Living In Bahia: Exploring Trancoso, Bahia

First, time I noticed Trancoso, Bahia was on a travel post on Instagram. The camera panning the amazing beach with white lace drapes on canopy bungalows blowing in the ocean breeze. I thought this looked romantic and might be the perfect place to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary. When I told my wife, she said Trancoso, Bahia is the playground for the famous Brazilian musicians. Now, that really piqued my interest. On my research I found Beyonce and Leonardo Di Caprio also stayed there. Wow, major American performers! 

Folks, there is a journey in traveling to Trancoso.  By car, it is a 12-hour drive from Salvador, however only a 1-hour flight to Porto Seguro, plus an hour drive to reach Trancoso. Porto Seguro was originally called Santa Cruz de Cabralia the birthplace of Brasil where the Portuguese first landed. Brasil as a country is named after a native tree found in this region of Bahia.

Brazil (spelled Brasil in Portuguese) was discovered in 1500 by the Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral, who landed near the present-day city of Santa Cruz de Cabralia in the state of Bahia. At that time, pau brasil was plentiful in the coastal forests of Brazil. The sap was economically important because it was used for dying cloth, but today the tree is best known as the source of highly prized timber used to create bows for string instruments such as violins and cellos. - Scott A. Mori, Ph.D. Nathaniel Lord Britton Curator of Botany at The New York Botanical Garden.

On our arrival, Porto Seguro airport was relatively small.  Rental car was smooth at Localiza which partners with American car rental agencies such as Enterprise, Alamo and Hertz. This is good to know because you definitely need a car in this region. Porto Seguro has maintained its colonial history. To preserve its history, developers are not allowed to build modern tall buildings, mostly flat one- or two-story structures.  The port itself retains colorful the Portuguese fisherman houses like most small towns on the Bahian coast. The mouth of the river which flows into the bay is very wide. We took our car across like the locals on a short ferry boat to the other side.

The hour’s drive from Porto Seguro was stunningly beautiful with steep rolling hills and farms (fazendas) on every side. This is the Bahia agricultural heartland of fruit trees, mango, cacau, papaya, jackfruit trees and sugarcane just to name a few.  Thankfully, I rented an SUV which came in very handy over the hilly terrain. 

On the road, we pasted an Indigenous reserve. In contrast to Salvador, Bahia with the African influence, in this southern region of Bahia, the Indigenous influence the art and culture.  For example, the colorful handmade headdress made by the Indigenous are sold as art. You can find them everywhere, on the beach, on the street in the Troncoso square and sold in boutique shops.

The amount increases in that order, R$300,00 on the beach, R$1.000 on the street to R$1.500 and more in the boutiques. (In USD that is roughly $61.00, $200 and $306) This is very expensive in the Brazilian economy.  Some of the headdresses are framed and used as decoration in the upscale hotels.

Another cultural influence, the Trancoso area is known for cacau which is the fruit that chocolate is processed. In my travel research, I found that one can take a tour, meet the Indigenous and sample their cacao.  We didn't take the tour, however found a wonderful boutique chocolate store in the historic center of Trancoso called Dengo. This store speaks of the confluence of eco-tourism, sustainability of local farmers, community building, the African and Indigenous cultures with their Bahia, Portuguese, Brazilian heritages. The picture below is from the Dengo website. 

Den.Go - An untranslatable word that traveled across the Atlantic Ocean from the African continent to Brazilian soil. In Portuguese, Dengo means affection, love and charm. A special something that certain individuals have that captivates and inspires others. It also describes a gift you bring to surprise a loved one. - the Dengo website. 

All this is about chocolate you say. Yes. The chocolate itself is divine, smooth, sweet but not sugary sweet, velvety and melts within a second of touching your lips. You don't have to chew at all, just let it melt and enjoy the deep complex flavor. 

How do I know all of this?  Well, be warned. A very attractive saleswoman will give you samples...lots and lots of samples, with the expectation that you will purchase a block of chocolate for each sample that she gave you. I fell into this enticing trap one time in Miami with Cuban coffee.  This is where your sheer will power, and an all-seeing lovely wife come into play...however, I felt compelled to buy one for their wonderful hospitality. Just one...

Back to the journey to Trancoso. Remember earlier, I was glad I rented an SUV. Well, the GPS decided to take us on a short cut on a dirt road.  Not unusual in Bahia, other than going down a 40-degree sloped hill, with a blind corner and a pond at the bottom.  Thing about dirt roads, there are the deep ruts that can snap your axel if you're not careful. In the rain it must be a nightmare! I'm thinking how they got Beyonce through this?! This is rural Bahia off-roading! At one point, I was expecting the Jurassic Park theme and T-Rex to appear from beyond the bamboo. 

Finally, merged on to a main road, arriving to the town and I have to admit. I was underwhelmed at first.  One road, nothing special.  Just regular Bahia folks doing regular Bahia things. Pharmacies, little bars and little mercados. However, I noticed more hand-crafted art stores. Art shops usually means affluence. However, it was not oblivious at first. In contrast, entering Praia do Forte in the northern Bahia, it permeates affluence from entrance of the cobblestone palm tree lined streets to its upscale shops and restaurants. 

Entering Trancoso, the historic central area of town the Quadrado had a different feel. I would describe it as elegant, rustic, eco-hippies. Similar to New Hope, Pennsylvania or Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts with their little boutiques.  Trancoso is more ecofriendly and natural. Not a touristy vibe here, it's more like a natural elegance. Women dress in flowing skirts, sundresses or wraps, and guys are plain tee shirts and shorts not wearing name brands. It screams tourist, when you see Nike, Addias and American name brands all over the place. Not here folks. We entered an eco-European playground. 

Makes sense, in speaking with the waiters from several restaurants, they said their clientele was mostly from Europe and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The French in particular. So much so, at the car rental in Porto Seguro, the reservationist, said to me in English. You look like a tourist. Do you speak English? Great, because I struggle with French, I can't understand a word they say. C’est la vie. I thought.  

On historical note, according to a Brazilian website `Trancoso is a town located in the south of the state of Bahia, Brazil, which originated from a Jesuit village called São João Batista dos Índios, founded in 1586. It was rediscovered in the late 70s by a group of hippies. At the time, it was just a group of houses on each side of a large lawn with a church in the background, one of the oldest in Brazil, with a wonderful view of the sea. Today, this space, which is Praça São João in the historic center of Trancoso, is called "Quadrado", a "corner of the World" and a Historical Heritage of Humanity. Due to its primitivism and exuberant nature, Trancoso began to attract people from all over the world.´

The Jesuits! Of course, it had to be the Jesuits! Who else would build a church on the best property overlooking the sea! In all my travels in Bahia, every beach community has a church positioned in a prime location for the fisherman and the local community to attend.  They all have beautiful views of the ocean!  The view from Praça São João is spectacular! There was a priest outside speaking with some young people who were playing a guitar as the sun was settling and I thought...A.M.D.G.  

There is so much more to this story...to be continued. 

My dear readers, I am pleased to be your guide to the diverse cultures and regions of Bahia.  I am pleased to announce. I am a certified travel advisor for the FORA Travel agency. I can book luxury hotels and 4-star hotels, tours and cruises for you in Brazil or anywhere in the world! I can help you experience these amazing places! Contact me on Linked In  Howard Tucker | LinkedIn

I write travel articles for the FORA partner hotels. My story of Trancoso will continue with a FORA travel guide featuring our stay at the Etnia Casa Hotel and the fabulous restaurants! Stay tuned. 

Abraços! 

Howard