PORTO SEGURO / BAHIA

	By car, bus, ship or plane, all roads lead to Porto Seguro, the starting point for those who want to experience "live and in full color" the birthplace of Brazil, or for those who simply want to relax, forget the day-to-day routine, sit back and think about nothing except the beautiful seascapes, blue skies and the sun that shines throughout the year.

The City

In 1500, Pedro Alvares Cabral landed 730 kilometers south of Salvador at this "safe harbor," thereby making this the first place in Brazil ever to be visited by a European. A marble stela erected in 1504 in commemoration of this event still stands in the upper city.

Porto Seguro is divided into a historic upper city and a business- and tourismoriented lower city. The Cidade Alta contains the oldest preserved church in Brazil, the Igreja da Misericordia, built in 1526 and later remodeled in Baroque style. Still older, but now only a ruin, is the Igreja da Gloria. Nossa Senhora da Penha, which dates from 1535, is significant from an art-historical standpoint, as it contains the oldest sacred image in Brazil, a painting of St. Francis of Assisi that was brought to Brazil by a Portugese expedition in 1503.

During the vacation months, both Porto Seguro and its neighbors to the south, Arraial d'Ajuda and Trancoso, become holiday centers for legions of young southern Brazilians. En route to the latter two cities, visitors take a ferry across the Rio Buranhdm.

History

By car, bus, ship or plane, all roads lead to Porto Seguro, the starting point for those who want to experience "live and in full color" the birthplace of Brazil, or for those who simply want to relax, forget the day-to-day routine, sit back and think about nothing except the beautiful seascapes, blue skies and the sun that shines throughout the year.

From the sand bars of the Caí River in the municipality of Prado, through Monte Pascoal National Park where Europeans first set foot on Brazilian soil nearly 500 years ago, Caraíva, Trancoso, Arraial d'Ajuda, Porto Seguro and Coroa Vermelha, to the mouth of the João de Tiba River in Santa Cruz Cabrália, the Discovery Coast hides surprises that enchant all who visit, renewing in them the desire to explore the wonders that Brazil has to offer. In addition to the region's natural beauty, the cities of Porto Seguro - the main city on the Discovery Coast - and Santa Cruz Cabrália offer top-notch tourism-related services, restaurants and hotels of international renown, more than 15,000 beds, a wide range of banks and even an international airport.

Restaurants

- Mama's Juice - Av. Getúlio Vargas 125

- O Colonial Restaurante e Creperia - Praça Dr. Manuel Ribeiro Coelho, 7-B - Porto Seguro

- Restaurante Carne, Peixe & Cia - Estrada do Mucugê, 145

- Restaurante Expresso Oriente - Av. dos Navegantes 670 - Centro

- Restaurante Paulo Pescador - Praça São Bras

- Restaurante Preto Velho - Pça da Bandeira , 20

Night Life

Na Passarela do Alcool é onde tudo começa, ou via etílica para os mais descolados, fica no centro da cidade, é Point em Porto Seguro. Para você que nunca veio à Bahia, previna-se porque beber um "capeta" numa das barracas da avenida Potugal é obrigação. Esta bebida de gosto duvidoso e efeito certeiro é o que há. Além de coquetéis com nomes afrodiziacos. De segunda a segunda há um rodízio entre as barracas da orla que comandam a noite em Porto Seguro. São noites especiais de lual com bandas e muita salsa, tequila e gente bonita. Toda noite tem festa ou algum rock diferente.