Tinharé and Morro de São PauloTinharé and Morro de São Paulo in Brazil

Morro de São Paulo

Morro Town itself is dominated by a lighthouse and the ruins of an early 17th-century colonial fort, built as a defence against European raiders. However, this did not stop the Dutch and French using the waters around the island as hiding places for attacks on the Portuguese and even establishing bases here for brief periods of time.

Morro de São Paulo

Situated at the northern tip of the island, boats to Morro from Salvador enter through the stone arch that once marked the gateway to the fortress. The battlements are now largely in ruin, perched on top of the craggy hill in front of a series of little streets that branch off a small colonial
praça
. The main thoroughfare runs south to the town's beaches. Another path runs north to the lighthouse and a ruined lookout post complete with cannon (dolphins can be seen in August) and inland to the village of
Gamboa
. From Gamboa it's possible to visit the
Fonte de Ceu
waterfall; make sure you check the tide times, or ask around for a guide. It's possible to take a boat from Gamboa back to Morro (US$10-15).

The five beaches are all idyllic but are quieter the further from town you go. There is swimming in the sea or in the saltwater coral pools that appear at low tide. The beaches are named prosaically:
Primeira
(first),
Segunda
(second),
Terceira
(third),
Quarta
(fourth) and
Quinta
(fifth). There are boardwalks and a heavy build-up of shacks, beach bars, restaurants and hotels all the way to Terceira. Primeira is barely a beach at all and has the bulk of the hotels. Segunda is a party beach and is very popular with 20-somethings. Quinta is the furthest from town and is the quietest with little noise but the gentle lap of the sea. Before deciding to walk all the way to Quinta (1½ to two hours) check the tide times as the beach gets cut off at high tide. On 7 September there is a big festival at Morro with live music on the beach.

Getting there

There are direct 20-minute flights from Salvador's airport to the third beach at Morro de São Paulo with
Addey Taxi Aereo
 www.addey.com.br
, and
Aerostar Taxi Aereo
. Both fly three times daily and cost around US$90 return. Catamarans run from both of Salvador's ferry terminals , taking around two hours US$27. Times vary according to the weather but there are usually several a day 0800-1400; check with the tourist office or
Catamarã Gamboa do Morro
. Part of the trip is on the open sea, which can be rough. There are also numerous water taxis. Modified fishing and speed boats also run from Salvador via Valença (which is connected to southern Bahia) and Itaparica. The website www.morrodesaopaulo.com.br is a useful website with the latest boat times and general information in English, Spanish and Italian. There is a port tax of US$4 payable at the
prefeitura
on arrival to Morro and US$0.80 on leaving the island. It is resented by many.

Getting around

Morro is tiny and the first four beaches are easily negotiable on foot. A walk from town to Quarta Praia takes around 40 minutes. Until 2008 all roads were sand or dirt tracks but there is now a partially paved section between the town and the beaches, and this is plied by regular VW buses, motorbikes and beach buggies. These leave from the
Receptivo
, a little café that marks the beginning of the road just behind the second and third beaches; it's not hard to find but if in doubt ask for '
Receptivo
' or '
a estrada
'. There are daily transfers to Boipeba by Toyota at 0930, bookable through hotels or the myriad agencies on the island.

Boat trips around Tinharé island can be organized through hotels or agencies in the village; a full day costs US$20-30. Most of these go in a clockwise direction around Tinharé, visiting Boipeba and the villages to the south (including Moreré), the offshore reef pools for snorkelling, followed by the tiny colonial town of Cairu on the mainland and the shores of the Mangrove-line Rio Cairu, before returning.

Best time to visit

Morro is expensive between December and March and gets very crowded during public holidays and prices can more than double. Beware of drug dealers and robbery at the busiest times.

Tourist Information

There is a tourist booth,
Centro de Informações ao Turista
(
CIT
)
 www.morrosp.com.br
. However, the website www.morrodesaopaulo.com.br is more useful and provides lists of agencies, hotels and other information in several languages.

This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF
GO
Products in this Region

  No related products
PDF Downloads

  No PDFs currently available
Digital Products

Available NOW!
Read more...