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Available Package
Pousada Etnia
Ok, let’s sum things up quickly. Over the last three summer seasons, the Trancoso region has acquired; a Club Med, several famous clothing stores, an antique shop, a world-class 18 hole golf course, two ultra-exclusive gated communities, a bookstore, and now….Oi Veh, a delicatessen! I know what you’re thinking, “there goes the neighborhood”. Well folks I must disagree. Trancoso is simply receiving an upgrade!
Apparently, depite all the newness everything remains as it has always been. The Square, layed out by the Jesuits 450 years ago, remains with its two rows of brightly painted cottages, without light posts or bright lights in the storefronts. In the afternoons, local boys still play soccer in front of the ancient church. When it rains the bare patches of the Square become muddy, and a big part of the lawn becomes a marsh, just as it always has. Low end tourists from Porto Seguro, just down the road, continue to overlook Trancoso, finding it “boring” (thank God). Below the Village, on the beach, you can’t tell there are any new condos, as they are expertly hidden away in the Atlantic Rainforest.
The major threat to the rusticity of Trancoso doesn’t come from the village itself but from just outside. Terravista, officially still part of the neighboring town of Arraial d'Ajuda, lies just 7 kilometers from Trancoso. The exclusive Terravista golf community, which by the way, is also where Club Med is located, has been chosen as the future address of two more planned resorts. So far the impact of Terravista on Trancoso has been positve. The year-round stream of tourists attracted to Terravista keeps the restaurants and shops of Trancoso open during the low season.
Truth be told, Trancoso remains super-laid back, almost asleep during 11 months and 20 days. It only loses this tranquility 10 days a year: between Christmas and New Year’s Eve...then, my friend, Trancoso literally boils! During this brief period all the different tribes unite. You’ll meet the shoeless hippy-founders, the new socialites from Sao Paulo, Rio, and Salvador, the Ravers from all over who mount their massive transe-house parties on Rio Verde Beach and those unfortunates like me who didnt realize that the best time to visit is between January 5th and December 25th. Outside of this week between Christmas and New Year’s Trancoso is the most enchanting beach destination in Brazil. The Square remains an unforgettable place which still hasn’t fallen before real estate speculators. The halucinatory, savagely beautiful beaches wih names like Rio da Barra and Ponta da Itapororoca which roll off the tongue like honey offer visitors an open invitation to “explore”. This is a good thing because you’ll need some excercise to walk off the incredible meals you’ll enjoy in Trancoso’s amazing restaurants. At night restaurants near the square glitter with candlelight, as you sit under the stars watching fireflies sparkle around the church. I can’t imagine a more romantic spot to be than here, under the light of a full moon.
But you don’t necessarily need to break the bank to discover the joys of Hippy-Chic. There are still simple pousadas even on the village Square and restaurants with prices that mere mortals like me can still afford. In the end, the best things here, as in life, are free. Long walks along the beach under millions of stars. Chasing fireflies with the one you love. Watching the kids laugh and play soccer. Take my advice visit in the off season. In that way the hippy that still remains after the chic will be practically all yours to enjoy.
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