Brazil is known the world over for the beaches of Rio and
the excitement of Carnival, but when Brazilians travel they head for the golden sands and
emerald seas of Trancoso, Bahia, Brazil. Easily accessible by air and approximately 800
kilometers south of Salvador, the beauty of Trancoso’s beaches is known throughout
Brazil.
One of the earliest settlements founded by the Portuguese in Brazil (1586), Trancoso is a
village of incredible natural beauty. Its ideal year round climate coupled with the
intimacy and privacy of a small village offer the perfect escape for those seeking
privacy, exotic location and the best beaches in Brazil. Below the cliffs of the village
you will find many kilometers of unspoiled white sand beaches bordered to the north and
south by rivers flowing into the sea. Here you will find large sand dunes and small
natural pools for swimming and relaxing by the sea.
Trancoso’s shopping Quadrado overlooking the ocean has many historical sites plus
many small stores with local arts and crafts and superb dining. At night this area is
transformed into one of the most magical locations in Brazil. The entire Quadrado is lit
by torch and candlelight and natives and vacationers alike can be found strolling under
the moon and stars, frequenting the many stores with offerings from local crafts to the
latest Sao Paulo fashion designs and dining in the many excellent restaurants of the area.
Later in the night the sounds of music and dance can be heard as young and old alike join
in the traditional festivities of the area.
Yes…the area has become a bit more upscale. The New York Times sent a writer to
investigate what Europeans and Americans were talking about. What she wrote…
“Gisele Bundchen and Leonardo DiCaprio are regulars there. When Naomi Campbell
visits, she stays in a palatial beach house owned by Donata Meirelles, the buyer for
Daslu, the São Paulo boutique that sells more Chanel than any place in the world (except
at Chanel itself). The Brazilian interior design star Sig Bergamin has a house there, as
do Swiss bankers with low profiles but high balance sheets. Waiting in an eternal passport
control line at Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo, I ran into Kai, one-fourth
of the downtown New York design collective As Four, and the stylist Victoria Bartlett.
Guess where they were headed? So what if reaching its white shores takes three flights, a
short ferry and a bumpy hour in the back of a taxi? Trancoso, in the state of Bahia, just
might be the chicest beach town you've never heard of. “
