Brazil Sightseeing Guide #3 - Alcobaça, Bahia

Greetings Steemians! Welcome to another Brazil Sightseeing Guide! This time we leave Rio de Janeiro to go up a bit to the North and discover a small historical town, but not lacking beauties and attractions named Alcobaça, in Southern Bahia.

A bit of History

The town of Alcobaça was officially founded in 1772, when Portuguese expeditionary groups were sent to explore the new found land. Due to the fertile grounds and proximity to both sea and the Itanhém river, settlements started to pop up in the region, mostly from people coming from the neighbor Caravelas Village.

The indigenous groups were considered hostiles in the region and fights often broke out but, although the city was considered rather unsafe, that wouldn't hinder the growth of the town. The name Alcobaça was a homage to the Portuguese city of same name where, legends say, the first inhabitants of the village came from.

Alcobaça today

A Humpback whale welcomes you at the doorstep!

The town currently has over 23000 inhabitants. The town is known for its fishermen village, located at the southern region, where you can find fish and shrimps at a ridiculously low price. Its main attractions are the calm and bucolic lifestyle, that completely changes during holidays and Carnaval, where several local and national bands and singers, mostly from country music and axé, go to the town in this part of the year.

One of the main gathering points for the crowd is the Beach Square, a wide area a few meters from the beach sand, where you can find several stands with the most varied snacks and beverages.

Another attraction are the historical buildings preserved since the 18th century. Among them are the Main Church of Saint Bernard, still active until today, and even senzalas, dorm rooms for the slaves at the time, where you can attend to scheduled visitations.

We're talking about a coastal town, so the beaches couldn't be neglected at all. Different from the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and other southernmost regions, these ones have a very inviting warm water. The waters remain calm most of the year, what creates the ideal conditions for casual divers and even fishers. The wide shores and long strings of white sand ornament the beautiful vistas of the place.

During calm weather, the waters look like something out of the Caribbean! If you're lucky enough, you can even sight some dolphins at the distance!

One of the town's landmarks is the Water Tower square, located in the middle of the town. It's an area surrounded by restaurants and souvenir stores, where tourists that wish to bring home a little bit of the spirit of the town can find some nice material to bring back home.

A view of the still active Water Tower square. I used to spend some good time wandering around there.

Another landmark is the old Lighthouse that, like the main church, remains active and is located at the northernmost Lighthouse beach, about a half-an-hour walk from the centre of the town. Around there lies a few hotels and some season houses.

A picture of the old Lighthouse.

The town is a great pick if you're looking forwards to know a new place without having to spend much. I used to travel to the place yearly to visit my granny during school vacations. Sadly it's been a long time I don't go there, but trust me. It's a dream place. Once you go there, you don't wanna come back. It's a different lifestyle, far away from the stressful big city routine. Great place for a rest and to meet new cultures.

This concludes this chapter! I hope you enjoy the guide and please go visit the place! It's gonna be a great experience! Thanks and steem on, people!

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