunning

• Barra fronting Cassumba Island - swimming, turbid waters due to nearby mouth of Peruípe River.
• Pontal at Nova Viçosa - swimming, pools at low tide, calm waves, coconut, pitan-gueira and cajueiro trees, fronts village
• Lugar Comum at Nova Viçosa - swimming, calm waves, warm waters, coconut trees, luaus at night in summertime, fronts village
• Recifes off Nova Viçosa - sand banks good for snorkeling
• Reefs and Ilha da Coroa Vermelha off Nova Viçosa - deserted island 2 hours off-shore by boat, many coral reefs, good for snorkeling
• Pau Fincado - swimming, calm waves
• Sabacuí - on extensive bay, swimming, calm waves, sea shells, fishing
• Costa do Atlântico - fishing, fishermen’s village

Mucuri || top ||

Mucuri Festivals by portonet.com.br >> to english by google
CARNAVAL: Murcuri lays claim to the Whales Coast largest annual Carnaval with many days of trio-electrico and bands and local inns & hotels sold out well in advance.
10OCT- São Jose (Saint Joseph) is the patron saint of the town so this is a big holiday with folkloric groups, shows, electric trios, fair of the crafts fair plus plenty of food & drink. Also observed in mid-March

Click to enlarge
City Map of Mucuri

Beaches (Praias) near and at Mucuri:
• Jacutinga - swimming, primitive, rustic fishing village
• Mucuri - dangerous waves, high winds in July, stretch fronting village with modest houses, rustic bars, while to south is the mouth of Mucuri River, some farms and a Tamar sea turtle base
• Costa Dourada - fishing, to the north are coconut trees and the mouth of the Os-tras Rivers, while to the south are sea cliffs, coral reefs

http://www.hoteltimoneiro.com.br/ tel: 73-203-1150
find a nice slide of beaches