Morro de São Paulo

Morro de São Paulo

In Bahia State shores, a hill located at an island south from Salvador (the capital city of Bahia State), became one of the most famous destinations of domestic tourism in Brazil: Morro de São Paulo (hill of Saint Paul).

The fortress at Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, northeast Brazil

The easiest way to get there is to take one of the catamarans, big speedy boats departing from Salvador harbor, at Cidade Baixa, directly to Morro de São Paulo. 

The boats at Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, northeast Brazil

The catamarans dock at the historic fortress harbor in Morro, where guys can take tourists´bags to their hotels or inns.

The docking place at Morro de São Paulo

The docking place at Morro de São Paulo

The church at the historic village at Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, northeast Brazil

A big tree welcomes visitors at Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, northeast Brazil

Other options of transportation would take very long time. It is possible to go by car from Salvador to Valença, the nearest city from Morro. In this case, it is required to do the turn around the Bahía de Todos os Santos (All Saints Bay), a task that will demand lots of time. From Valença, small boats can eventually take tourists to Morro, but it won´t be a professional tourism company, so I would recommend this option only for adventurers careless about comfort or spending more time. 

Atop the hill, the historic city hosts restaurants, snack bars, small stores, banks and souvenir shops, as well as some hotels. 

The church at Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, northeast Brazil

The village at Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, northeast Brazil

Beyond the historical village and the fortress, the place consists of five beautiful beaches, one after the other, reachable either by boat or by walking.  The further beach you stay, the calmer it will  be, as you can get more isolated from the crowds at the village center; however, the most distant beach you stay, the harder it gets to arrive at your hotel. 

As a compensation, you can feel more integrated with nature.  

The first beach and its village at Morro de São Paulo, view from the sea. This is the most urbanized among the beaches.

A guy taking some tourist stuff somewhere in Morro de São Paulo

It is common people gets seasick during this trip, speacially if the sea is rough. But the journey takes about one hour, and it is recommended to look out the horizon in order to avoid getting seasick.

Nevertheless, the photos can prove the place is worth visiting while in Bahia, the land of all saints. 

The view of the Atlantic from Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, northeast Brazil

A hotel at the historic village at Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, northeast Brazil

A hotel at the historic village at Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, northeast Brazil