Santo Andre I Bahia I Brasil
I recently read an article about desperate tourism which spoke about how we over schedule, overproduce and like to schedule any tourism to the second to make sure we enjoy every last second of our very limited time away from work. The result is we travel to different destinations and instead of experiencing it, we spend all of our time desperately checking boxes.
I guess this is why I enjoyed Santo Andre so much. This remote beach village located 1 hour away from Porto Seguro in Bahia, Brasil, is still raw and wild and has somehow maintained its magic throughout the years.
A fishermen’s village located where the João de Tiba River meets with the sea. It became famous as the training camp base for the German national football team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and I think this is why they may have won the world cup that year as the hotel that was set up for their stay was nothing short of luxurious. Campo Bahia Pousada offers high end rooms, upscale cuisine and a Spa by L’Occitane. Our days spent there were slow paced and restful, with kayak trips during low tide, walks on the beach, boat rides to nearby reefs, dining by the river and watching the moon rise from the sea. One could say time stops in Santo Andre, and instead of spending your holidays checking boxes and overscheduling your days, this place allows you to be guided by nature and allowing the tide to determine your activities.
Nearby Restaurante Maria Nilza, is one those places you want to keep secret. A restaurant set in a Guaiu and next to Baia dos Coqueiros, you can spend the morning on the beach, hacing traditional Bahian cuisine and finishing the afternoon lounging on the warm river sipping caipirinhas, waiting for the sun to set. Ran by the luminous Maria Nilza who will make sure to address each of her guests personally with lot’s of love, this is a magical place.
There are few places left in the world where you can still spend your holidays without seeing hordes of tourists on their phones and truly experience their surroundings. Not to worry. Here you won’t see a soul.
Where to stay:
Campo Bahia - Recommended by Michelin and famous for hosting the German team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, this hotel offers luxurious rooms, friendly service and a beautiful location on the beach
Where to eat:
João de Tiba Restaurant - One of the best moqueca’s we have ever eaten but locals also flock here for their burgers
Gaivota - Offering stunning views on the river Gaivota offers brilliant Bahian cuisine indlucing moqueca and bobo de camarao
Maria Nilza Restaurant - Magical restaurant near Santo Andre. You will need a car to get here as it is 30 minutes from Santo Andre. Don’t miss the lobster rice, bobo de camarao and moqueca here. Finish the meal off by having one of the many ice cream flavours of local fruits.
