Brazil: Our 10 Weeks Grand Tour Part II

Brazil is the giant of South America and the fifth-largest country in the world. We have been on a 10 weeks Grand Tour of this vast country, and have already been exploring Brazil for 5 weeks when we arrive in the Amazon, the largest State of Brazil (read Part I here) . Our Grand Tour has definitely stepped up a notch as Part II takes us to the fascinating city of Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian State of Amazon, and the heart of the incredible Amazon Rainforest.

From Manaus, we traveled deeper into the Rainforest and even managed to experience a one-night stay in the Amazon Jungle sleeping in a hammock under the stars and listening to all the bizarre jungle sounds and creaking noises all around us. 

From Manaus we flew across the vast North of Brazil to the protected archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, and then continued our journey exploring some of the beautiful coastlines along with Northeast Brazil ending our Grand Tour in the enthralling city of Salvador, the capital of the State of Bahia, where we meet up with some old friends and learn more about Colonial Brazil. 

Manaus – The Capital of The Amazon 

Manaus is situated in the heart of the magnificent Amazon Jungle, a city that prospered from the discovery of a very special tree, the Hevea Brasiliensis. These native trees produced latex, the raw material for the production of rubber. The economic boom following this discovery lasted from 1890 until 1920, a period of astounding development, since almost all the rubber in the world at that time came from trees growing int the Amazon Forest. 

Despite its remote location, the rubber boom made Manaus one of the wealthiest cities in Brazil. The building of the famous Opera House (Teatro Amazonas), the main Cathedral, as well as many other majestic mansions all happened during this prosperous period. 

Manaus was one of the first cities in Brazil to have electricity. Most of the building materials such as glass, iron, and marble were specially ordered from England, France, and other places in Europe. Manaus declined in the 1920s when the price of natural rubber collapsed on the world market. In 1910 an Englishman was able to smuggle some seeds of the famous rubber tree and the seeds were successfully planted in British Asian colonies, causing the collapse of the Brazilian rubber industry. The world’s first act of bio-piracy was committed by Sir Henry Wickham who stole 70 000 seeds and shipped them off to England’s Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, London. 

In the 1960’s Manaus began prospering again with the creation of the Free Economic Zone, a tax exemption program that aimed to entice companies to build their factories there. It created thousands of jobs and the city population grew exponentially, bringing with that all the issues that plague this modern city today, such as pollution, and uncontrolled urban expansion with illegal settlements that have mushroomed on the fringes of the city with the cutting down and burning of large patches of the rainforest. 

We arrived in Manaus on a very late flight following our stay in the Pantanal (see Part I of the blog) and were both glad to have someone there waiting for us to drive us to our accommodation, the Seringal Hotel in the city centre. Keen to experience a true deep-immersion Amazon experience we booked our Amazon Jungle tour with a tour agency called Amazon Antonio Jungle Tours ( we found the information and contact details on our Brazil, Lonely Planet guidebook). The company owner, Antonio Gomes offered us a very good Amazon Jungle stay package (costing R$ 4,200 for both of us) which included:

• Transfer from the airport in Manaus to our hotel on arrival and also the transfer to the airport on our departure from Manaus.
• A jungle trip of 3 nights and 4 days accommodation, with all activities accompanied by an English speaking guide and all meals, were also included

Although we never met Antonio during our stay, we did meet a few members of his family and according to them, he is a great employer. His friendly brother picked us up from the airport on arrival and then a day later his lovely nephew drove us from our hotel in Manaus towards a small town called Lindoia about 3 hours North East from Manaus where our Amazon Jungle guide  (Joseph or Zezinho) and boat were waiting for us. We were then taken by powerboat upstream on the Urubu River on a journey that lasted about another one and a half hours. 

We shared this unforgettable jungle experience with a lovely Belgium couple called Ilse and her husband Guy. With the Pandemic still keeping tourist numbers very low, we were some of the first tourists at Antonio’s Jungle Lodge for some time and therefore we enjoyed having it all to ourselves. This region was hit very hard by the Coronavirus Pandemic, with a high number of deaths and a decimated tourism industry, iso n many ways we felt good about being here spending some of our tourist dollars and helping the local economy. 

The jungle lodge prides itself in being an Eco-friendly destination, with low impact renewable energy provided by solar panels and respect for this fragile environment. The lodge blends nicely into this environment and it is situated upstream on the shores of the Urubu River. The great thing about this region is that there are virtually no mosquitoes, due to the high acidity of the Urubu River. 

Our lodgings were very comfortable, comprising of a private wooden chalet with a shower room and a small balcony with river views. All meals were served in the main communal dining room with amazing river views. We had some rain most days during our stay…it is not called the Amazon rain forest for no reason… but we managed to fit in the activities in between the heavy downpours. 

One afternoon the four of us plus our guide Joseph boarded a small wooden canoe to go searching for the pink /grey dolphin (Boto Cor de Rosa). I was a little apprehensive about going on the small canoe with no life jackets but decided to trust our guide. He took us along the river to an area where the dolphins usually hang out, but we could not see anything at first until our guide started making some strange calling-out noises which to our total surprise it worked. We manage to see quite a few of the lovely river dolphins, although it was not possible to photograph them since they move very fast.

 From this location, we went on to do some piranha fishing. Our guide Joseph anchored us near some trees in the middle of the river and proceeded to hook some bait on our fishing lines and teach us how to launch it into the river. It was all going very well indeed until we hear a huge splash. Poor Ilse fell into the river whilst standing up to throw her fishing line. Luckily she was not hurt and we all managed to enjoy the rest of the day and even catch some fish.

The following day was the main highlight of our stay in the jungle. The weather forecast was good and therefore we set off on foot from the lodge, through the jungle for about 2 hours before arriving at a location near a small stream to set up our camp. We followed our guide Joseph who was showing us the way, we also had another assistant guide called Madison who looked after us from the rear of the group. Along the way Joseph was teaching us all about the jungle’s flora and fauna, it was fascinating to hear about things like the bullet ant ( the Paraponera-clavata is a species of ant, commonly known as the bullet ant, named for its extremely painful sting). Brian almost had a very close encounter with a bullet ant that was slowly making her way up to his trousers. Luckily Guy spotted the nasty little beast and saved Brian from a very painful encounter. 

I must admit my heart sank on arrival at our camp location, the accommodation was indeed very basic. Just a blue tarpaulin for cover and a little river stream next to the campsite. The toilet facilities were behind a large tree…in other words, there were no toilet facilities. 

To our great relief our guides Joseph and his assistant guide Madison soon got us all sorted, helping to hang our hammocks, fashioning some leaf plates and wooden spoons for us to eat our meals with, and setting up a campfire to cook our dinner. We took turns bathing in the little stream near the camp, and since there was no one else but us around there was no need for swimming costumes. After hours of trekking through the humid jungle, it was sheer bliss to swash away the sweat while soaking in the deep pool just below the waterfall. Life on the jungle camp was simple but so enjoyable, and nature also provided the entertainment. Later in the afternoon we went for a walk around the campsite, and in the distance we could hear the Howler Monkeys going beserk, although despite following their calls for some distance we did not manage to actually see them high above us in the canopy. The  Amazon Jungle is absolutely fascinating, with so many exotic plants and creatures that live and thrive here in this absolutely mind-blowing environment. 

We were so lucky that the weather behaved and we had a dry night under the stars. My imagination did run wild for a while, with all the “what if” scenarios…what if a large spider or snake lands in my hammock… what if a jaguar decides to pay us a visit? (Brian was in the outside hammock and kept joking the jaguar would eat him first… at least I think he was joking). Fortunately, it was a peaceful night and as soon as the flicking light of our campsite candle was extinguished we all fell into a deep sleep forgetting that there was nothing but thick jungle all around us. 

 We woke up to the exotic sounds of the forest and the sun slowly rising behind the forest canopy. A simple breakfast was served before we set off on foot again through the jungle, walking for another hour or so towards a prearranged location where a boat come for us. Our jungle stay was an incredible and memorable experience that none of us will soon forget. Once back at the main lodge, we had lunch and soon afterward we said goodbye to our jungle companions Ilse and Guy who returned to Manaus for the next leg of their Brazil trip.

Soon after our friend’s departure Joseph took us on another river activity, this time exploring the stunningly quiet flooded forest not far from our Lodge. We paddled our little boat quietly along this eerily quiet and hauntingly beautiful world of aquatic plants and trees that have adapted to having their roots underwater for extended periods of time. 

Brian and I stayed another night and enjoyed a spectacular sunset from the Lodge’s terrace, complete with a river dolphin show right in front of us…and a caipirinha (Brazilian cocktail) or two. 

The following day there was lots more to see and Joseph took us on the power boat along the river again, this time to meet a family that lived in an open-sided stilt house along the shores of the Urubu River.

These communities that live along the shores of the river are called Caboclos or Ribeirinhos. Joseph explained to us that for many months every year the Ribeirinho’s land is flooded, so they have to store enough food to eat during the flooded season. The Ribeirinhos plant most of their food for their own consumption, but they also sell their produce to Antonio’s Lodge or other locals. They eat fish caught from the river or in fact anything they can catch, including cayman. This family had a lot of dogs, I think I counted about 5 lying under their home on stilts. There were chicken roaming free around their land and they also kept pigs. I bought some of the craft necklaces that grandmother had made. It was fascinating to be up close and learn about their way of living. 

Later in the afternoon, we were taken back to Manaus, and once again we stayed at the Seringal Hotel in the city center and very near the beautiful Teatro Amazonas/Opera House. We were sad to say goodbye to our guides who had looked after us in the jungle so well; somehow the intensity of the experience made us feel like we had been together for much longer than we actually had. We left what we hope was a good tip to show our appreciation, knowing that the price of a good meal for two back home would go a long way with people who had lost so much of their income during the pandemic.

Our hotel had stored some of our belongings whilst we stayed in the jungle since we were asked to take only the absolutely necessary for our jungle stay. Through the hotel, we organized a tour for us the following day on the awesome Amazon River. 

Since Manaus has almost no road connections, the mighty Amazon River is the lifeline of this region. Taking a river cruise on the Amazon has been on our travel wish list for ages, but we did not have enough time for a multi-day cruise so we enjoyed a one-day guided river cruise tour of the areas near Manaus. Visiting the Meeting of the Waters (in Portuguese “Encontro das Águas“) where the Rio Negro (black river) and the Amazon River (called the Solimões River in this up-river confluence) meet is a must see if coming to Manaus. Due to different speed and density and acidity the river waters don’t immediately mix and run alongside each other, gently swirling along their confluence for many kilometres… it is fascinating to see. 

We also visited an indigenous tribe which had migrated down from the deep jungle to set up a village near to Manaus to provide income, and although very touristic we did enjoy the experience. Access to the tribe is by boat only and it did feel like entering a different world.

These tribes’ survival and in fact many others in the region are very dependent on tourism, they are keen to showcase some of their culture, customs, and way of life in return for cash donations. They also sell their beautiful handicraft works and are happy to do face painting and pose for photos with the tourists. 

The tour included a lunch stop, which interestingly was on a floating restaurant. Our boat just anchored next to the large wooden platform.The food was good with lots of regional dishes and some delicious fresh water fish. After lunch, we continued with the cruising tour along the river passing by other Ribeirinho Communities living on stilt houses on the shores of the river.

The last activity of the day left us feeling quite uneasy, we were invited to swim with the Pink Dolphins (called Boto Cor de Rosa in Portuguese), where we docked along a wooden pier, were given life jackets, and were taken in small groups towards a small platform from where we could take some steps down into the river. We watched the first group of people going into the water and that was when we decided that this activity was not for us. We decided not to get in the water. 

Fish is used to lure the Pink Dolphins, and although we were told to keep a distance and not to touch them, people did get quite close to them. The Dolphins are free to swim anywhere in the river, they are not kept in an enclosure and they come there to have an easy meal. But we still felt that it did not feel ethical or environmentally appropriate. These are wild creatures, they should not be fed like pets, also are they being overfed? It is sad to see them becoming dependent on this easy meal and stop hunting for food themselves forgetting all about their wild instincts and behaviors. The guide told us that the government does limit how many days the tour operators can accept the tourists and feed the Dolphins, but we are not sure enough is being done to protect these endangered species. 

All that said, it was only while looking closely at our pictures later that we noticed that the dolphins here had very badly worn and missing teeth and wondered if perhaps that was the reason these dolphins were chosing to be be fed here… were they very old or otherwise compromised? We’re clearly not experts but perhaps there is an upside?

Tips for visiting Manaus and the Amazon Jungle: Manaus is the gateway to the Brazilian Amazon Jungle. Flying is the easiest and fastest way of getting to Manaus. There are many tour agencies organizing multiple day tours exploring further into the Amazon Jungle, and most people either stay at a forest hotel or take an Amazon River cruise. We opted for a stay in the forest, on the shores of the Urubu River, and were very happy with our choice. We would recommend a stay of at least two to three days in Manaus to see the city sights and perhaps do the one-day boat tour on the Amazon River, it is worth it. For accommodation in Manaus, we recommend staying in the city center, as close as possible to the Opera House/Teatro Amazonas since it is a safe area and there are all the amenities such as good restaurants and shops around there. Most hotels can organize a pick-up from the airport in Manaus. Using an Uber around the city is also a good option and usually 30 to 50% cheaper than a taxi. Manaus climate is hot, humid, and rainy, with June to November being the driest months.  

We had a flight from Manaus to the protected island of Fernando de Noronha very late that night, but things did not go according to plan. At the airport check desk in Manaus we were told that to enter the island we had to have a negative Coronavirus PCR test, a recent requirement and neither the airline nor our accommodation had advised us. We had no option but to return to our hotel in Manaus where luckily for us we still had a bed for the night – because we left the hotel at midnight to get to the airport we had booked the extra night.. The next day we found a place to have our test, right next door to our hotel, and got our negative results within 4 hours, such a relief.

Fernando de Noronha Island

The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha is located on the Atlantic Ocean about 354 km/ 220 miles offshore the North East of Brazil’s coastline. Consisting of a protected archipelago of 21 islands and islets with only the larger main island, called Fernando de Noronha being inhabited. The islands have been a Unesco World Heritage site since 2001 due to their importance as a feeding ground for tuna, sharks, turtles, and other marine mammals. The crystal clear waters are rich in marine life, including the highest known concentration of resident dolphins in the world. 

Conservation is tightly regulated by the Parque Nacional Marinho de Fernando de Noronha, with a stay on this paradise island coming at a premium. It is not budget travel and therefore be prepared to pay high prices for everything. Visitors have to pay two tax-like charges: One to visit the National Park (some of the best beaches are within this National Park) called the Parnamar Card and another called a TPA ( paid at the airport, on arrival on the island) which is an environmental preservation tax. The TPA  is a daily tax costing the same amount for the first 4 days and then the price changes progressively by varying amounts for each extra day stay, particularly when one exceeds the 10 days stay. Brian and I paid about R$ 80/USD 15 per day each in February 2022. Our plan was to stay for 7 days, but due to the PCR test issue, we ended up staying for 6 days. 

We stayed at a lovely Guest House at Villa dos Remedios called Flamboyant Residence and we could not have been happier. Our spacious en-suite room was spotlessly clean with air-conditioning and in a great location. Breakfast was delicious and there was tea/coffee and cakes available in the afternoon (included in the price). 

The friendly lady at the reception was always on hand to explain about the island and give advice, we ended up booking two tours she recommended: A sightseeing Island Tour and a boat tour. She also recommended we get the Parnamar card and book our hiking trail ASAP. 

The Parnamar Card is issued by the ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation), the entity charged with protecting this fragile ecosystem as well as controlling all the beaches, hikes, diving, and other water activities on the island. The ticket costs when we visited in February 2022 were R$126,00 for Brazilians and R$251,00 for foreigners, available from their base located at Boldró Villa (Alameda do Bodró). Here, you can book hikes that require booking (and also hire a guide if required). The booking system is a bit odd, no online booking is available and therefore a physical visit to this hub is necessary. My advice is to go as early as possible ( the opening time was from 16:00 to 19:00, but we arrived there at 15:30 to join the queue) because some of the more popular hikes such as Atalaia might not be available since numbers are restricted and visiting without booking is not allowed. Note that not all island trails need booking in advance. 

• Island  Sightseeing Tour 

There is a single paved road going through the whole island with some unpaved side roads leading to various beaches and places. On our first full day on the island, we took a 4X4 off-road guided tour. It was a great way of getting our bearings and learning about the island from the guide. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour, particularly because there was just us and another couple doing the tour and therefore it felt much like having a private tour. The four of us sat in the back of a 4X4 pick-up truck, which was open with only a cover over our heads, and we were all required to wear a face mask. 

The guide was very knowledgeable about the island, but also a lot of fun, the only problem was that he did not speak any English and therefore I had to do some translating for Brian. Luckily for us, our tour companions Felipe and his wife Bruna (they were on their honeymoon) both spoke excellent English and we all got on really well indeed. 

The tour started at one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, Baía do Sancho. This beach is often featured on the list of one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil and even the world and it is not difficult to see why. 

 

Access to this beach was not easy though, it involved descending down some steep ladders carved into the rock with about 208 steps. But it is so worth it, the crystal clear water is a stunning turquoise blue and beneath the surface it is teeming with amazing marine life. Huge shoals of small fish in the shallows being harassed by larger jackfish and sea birds diving down from high above. Although we had spotted a large shark from the viewpoint above we could not wait to get in the water with our snorkels and explore. 

From Baia do Sancho we were driven on dusty roads to Buraco da Raquel. Buraco (the Portuguese word for hole), is given to this place because of a large hole on the rock. There are lovely views of the Mar de Fora from here and we also spotted sharks swimming in the bay. The little chapel at the top of the hill was also very cute and it was possible to see the Port of Santo Antonio from this hill. The small Santo Antonio Beach was where we headed next for some more snorkeling. 

The small beach next to the port is teeming with marine life. We did some snorkeling again here and our guide expertly took us to some of the best places to see hawksbill turtles, octopus, and lemon sharks There is also a shipwreck where sometimes the tropical fish are roaming around, but we did not explore the shipwreck.

Exhausted and hungry from all the water activities, the guide took us back to Vila dos Remedios for lunch at a lovely restaurant. The meal was delicious and we also enjoyed getting to know Bruna and Felipe. They both spoke really good English.  

There are about 17 gorgeous beaches in Fernando de Noronha, we did not visit them all during this tour, or in fact during our stay in Noronha, but some of our favorites were discovered doing this land tour of the island. In our opinion, Praia do Sancho is the most beautiful, but we also enjoyed visiting Praia do Sueste, Praia do Leão, Praia da Cacimba do Padre, and Baia dos Porcos (Bay of the Pigs).

Unfortunately, Praia do Leão and Baía do Sueste were both closed during our visit, because of a shark attack that had recently happened on the island. The shark attack has been very hush, hush since local authorities probably don’t want it to affect the tourism on the island. But according to some of the people we talked to about this, the attack victim was an 8 years old girl. She and her father were on the water at Baía do Sueste when it happened. The father managed to keep hold of her and take her to the beach where luck would have it a group of doctors holidaying on the island manage to stop the bleeding, give her first aid treatment, and in fact saved her life. Unfortunately, they were not able to save her leg. Shark attacks on the island are rare, but they do happen. 

Access to Baia dos Porcos was via Praia da Cacimba do Padre during the low tide. We had to cross over a stony headland to get there. Cacimba do Padre is a lovely beach, one of the largest on the island with a good infrastructure of beach chairs and some food and drinks vendors, and from this beach it is possible to see the Morro Dois Irmãos from very close up. Although we did not stay at this beach, we just walked through it and then joined a trail over a stony headland to Baia dos Porcos. 

The snorkeling at Baia dos Porcos was lovely, although we did not see as much marine life as we did at Baia do Sancho. It was late afternoon when we finished touring the island, but there was more island beauty to enjoy. 

We ended the tour with a magnificent sunset at a viewpoint called Forte São Pedro do Boldró. There was a great vibe with live music, and we managed to get a table for the four of us to enjoy some drinks and snacks listening to Brazilian music and even some fun forró music was being played. The perfect ending to our day of exploring.

• Dolphin Watch Boat Tour.

The Boat Tour was along the Mar de Dentro (Inner Sea, facing the mainland of Brazil), passing by some uninhabited islands and small islets and the famous Dolphin Bay. It also included a stop at Sancho Bay for snorkeling and swimming. It was interesting to see the island from a different perspective, and we also loved seeing the gorgeous spinner dolphins swimming alongside the boat and frolicking in the water. 

Unfortunately, the weather was not good, with heavy downpours during the tour and the waters were very choppy. We were both glad to have taken seasick tablets before leaving the port since there were a few people feeling the worse for wear. Also because of the bad weather, the planned snorkelling stop at Sancho Bay was canceled, to the disappointment of many on board the boat, including us. We returned to Port quite disappointed, but we did manage to spend a few hours at the beach later in the afternoon… although we were again chased back to our hotel by some torrential rain.

From our hotel at Vila do Remedios we walked to Praia da Conceição – going downhill was easy but returning home uphill was not as much fun. We visited this beach a couple of times since we enjoyed walking there from our hotel. The beach does have some strong waves so I found snorkelling and even swimming quite hard here. We did enjoy watching the lively frigate birds and the beautiful scenery and renting beach chairs and an umbrella here for a few relaxing hours.  

• Trilha do Atalaia

There are various trails in Fernando de Noronha, and we had booked to do the Atalaia Trail. This trail is one of the most popular and therefore it needs to be booked as soon as possible after arrival on the island since there is a limit on the daily number of people. The trail starts at Vila dos Trinta and leads to Atalaia Beach, a fantastic place for snorkeling on a natural pool. There are two hikes to Atalaia: A shorter one and a longer one. 

The shorter trail takes about 25 minutes, and about the same to get back, it is not a physically demanding hike and it does not require a guide. The longer trail takes about 4 to 5 hours to complete the whole circuit. The first part of the trail is along the same route as the shorter trail, but then after the snorkeling at the Atalaia Beach, the trail carries on towards Pontinha-Caieiras. The hike is along with various viewpoints, natural pools, and more opportunities for snorkeling on some untouched reefs. 

But this longer trail is a lot harder and much more physically demanding. We chose to do this longer route, which required hiring a guide. Our hiking group was small and our guide, a woman called Benilza. She was great fun and very well prepared, this was no easy hike and I particularly struggled walking along the huge boulders and scree. I ended up feeling very queazy and I really thought I was going to faint. The lovely Benilza had some sports hydration drinks that helped me feel better and I was able to finish the hike. In hindsight, I think the shorter hike would have been a lot better for me. 

We closed our Island stay with a special Birthday Celebration for Brian.

Felipe and Bruna met up with us at a restaurant called Varanda, where we celebrated with a delicious meal and cocktails. It was a very fitting end to our stay on the beautiful island of Fernando de Noronha. 

Travel Tips for Fernando de Noronha: The only way to reach this Brazilian island is by plane, the Brazilian airlines Gol and Azul have daily flights from various Brazilian airports. It is not a budget destination, only a limited number of tourists are allowed per day. Each visitor must pay an environmental fee to enter, with payment made at the airport on arrival. The longer the stay, the more the fee, we recommend a stay of at least 4 or 5 nights. There are all types of accommodation, from the more budget-friendly to the very expensive, we would recommend booking accommodation in Vila dos Remedios, since there are good restaurants within walking distance and also some beaches within walking distance. There is a local bus system but is limited to the main roads, and taxi rides can get expensive. There are no Uber drivers on the island. Wi-Fi on the island is very slow. 

We left Fernando de Noronha on a flight to Recife, from where we continued our trip along the Northeast of Brazil. 

Recife – Porto de Galinhas 

Many years ago I spent a whole month in Recife, and I had the best Carnival of my life there. But Brian and I were not here to visit Recife, the Capital of the State of Pernambuco, we wanted to visit nearby Porto de Galinhas (Port of Chickens). The beach resort of Porto de Galinha is located in the municipality of Ipojuca, about 60 km from Recife. We organized an airport transfer from Recife to Porto de Galinhas via our accommodation – Condominio Belas Praias in Porto de Galinhas.

Our driver picked us up from the airport and drove us for about 45 minutes to our 5 nights’ accommodation at a great central location in Porto de Galinhas. The accommodation was like a small apartment, which included a kitchen, and was very quiet in spite of the central location. The downside was that there was no outside window, only an internal window looking into the corridor.

• Beach and Natural Pools

We really enjoyed the beach vibe of Porto de Galinhas, although the actual beachfront almost disappears during the high tide. The Porto de Galinhas beach is a busy beach, so don’t come here for peace and quiet but there is a good infrastructure with beach chairs and sun umbrellas for hire. Often if you spend money, such as eating a meal at any of the beachfront bars you can have the chairs and umbrella included. There are other much quieter beaches further afield from the main area. 

Enjoying the natural pools of Porto de Galinhas is a good reason to visit this place and it is important to keep an eye on the Tide Tables, since access to the natural pools will be during low tide, which happens twice a day. The phases of the moon also influence the tides, during the full moon and new moon the oscillation between the highest and lowest tides is higher. 

The town itself is very lively, but also charming, with three different pedestrian streets that are filled with vendors, local stores, souvenir shops, and a variety of restaurants. 

The town is particularly pretty in the evening when it really comes to life. We did really enjoyed this place, it felt very safe wandering around at night. We visited during the high season, so it was quite busy with many Brazilian families on holiday. But for people who enjoy deserted beaches or very quiet little fishing villages, this is not it. Although you don’t have to travel far to have the more isolated beaches. 

• Buggy Tour

To explore other beaches we took a buggy tour. Hiring a buggy and driver for the whole day was a lot of fun. 

We explored some of the beaches further away from Porto de Galinhas, such as Praia do Muro Alto, which has one of the largest natural pools in Brazil, with a large barrier of corals. Praia do Cupe, a beach that is good to visit during the low tide, and Praia de Maracaipe which is very popular with surfers. Maracaipe was lovely and not very busy and offered a spectacular landscape with coconut trees and some good restaurants by the sea. Unfortunately, the weather was not great and we did have to endure some light showers. 

• Praia dos Carneiros

Praia dos Carneiros was over 50 Km from where we stayed in Porto de Galinhas. We booked a day tour to visit this beach, considered one of the prettiest in this region, but it was a lot further than we had expected, travelling along small and winding roads. We boarded a small minibus that took us to a beach resort in Carneiros called Bora Bora. The resort felt very artificial and was very busy. The beach was indeed very pretty with coconut trees and a lovely little chapel that has become a bit of an Instagram celebrity and we did enjoy swimming and snorkelling in the clear, warm water.  

With hindsight, it would probably have been better to spend the day enjoying the beaches near Porto de Galinhas, since there are so many beautiful beaches there. We don’t recommend this tour. 

Tips for traveling to Porto de Galinhas: The State Capital of Recife is the main hub for exploring this area, there are flights from various locations in Brazil. From the airport it is easy to arrange a transfer to the accommodation in Porto de Galinhas, it is also possible to take a taxi or Uber and the journey takes about 40 minutes. Hiring a car can also be a good option. There are also public buses that leave from the main bus station in Recife. There are plenty of different options for accommodation to suit all budgets. 

We left Porto de Galinhas quite early heading for Maceio. Although we could have used a local bus, we discovered that the local bus would take us first to Recife (in the opposite direction) before heading for Maceio. So we decided to pay a bit more and got a private car transfer. The drive was about 250 km and took almost 4 hours to arrive at our hotel in Maceio.

Maceió – Capital of Alagoas 

For our stay in Maceió we booked a room with breakfast included at the Hotel Brisa Suites, in Pajuçara Beach. The views from our room were gorgeous… after not having an outdoor window in Porto de Galinhas, we decided to indulge in an upgrade and got a really nice hotel. 

We spent 4 nights in Maceió and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Maceió is quite a modern city, but there are not a lot of sights, so a visit is all about beach life. There are many idyllic shorelines to the North and South of the city. The beachfront is lined with palm trees and the colorful Jangadas (traditional sailboats) are often on standby to take the punters to the natural pools.  

The beach is protected by an offshore coral reef, therefore the sea is very calm and the color of the water is an amazing deep emerald green. We were able to enjoy the beach right in front of our hotel most days, although we did also walk to the nearby beach of Ponta Verde. There were good restaurants and bars within walking distance of us. At night we meandered along the beach promenade, past thatched-roof restaurants, and lively bars. There are many organized day tours from Pajuçara to nearby towns and beaches. We were determined to take it easy in Maceio, we were a bit toured-out and decided that we would just enjoy the beaches near our hotel and relax.

Tips for visiting Maceió: The city of Maceió, capital of the State of Alagoas is easily accessed by flying to the local airport or buses from other Brazilian destinations. We recommend staying at Pajuçara or Praia Verde. There are a plethora of organized day trips from Maceió – booking a tour is easy, since there are many tour agency representatives near the Pajuçara Market. 

After our lovely and relaxing stay in Maceió, we flew to the city of Salvador, the capital of the Brazilian State of Bahia. 

Salvador

Once the Capital of Brazil, the city of Salvador da Bahia is the heart of the Afro-Brazilian community. There is a rich cultural heritage from the Colonial Era with music, religion, food, dance, and martial arts traditions brought by those that arrived on these shores as slaves from Africa. More than 80% of the population of Bahia has African ancestry. There are 17th and 18th-century architecture and churches gilded in gold. Salvador is also the epicentre of the African religion known as Candomble, witnessing a ceremony is a fascinating cultural experience.

Another fascinating experience is to see the capoeira masters practicing their moves on the streets and in some tourist hotspots around the city. Capoeira is intrinsic of the cultural heritage of Bahia and particularly Salvador. A type of martial art, disguised as a dance, it was born out of the suffering of the slaves, loaded with rituals, traditions and mildly aggressive movements performed to the beat and rhythms of ancient African instruments. 

The friendly people and human connection are one of the treasures of Salvador and we came to this city to reconnect with very old friends. We have all lived together in the UK at some time or another, many moons ago in our twenties. Our friends David, Teresa, and their adult daughters were all born here in Salvador and are currently living here, although they have lived many years in London. Our friend Sinara flew here from Porto Alegre to meet up with us and during our stay, we also got together with Moacir, another ex-flatmate from London. 

David and Teresa invited us to stay at their very spacious and comfortable apartment, although they are currently living with Teresa’s elderly parents at another address that was not far from us. We made the most of having them show us their amazing city but also did some exploring on our own. 

One sunny day we visited the Pelourinho, a Unesco World Heritage site and the centrepiece of the “Cidade Alta”(Upper City). There are cobbled streets, colourful houses, and magnificent churches such as the Cathedral Basilica and the Igreja e Convento Sao Francisco. This is the old part of the city, there is a strong sense of history here, home to artists and musicians. It is an easily walkable area, with a strong police presence to ensure safety. 

We also took a lift down with Elevador Lacerda, the art-deco lift that connects the Cidade Alta with the Cidade Baixa, where we paid a visit to the Mercado Modelo. 

The Mercado Modelo is the original 1861 Customs House where the slaves were housed when they first arrived in Salvador. For 350 years, slavery was the heart of the Brazilian economy. By 1888, abolition had the overwhelming support of most Brazilians, but the legacy of this awful period in history is not easily shaken off with millions of Afro-Brazilians today living in poverty and lacking education. 

After a day wandering around the city, exploring its history, there is nothing like enjoying a beautiful sunset. We were lucky to enjoy quite a few gorgeous sunset spots in Salvador. One of our favourites was at Bahia’s oldest Fort, known as Forte de Santo Antonio da Barra, also Farol da Barra because of its lighthouse. Our friends took us there on our first evening in Salvador, it is a popular place for the sunset and it was quite busy when we arrived. 

Since we arrived in Salvador during a weekday, due to work commitments our friends were not able to accompany us on all our exploring, but they enlisted the help of the lovely Stael, a friend who was happy to show us around. She picked us up in her car one sunny morning and took us the house of Jorge Amado, one of Brazil’s best-known writers. Casa do Rio Vermelho, was the former home of Jorge Amado and his wife Zelia Gateau featuring exhibits related to their lives and their work as writers. Brian is a big fan of his work and has read many of his books. Afterwards Stael took us for lunch at one of her favourite restaurants and we indulged in some delicious Bahia food. 

Stael was not born in Salvador, in fact she is from my home State of Rio Grande do Sul, in the very South of Brazil, but she came to live in Salvador many years ago and loved it so much she has stayed ever since then. She was very knowledgeable about her adopted city and we really enjoyed learning so much about Salvador with her. After lunch she took us to visit a local market, another fascinating place to learn about the local culture and food. 

The food in Bahia can be very spicy with interesting dishes such as Moqueca, a seafood stew, usually shrimp based but it can also contain other white fish. Vatapa, has a creamy consistency and looks a bit like a curry with coconut milk. Acaraje, is a simple dish of mashed beans, mixed with ground shrimp, onion, salt and pepper formed into a ball shape and fried. Some of the best food we had in Brazil was found here. Having our friends to show and educated us on so many Bahia culinary delights was absolutely fantastic. 

We spent most evenings and the weekend exploring new places with our friends and enjoying lovely sunsets and delicious meals in exotic locations. Visiting the famous Nosso Senhor do Bonfim church was another big tick on my travel wish list.

We ended our stay in Bahia with a wonderful family meal, meeting up with Teresa’s family at a beautiful restaurant by a marina with sea views. We had met her parents many years ago in London, so it was lovely to catch up with them here, as well as meet her brother and his best friend. The food here was amazing. 

Sadly time flies when you are having fun and all good things come to an end. From Salvador, Brian and I had to split up, since my father was not very well, so I flew to Porto Alegre in the State of Rio Grande do Sul to be with him. Brian flew to Rio de Janeiro for another stay with our son.

Sadly my father passed away unexpectadly just two days after my arrival in the South. The days that followed were of intense emotional pain and upset that people who have lost a loved one will understand. I look back on the week in early January, when I spent quality time with him as a great comfort to me. He was much loved by friends and family and we will miss him forever.