PORTO BELO

The town of Porto Belo was once just a small fishing village, with most of its inhabitants descendants of the Portuguese from the Azores Islands who came here some 250 years ago. Today, the place still looks like a small fishing village, but you’ll notice some modern touches that speak of the growth of tourism in the area—hotels, restaurants, and boat excursions mostly. The village here is the quaintest part of the Emerald Coast and the hotels and pousadas are equally charming for the most part. The best beach in the area is Praia da Enseada, an inlet on the southern end of the village where you’ll find clear, greenish water that is perfect for swimming. Just follow Praia do Baixo out and to the right until you reach the end. Also, be sure to spend a day on the Island of Porto Belo while you’re here.

Ilha do Porto Belo
The Island of Porto Belo is the principal attraction of the area. It has a small beach with large stones scattered along its length, forming numerous little areas for layout out and catching some sun. There’s a footpath that weaves in and out of these little nooks and crannies and there are two beach bars for getting in out of the sun for a cold drink. A restaurant on the hillside almost gives you the sensation that you’re in a tree house. Everything here is a bit more expensive than other locations on the Emerald Coast, but it’s the price you pay for so much charm. The water here is clear and clean, and you can take a boat around to the tip of the island for some snorkeling. There are even underwater trails that you can follow as you float along and check out the fish. For an extra R$3, you can take a hike along the Trilha Ecológica and look at the prehistoric rock carvings.

The best way to get to the island is to catch one of the small boats leaving from Praia do Baixo (just walk along the beach and you’ll see plenty of boats getting ready to make the trip). These small boats cost around R$5–8 each way. The island is less then one kilometer from shore and the water is very calm and peaceful there. There is a tourist information center on the island and a kiosk that provides information on the snorkeling excursions.

Since the sandy area is not extensive, the island can get very crowded on weekends in the summer. Weekdays are the best. The island’s website is www.ilhadeportobelo.com.br.

Other Excursions
The Porto dos Piratas (Av. Governador Celso Ramos 1446, tel. 47/369-4245) is a group that has two or three ships that they use to take groups out to the various points in the area. There are three excursions offered: small, medium, and large. The small excursion is the only one worth taking, as it serves as transportation to the Island of Porto Belo and also gives you a look at the Caixa D’Áço harbor, where you can swim in the cool water among the boats. The longer excursions are pretty tedious and the guides offer their contrived games and festive dances in only Spanish and Portuguese. Even then, it’s mostly for kids and families. If you take the small Caixa D’Aço excursion, you can get off at the island and return on a later trip. Be sure to ask them about return times so you don’t end up paying for a small boat to bring you back.

You can rent bicycles for guided tours of the area. The scenic bike routes are quite lovely and you get a chance to go farther than you would on foot. Check with Casa do Turista (Av. Gov. Celso Ramos 2428, Porto Belo, tel. 47/369-5030).

Music and Shows
Café Pinhão (Av. Colombo Machado Sales 1574, Perequê in Porto Belo tel. 47/369-8063, www.cafepinhao.com.br) is a large outdoor theater that presents shows just about every weekend in the summer. They have some occasional big names playing and the entire area in and around the theater fills with crowds and becomes a big party scene. There is a pizza joint just outside and a couple of bars. On concert nights, you’ll also find drink stations lined up along the street outside. The theater is less than one kilometer before the village of Porto Belo, across from the Pousada das Vieiras.