Praia do Espelho and Excursions to the South

Day trips from Porto Seguro go by van to Arraial d’Ajuda and/or Trancoso just 20 minutes to the south. These trips are designed for folks staying in Porto Seguro on vacation packages, since, by far, the preferred method for visiting these two locations is to stay a couple of nights in Arraial and rent a car or buggy and drive to Trancoso for a day. On this packaged excursion, you visit the old, historic centers of both Trancoso and Arraial, with enough time to walk the beaches of Trancoso. It costs about R$20 per person. Lunch in Trancoso is extra. A more interesting excursion is the visit to Praia do Espelho and Curuípe. Some versions of this trip pay a visit to the town of Caraíva as well. The beach at Praia do Espelho is one of the prettiest in the area and some say in all of Brazil. It is lined by shady trees and the water is clear and blue with offshore reefs that make for great snorkeling and diving. During low tide, you can walk right from the beach to the reefs. There are palm trees and sandy cliffs all around. This is a beach you might want to visit more than once. The price of this excursion is about R$35 per person and there are versions that go by van or by boat. Snorkeling equipment is not included but available for an extra R$5–10.

You can take a long trip out to the Abrolhos Islands from Porto Seguro. You should plan well ahead for this as it takes a couple of days and requires some equipment. The trip usually has a tour and overnight stay in Caraíva, then heads out to the islands early the following morning. There are tourist versions and scuba diver versions of this trip. Of course, the diver versions are a bit more intense and should be booked through one of the dive schools in Porto Seguro or Arraial d’Ajuda.