Caravelas - municipality of Bahia State, Brazil
Caravelas is a coastal city in Bahia, a state of Northeast Brazil.
Understand
Get in
By car
- From the north, continue on BR101 until you reach Teixeira de Freitas. From here you will drive for about 90km before you reach Caravelas.
- From the south, turn right and head towards Juerana village. This is the quickest way of coming from the south if you're driving a good four-wheel drive. In total it is a stretch of 80km of really bad road until you reach Caravelas.
- If your car is not four-wheel drive, carry on BR101 continue on BR101 until you reach Teixeira de Freitas (it is about 50km from the entrance to Juerana). From here you will drive for about 90km before you reach Caravelas.
NOTE: These roads are pretty good and you can develop some good speed, but you should be aware of pedestrians and animals crossing the road. There are many people cycling between towns and they do not pay much attention when crossing the road. Animals are also a problems due to the farms surrounding the road. "Blind bends" are extremely dangerous, so do not enter them on full speed. Always reduce your speed. If driving at night you MUST DOUBLE YOUR ATTENTION and run-overs of humans and animals are frequent in this road.
By bus
Simply take any bus going to Caravelas. The bus station is in the heart of town and the town is very small. After five minutes walking you can find your way around.
Get around
On foot
It is the best way to get around town. It is very small town and you can basically reach anywhere on foot.
By car
Not much need for a car. Once you arrive with your car and park it at the hotel, you probably won't need it until you're leaving town. Unless, of course, you're too lazy to walk... :o)
By boat
It is not for getting around town, but is a good way to know Viçosa and Caribê rivers and their beautiful mangroves.
See
There is not much to see in Caravelas itself (the continental part) and people normally go to Caravelas to visit and dive in Abrolhos an archipelago off Caravelas coast.
While in Caravelas you must see:
- Abrolhos - It is an archipelago off the coast of Caravelas. The best time to visit is between July and November when whales arrive from Antarctica to breed in its warm coastal waters...
- Parcel das Paredes - If you are going to Parcel das Paredes be ready to spend the night. If a rocking boat is a problem, you're better off not going or you should take something for sea sickness. A good choice of guide is Sérginho (also, go with him to the Mangue, see below). His contact is as follows: Sérgio Freire, phone (073) 8808 9987
- Mangue - Mangue stands for mangrove in Portuguese.
The main river (Viçosa) is of a salty water and good for swimming and fishing.
There are many different types of fish, shrimp, crabs, oyster (which can be harvested in the mangrove and eaten on the spot). Alongside the river there are the people locally known as ribeirinhas.
These people live pretty much an unspoiled way of life in the quietness of the river. If you have the opportunity, you should visit them. They are very welcoming and humble people who enjoy talking to outsiders.
If you plan to visit the mangrove and swim among the mangrove trees, make sure you have a T-shirt on you. There are loads of tiny fish around looking for food and they tend to bite. It does not hurt, but for those not used to it may be an odd and uncomfortable experience.
Also do not step on the mangrove ground. You should float at all times! The main reason for not stepping on the ground is that it after the low tide the oysters end up hidden in the water and if you step on them you can cut yourself pretty bad.
If you plan to visit the mangue, you will go on a small fishing boat and spend the day out. You can contact Sérginho who is a great guide and will show the place. He also owns a nice restaurant where he is the chef... He's a great cook! The contact details are: Sérgio Freire, phone (073) 8808 9987.
- Caribê River It is one of the arms of the main river and its banks are covered mainly in mangroves. The forest around the river is intact and keeps its natural untouched beauty.
Do
Eat
- Carenagem restaurant
Drink
Not many places to go, but there are some nice local bars where you can mingle with the locals. A nice restaurant (with good food) is Carenagem at the end of the main road next to the gas station.
Sleep
- Pousada dos Navegantes, Rua das Palmeiras Nº 45 - Centro. ZIP Code: 45900-000, Phones: +55 73 3297-1401 / +55 73 8811-2592 (abrolhos@pousadanavegantes.com.br) (dead link: May 2020). A very cosy B&B in the heart of Caravelas. The owners (Josanar and Ana) are a very friendly couple who are always ready to help. If you need any help, talk to them and they will sort you out.
Go next
The shortest way out by car is via Juerana village. However, the map shows this stretch of 70km as being asphalt. The truth is something else. You will probably find 3km of asphalt at best. The rest is a tremendous offroad experience and the 70km becomes 300km, as you cannot develop speed unless you're driving an SUV.
If you, however, want some offroad experience, then it may be worth your while. Just ensure your car is in good shape or you're driving with someone else in case of a breakdown.
Otherwise, you should head straight to Teixeira de Freitas and get onto BR101 (which is in bad state, but drivable). Be careful of potholes and "craters" on BR101.
By car
- To the north by car, BR101 North will take you to some other beautiful and sought-after spots such as Ilhéus, Porto Seguro, Morro de São Paulo and Salvador. All these cities are within the state of Bahia.
- To the south on BR101, your first stop should be São Matheus, in the state of Espírito Santo. This is a great place to visit with beautiful beaches. Make a special effort to go to Guriri.
If you continue south, the next best option is Linhares with Brazil's largest lakes. Other options in Espírito Santo are: Pontal do Ipiranga (which can be reached from Linhares) and Vitória, the state's capital city.