Brazil Hotels

Espirito Santo , a compact combination of mountains and beaches, is one of the smallest states in Brazil (with a population of only 2.6 million), but as Minas Gerais' main outlet to the sea it is strategically very important. More iron ore is exported through its capital, Vitoria , than any other port in the world. Not surprisingly the preponderance of docks, rail yards and smelters limits the city's tourist potential, despite a fine natural location. To a mineiro, Espirito Santo means only one thing: beaches . The coastline is basically one long beach, some 400km in length and, during weekends and holiday seasons, people flock to take the waters, tending to concentrate on the stretch immediately south of Vitoria, especially the large resort town of Guarapari . The best beaches, however, lie on the strip of coastline 50km south of Guarapari. The hinterland of Vitoria, far less visited, is exceptionally beautiful, a spectacular mix of lush forest, river valleys, mountains and granite hills. It's here that the state's real pleasures lie. The soils of this central belt are fertile, and since the latter part of the nineteenth century the area has been colonized by successive waves of Italians, Poles and Germans. Their descendants live in hillside homesteads and a number of small, very attractive country towns which combine a European feel and look with a thoroughly tropical landscape. If it weren't for the heat and the hummingbirds darting around, you might imagine yourself somewhere in Switzerland. The best way to view the region is to make the round of these towns: Santa Teresa , Santa Leopoldina , Santa Maria , Domingos Martins and Venda Nova - the last near the remarkable sheer granite face of Pedra Azul , one of the least-known but most spectacular sights in the country. All are easy to get to from Vitoria, not more than a couple of hours over good roads, with frequent buses. Around the towns, the lack of mineral deposits and the sheer logistical difficulties in penetrating such a hilly area have preserved huge chunks of the Mata Atlantica , the lush semi-deciduous forest that once covered all the coastal parts of southern Brazil. Credit should also go to the local Indians, notably the Botocudo, whose dedicated resistance pinned the Portuguese down throughout the colonial period.

Travel Details

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Buses

Belo Horizonte to: Belem (1 daily; 50hr); Brasilia (6 daily; 14hr); Campinas (5 daily; 13hr); Campo Grande (4 daily; 23hr); Caxambu (2 daily; 6hr); Congonhas (6 daily; 2hr); Cuiaba (2 daily; 33hr); Curitiba (2 daily; 18hr); Diamantina (6 daily; 6hr); Fortaleza (1 daily; 36hr); Goiania (6 daily; 16hr); Manhuacu (3 daily; 4hr 30min); Manhumirim (2 daily; 5hr); Mariana (7 daily; 2hr); Ouro Preto (17 daily; 2hr); Pocos de Caldas (4 daily; 8hr); Recife (1 daily; 40hr); Rio (20 daily; 8hr); Sabara (every 15min; 30min); Salvador (2 daily; 28hr); Santa Barbara (4 daily; 2hr 30min); Sao Joao del Rei (6 daily; 4hr); Sao Lourenco (2 daily; 6hr); Sao Paulo (15 daily; 12hr); Vitoria (7 daily; 8hr).

Diamantina to: Aracuai (2 daily; 5hr); Belo Horizonte (6 daily; 6hr); Sao Paulo (1 daily; 16hr); Serro (1 daily; 2hr).

Ouro Preto to: Belo Horizonte (17 daily; 2hr); Brasilia (Fri & Sat; 15hr); Mariana (every 20min; 30min); Rio (1 daily; 8hr); Sao Joao del Rei (2 daily; 5hr); Sao Paulo (2 daily; 12hr); Vitoria (1 daily, except Sat; 8hr).

Sao Joao del Rei to: Belo Horizonte (6 daily; 4hr); Caxambu (4 weekly; 3hr); Ouro Preto (2 daily; 5hr); Sao Paulo (2 daily; 8hr); Tres Coracoes (4 daily; 4hr); Vitoria (1 daily; 13hr).

Vitoria to: Belo Horizonte (7 daily; 8hr); Brasilia (1 daily; 22hr); Domingos Martins (13 daily; 1hr); Fortaleza (5 weekly; 36hr); Guarapari (every 30min; 1hr); Manhuacu (2 daily; 4hr); Manhumirim (2 daily; 4hr); Ouro Preto (1 daily; 7hr); Rio (9 daily; 7hr); Salvador (1 daily; 17hr); Santa Teresa (6 Mon-Sat, 3 on Sun; 2hr); Sao Joao del Rei (1 daily; 13hr); Sao Paulo (5 daily; 14hr); Venda Nova (hourly; 3hr).

Trains

Calling at all stations, including Governador Valadares and Itabira:

Belo Horizonte to: Vitoria (daily at 7am; 14hr).

Vitoria to: Belo Horizonte (daily at 6.30am; 14hr).

Explore Espirito Santo

Inland From Vitoria

In the hills and mountains inland from Vitoria are several small towns surrounded by superb walking country, great for a day-trip or as a base for a relaxing few days. You can easily spot where the first immigrants came from: the houses and churches of Santa Teresa look as Italian as those of Domingos Martins , Santa Leopoldina or Santa Maria look German. The smallest of these towns, Venda Nova , is home to the remarkable sight of Pedra Azul , a grey granite finger almost 1000m high, one of the unsung natural wonders of Brazil. If you're heading for Minas Gerais, Venda Nova lies on the main Vitoria-Belo Horizonte highway, Domingos Martins just off it. The area is a popular destination for residents of Vitoria, so if you plan to stay over a weekend - in particular in winter, when the novelty of the region's chilly temperatures is an added lure - pre-booking accommodation is advisable.

As a city, VITORIA is vaguely reminiscent of Rio with its combination of sea, steep hills, granite outcrops and irregularly shaped mountains on the horizon. Founded in 1551, it's one of the oldest cities in Brazil, but few traces of its past remain and nowadays most of the centre is urban sprawl. Vitoria is not a tourist town, and few people visit it unless they have a very definite reason. The heart of Vitoria is an island connected to the mainland by a series of bridges, but the city has long since broken its natural bounds, spreading onto the mainland north and south: the major beach areas are on these mainland zones, Camburi to the north and Vila Velha with its beach Praia da Costa to the south. Vitoria is renowned as the world capital of marlin fishing. It also has the unfortunate distinction of having the highest murder rate in Brazil and, although violence is unlikely to affect the casual visitor, appropriate care should be taken.