By Nicholas Storey, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – With over 1,000 kilometers of pristine beaches, growing infrastructure and locals famous for their hospitality, Bahía is one of Brazil’s property hot-spots. The investor is spoiled for choice with a string of beautiful villages competing for attention with the bustle of Salvador and Porto Seguro.
Costa do Sauípe is situated approximately 65 kilometers from the Luis Eduardo Magalhães International Airport, and is considered to be one of the most beautiful areas of Bahía, with changing landscapes and much in the way of wildlife, including whales and rare birds.
The city established itself as a major tourist destination at the beginning of the 21st century with the opening of five 5-star hotels: one Marriott, two of the Sofitel chain, one Breezes Superclub and a Renaissance. There is also a PGA golf course. This stretch of the beach offers a magnificent combination of sand dunes and a view of the lagoons beyond.
Away from the resorts, Vila Nova da Praia offers many handicrafts for sale and holds music concerts and dancing events. For everyday entertainment, there are numerous bars and restaurants spilling out onto the pavements.
Trancoso is another beautiful area nearby. It is reached by a 45-minute ferry ride, linking Porto Seguro and the airport. This is considered to be a quiet, exclusive area and a hideaway for the rich and famous. The prices here are high and a meter of beachfront land can cost up to R$20,000. If you are not part of the jet-set, you can buy an ordinary village house for around R$200,000.
Another destination in Salvador is Arrial d’Ajuda which is only ten minutes by ferry from the airport, and nearby Porto Seguro has the entire infrastructure that Arraial d’Ajuda lacks. This area provides accommodation for the more discerning with its traditional Portuguese houses, a golf course, shopping facilities and restaurants. This area attracts rich Brazilians and is becoming an international destination.
Maraú owes its fame to the author of The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who lived in one of the many colonial-style buildings dating from the eighteenth century. The resort is situated 469 kilometers from Salvador and the only way to reach it is by road and motorboat.
There are many attractive sites in this relatively unexplored district; the Tremembe waterfalls which are thirty meters wide and six meters high and a picturesque fishing village by the name of Taipus de Dentro, with a small inn and restaurant. Campinho is another fishing village with a harbor, yacht club and some good restaurants. Sampinho Island offers a specialist fish restaurant serving lobsters and crab.
The peninsula boasts something for everyone: Barra Grande is the largest community and one of the best viewing points is Mirante do Morro do Taipu. Lagoa de Cassangi is a large lagoon where the waters are rich in lanolin; for the adventurous there is Barra Grande, a trail stretching over forty kilometers and the Tralha Pontal trail is half the size at twenty kilometers.
There are several beaches, such as Praia de Manguerias with warm and clear waters and Praia dos Tres Coqueros with strong waves, coconut trees and holiday homes. Praia de Taipus de Fora has seven kilometers of natural pools and coral reefs.
Property for sale in Maraú includes a ten-apartment beachfront pousada with forty meters of beach and a 6,000 square meter plot. The pousada is fully-equipped with a restaurant, internet and telephone lines and is for sale at R$1.2 Million.