© Lonely Planet Publications 220 Espírito Santo One of the best reasons to come to Espírito Santo is that so few other tourists will be join- ing you. Often completely ignored by foreigners due to its lack of high-profile attractions, the state nonetheless has several hidden treasures. It’s an enjoyable place to mingle with Brazilians without the hype and higher prices of neighboring Rio and Bahia states. In the north of the state is the idyllic little hideaway of Itaúnas, a tiny beach town literally buried in the sand dunes. Its attractions include the tranquil beauty of its natural setting and the frenzied nightlife that unfolds every summer when it converts itself overnight into the forró capital of Brazil. South along the coast, the beaches are more developed for family-style tourism, making them very popular with visitors from the neighboring state of Minas Gerais. Here you’ll find low-key beach resorts interspersed with fishing villages, plenty of good restaurants and the happy summertime buzz of Brazilian social life. Inland, Espírito Santo’s mountains form an exquisite patchwork of jungled greenery and domed rocky outcroppings, the most dramatic of which is Pedra Azul, a bare mountain crag preserved in a state park less than 100km west of Vitória. Even without all these scenic attractions, it would be worth visiting Espírito Santo just to ESPÍRITO SANTO eat. Seafood here is fresh and abundant, and local specialties such as moqueca and torta capixaba are famous throughout Brazil. HIGHLIGHTS See the sun rise over the dunes after danc- Parque ing all night to forró (popular music of the Estadual Northeast) in Itaúnas ( p226 ) de Itaúnas Enjoy moqueca capixaba ( p228 ), Espírito Itaúnas Santo’s tantalizingly tasty seafood stew, up and down the coast from Vitória to Ubu Hold on to that rope as you scale the steep granite face of Pedra Azul ( p230 ) Watch a baby turtle make its way to the sea Domingos in Parque Estadual de Itaúnas ( p225 ). Martins Vitória Eat strudel and sip hot chocolate by the Pedra Azul fire in the German-style mountain town of Ubu Domingos Martins ( p230 ) POPULATION: 15 MILLION AREA : 43,910 SQ KM lonelyplanet.com ESPÍRITO SANTO •• Vitória 221 0 50 km History ESPÍRITO SANTO 0 30 miles Colonized in the 16th century, Espírito Santo 42ºW 41ºW 40ºW became an armed region to prevent gold from Teófilo Riacho 18ºS Otoni Doce 18ºS being smuggled out of Minas Gerais state. Bahia Reserva Parque BR Biológica Coffee plantations, the prime source of in- 116 Rio Estadual Co do Córrego de Itaúnas do Veado come up until the 1960s, have since been taxé BR Itaúnas 101 superseded by mining and shipping. The Espírito Santo Conceição capital city, Vitória, serves as headquarters da Barra Governador São Mateus Valadares to Garoto, Brazil’s famous (and delicious) Reserva Biológica 19ºS de Sooretama 19ºS chocolate, as well as several chemical and Rio agribusiness concerns. Doce Linhares Climate Minas Gerais Colatina Ὀ Not quite as searingly hot as equatorial Bahia, Reserva Biológica Reserva Espírito Santo can nonetheless get quite un- Nova Lombardia Biológica Fundão de Combolos Santa Teresa comfortable in the summer months, especially 20ºS Santa Cruz 20ºS along the damp, low-lying seaboard. In the Nova Almeida Venda Nova BR 262 do Imigrante Domingos mountainous interior, daytime temperatures Martins VITÓRIA are pleasantly warm year-round, but can drop Parque Vila Velha ὈNacional ES Parque do Caparaó Parque 060 surprisingly close to 0°C (32°F) on winter Estadual da Estadual Paulo Pedra Azul Guarapari César Vinha nights. Rains are common, especially in the Ubu Iriri Anchieta Cachoeiro de BR 101 Piúma north, but rarely last long. 21ºS Itapemirim 21ºS Bom Jesus Itapemirim ESPÍRITO SANTO do Itabapoana Marataízes State Parks Itaperuna Rio de Espírito Santo has several lovely state parks. BR 356 ὅὅJaneiro Ὀ A T L A N T I C Up near the border with Bahia, the vast dune- Campos dos O C E A N and lagoonscape of Parque Estadual de Itaú- Goitacazesὅὅὅ nas includes many kilometers of undeveloped 42ºW 41ºW 40ºW beaches where sea turtles come ashore to lay ὅ their eggs. In the western mountains near aesthetically unappealing (despite having a Minas Gerais, the dramatic soaring granite lush backdrop of mountains rushing down outcrop of Pedra Azul forms the centerpiece to meet sandy beaches that’s vaguely remi- of Parque Estadual da Pedra Azul. South of niscent of Rio). Export coffee and timber Vitória, the coastal lagoons and restinga (zone pass through Vitória’s harbor, and the port of low trees and shrubs that thrive in sandy, at nearby Tubarão is the outlet for mil- nutrient-poor soil) of Parque Estadual Paulo lions of tons of iron ore. But that doesn’t César Vinha demonstrate the potential for mean Vitória is devoid of all charm. Local habitat preservation even at the edge of a residents, known as Capixabas, are warm major urban area. and friendly, and the city has a flourishing economy, which translates into many bars, Getting There & Around universities, nightclubs, restaurants and Vitória is the biggest city in Espírito Santo and hotels. as such boasts a domestic and international airport. Air service is offered to all major cit- Orientation ies throughout Brazil and the rest of South The remnants of old Vitória, built on an America. A well-run bus service connects island just off the coast, are connected to Vitória to Rio, São Paulo and other neighbor- the mainland via a series of bridges. The ing cities throughout Minas Gerais, as well as city’s best beaches are Canto and Cam- Bahia to the north. Regular buses also run up burí to the north, and the renowned Praia and down Espírito Santo’s coastline. da Costa to the south in Vila Velha. The teeming, modern bus station (%3222 3366; VITÓRIA Ilha do Principe) is located in the center of the %0xx27 / pop 271,000 old town (don’t let the name fool you – it’s Vitória doesn’t have much to show from its not a separate island). Trains coming from colonial past and is often dismissed as being Belo Horizonte (see p240 ) arrive at Estação 222 ESPÍRITO SANTO •• Vitória lonelyplanet.com Ferroviária Pedro Nolasco (%3226 4169), 1km Sights west of the bus station in the mainland CITY CENTER district of Cariacaca. The yellow Anchieta Palace (Praça João Climaco) is a 16th-century former Jesuit college and Information church. It’s now the seat of state government, and the only part you can enter is the tomb of ATMs for several banks are clustered together Padre José de Anchieta (admission free), 1534–97, the inside the bus station. cofounder of São Paulo and an early mission- Bradesco (Av Jerônimo Monteiro 400) In the city center. ary who was hailed as the ‘Apostle of Brazil.’ Main post office (Av Jerônimo Monteiro 310) Close by is the Catedral Metropolitana, Net.Point Lan House (%3222 2933; Av República; with its neo-Gothic exterior and interesting per hr R$2.50; h9am-9pm) Offers internet and Skype stained-glass windows. access directly across from Parque Moscoso. Teatro Carlos Gomes (Praça Costa Pereira) is a replica Tourist booths bus station (h8am-8pm Mon-Sat); of La Scala in Milan. It stages national-caliber airport (%3327 2031; h6am-midnight daily) There’s theatre and dance productions at very reason- a branch located opposite track 10 at the bus station and able prices. Check with the tourist office to see one in the airport arrivals area. what’s currently playing. 0 2 km VITÓRIA 0 1 mile ACB To Salvador D BR Av Alberto Gracia Pere Simão Nader 0 100 m 101 São 0 0.1 miles n ir Setembro o a University 7 de Bento Neves Pinto R 13 Maio To Eurico Viana 16 1 19 Salles Airport at Goiaberas Rua do Ferrari Michelini 8 (6km) 22 Rosário Av Fernando 9 Br de Itapemirim Ponte da ante Praça D Praça Costa Passagem Praia do João 5 18 Av Pereira Camburí Clímaco Ilha de Vitória Av Nossa Senhora da Penha 10 11 20 12 Baía Camburí Pedro Palácios 1 Av Jerônimo Monteiro Av 2 21 Ponte Nestor Gomes 15 Marech Camburí ESPÍRITO SANTO 4 Av Governador Bley 17 Av Marechal Mascarenhas al Praia do Campos Ilha do Contorno 26 Canto Baía de Vitória Frade 2 Silva da Leitão Av 23 Av Vitória See Enlargement Ilha Av César Hilal 14 do Boi 13 7 3 Av M de Morais 25 Av Maruípe To Domingos 3rd Ponte Martins (40km); Estacoão Parque Estadual da Ferroviária Ponte Baía de Vitória Pedra Azul (90km); Pedro Nolasco Florentino Avidos Belo Horizonte; Rio Vila Velha 6 Av Champagnar Rua São Paulo Praia da 24 3 INFORMATION Costa ATMs (Bus Station)........................(see 25) Bradesco.............................................1 B2 Av Carioca Veloso Main Post Office................................2 B2 Gil Rodovia Carlos Lindenberg A T L A N T I C Net.Point Lan House.......................(see 7) nio Tourist Booth (Bus Station).................3 B2 O C E A N R Luciano das Neves Antô SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Av To Guarapari; Anchieta Palace..................................4 A2 Anchieta To Macure Catedral Metropolitana.......................5 A1 Pasárgada (3km) Convento da Penha...........................6 D3 EATING Parque Moscoso.................................7 B2 Buffalo Branco.................................15 D2 ENTERTAINMENT Teatro Carlos Gomes..........................8 B1 Caranguejo Gil...............................(see 15) Curva da Jurema..............................23 D2 Churrascaria Gramado......................16 D1 Triângulo das Bermudas.................(see 15) 4 SLEEPING Lareira Portuguesa...........................17 D2 Comfort Vitória Praia..........................9 D1 Moqueca & Cia................................18 D1