Porto Seguro

Porto Seguro is a small town in the south of Bahia. The municipality’s beaches have a length of about 85 kilometres (53 miles) and are covered with fine, white sand.

A large part of Porto Seguro is protected cultural heritage. Although it is a small city, it has a good infrastructure that is able to serve mass tourism. Nevertheless, Porto Seguro has managed to maintain its ancient charm as it is prohibited to construct buildings higher than 3 floors.

History
In the year 1500, when the Portuguese fleet under the comment of Cabral discovered Brazil, they set foot on the place that today is known as Porto Seguro. Probably, the first Portuguese settled in the area during an expedition of Duarte Coelho in 1503. Three decades later, in 1534, the city of Porto Seguro was officially founded.

Porto Seguro used to be surrounded by a kind of rainforest called mata atlântica . The economy of Porto Seguro was based on the exploration of Pão-brasil or brazilwood.

Today’s Porto Seguro has a large historic centre (centro histórico ) with many colonial buildings that remind of this history.

Beaches
The municipality’s beaches have a length of about 85 kilometres (53 miles) and are covered with fine, white sand.

• Taperapuã is the busiest beach of Porto Seguro. Near this beach are many hotels and restaurants.
• Mundaí is a beach located north of Porto Seguro. It is a quiet beach that is visited by many families with children.
• Cruzeiro is a beach near the centre of the city. It has a length of about 1 kilometre (0,6 miles).
• Curuípe is located at a distance of 3 km (1,9 miles) of the city centre.
• Itacimirim
• Ponta Grande is a beach that often has large waves. It is located at some distance from the city centre.
• Mutá is the most northern beach of Porto Seguro.

City
Two important districts are the lower city and the upper city. The upper city is covered by the historic centre with many colonial buildings.

The lower city is constructed along beaches and the banks of the river Buranhém. The Passarela do Álcool (Alcohol Strip) is a street with many bars, restaurants and shops. It is the location of the city’s nightlife. At night, there is a market for souvenirs and handicrafts. During Carnival and São João, this is the place were it all happens.

Monuments
Marco do Descobrimento
A Marco do Descobrimento is a stone block that Portuguese discoverers used to place on a shore they discovered to mark its ownership. One of these marks was placed in Porto Seguro. It is not clear in what year it was erected, but it is sure that it was not placed during the expedition of Cabral. It is probably a few years younger.

Igreja da Misericôrdia
This 18th century church was built on the spot of a 16th century chapel. Its style is baroque and rococo.

Capela do Colégio do Salvador
This chapel dates from the 17th century. It used to be part of a larger building that served as a college of the Jesuits. This building was demolished in 1917. The building has the typical, simple style of the first colonial period.

Fortim
In 1526, this fortress was built for the first time. It was rebuilt twice and the current ruin is the third, 17th century fortress. In the beginning, it protected the inhabitants of Porto Seguro against Amerindians, later it protected the city against other European powers. The fortress is strategically located at the entrance of the Buranhém river.

Casa de Câmara e Cadeia
This building used to serve as town hall and prison. The building was finished in 1772.

Get in
Fly
Porto Seguro has an international airport with regular flights from Lisbon. There are many charters flying to Porto Seguro from European and American cities.

Domestic flights arrive from Salvador, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná and Rio de Janeiro.

Bus
Busses that connect several cities are called ônibus intermunicipal. These are large touring cars. If you are travelling from a city that has no direct connection to Porto Seguro, you should travel to Eunápolis. In Eunápolis, you take another bus to Porto Seguro.

Car
Take the BR 101 to Eunápolis. In Eunápolis you take the BR 367 to Porto Seguro.