Travel to Porto Seguro

centred on the cool village of Trancoso

Set some 850 km (510 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Seguro is a relatively small coastal town which, although pleasant enough, is not of great interest to most visitors.

The main reason to pass through is when using the nearby airport in order to access this part of the tropical Costa Bahia.

Trancoso

Located around 25 km (15 miles) south of Porto Seguro, the quaint fishing village of Trancoso is renowned for its relaxed atmosphere, beautiful beaches and chic beach lodges.

Remarkably, this little town was one of the earliest Portuguese settlements in South America, having been established as early as 1586.

The village is centred on a lovely main square, known as the Quadrado, an elongated rectangle of grass, lined by sandy tracks, with the São João Batista church (dating from 1646) at one end. Motorised transport is banned from the square, which is illuminated at night by lanterns. The place is so unique that it’s listed by UNESCO as a protected monument.

This sleepy backwater was rediscovered by the outside world during the 1960s, when it became popular amongst a hippy crowd, attracting a host of artists and free thinkers.

These days Trancoso has become one of the coolest beach locations in Brazil and contains an unusual range of small lodges, some of which are really rather cool. There is also a good selection of restaurants, most of which serve traditional Bahian cuisine.

The best time to visit Porto Seguro is generally considered to be during the Aug-Feb dry season.

The area is classified as having a tropical rainforest climate and has a distinctly different and more challenging climate than Rio de Janeiro. You really do need to enjoy tropical conditions.

There are two clearly defined seasons …

Aug-Feb : dry season

During the Aug-Feb dry season the daytime temperatures are relatively high at around 28C/82F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures hold up around 22C/72F. However the rainfall is less heavy, at around 125mm (5”) per month. Sunshine is around 7 hours per day (around 60% of daylight hours), meaning that there is usually at least some cloud around. High humidities mean that conditions often become uncomfortable or oppressive.

Mar-Jul : rainy season

During the Mar-Jul rainy season the daytime temperatures are marginally higher at around 30C/86F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures are even higher at around 24C/75F. The rainfall is very high, at around 300mm (12”) per month. Sunshine is around around 6 hours per day (around 55% of the slightly longer daylight hours), meaning that there is usually at least some cloud around. High humidities mean that conditions are usually uncomfortable or oppressive.

Despite the weather, this period is generally the most busy in this area.

Getting there

The southern portion of the Costa Bahia is usually accessed via Porto Seguro International Airport (BPS), which usually has direct flight connections with Sao Paulo, Brasília and Salvador.

From Porto Seguro it is a road transfer of around 25 km (15 miles) south to Trancoso.

Where to stay

The majority of visitors to this area are interested in staying in the Trancoso area, where there’s an unusually good selection of small boutique properties.

connected to Pantanal by air via Sao Paulo