4 Days in Trancoso Brazil

After our short layover in Sao Paulo, it was time for us to fly about 1.5 hours to Porto Seguro Airport, to relax in Trancoso, a small beach town in Bahia. 

Why Trancoso? How did you find out about Trancoso? 

When planning our Brazil trip itinerary, we knew we wanted to relax somewhere near the beach for a few days before heading to Rio. Surprisingly, it was not easy for us to find beach towns in Brazil, in the same way we might research destinations within countries for other trips. We stumbled upon Itacare and Trancoso from Google Maps research of coastal areas in Brazil, and then looked up information about each one. There were very few blog posts in English that would help us assess each one, despite them being so popular with tourists in general.

In the end, we chose Trancoso. Both places had nice beach settings and good accommodation choices but we were unsure about renting a car in Brazil on this first trip, and that’s how Trancoso edged out Itacare. There were more hotel options that were walkable to things in Trancoso than Itacare based on our personal preferences.

Trancoso has:

• Nice hotels
• Nice beaches
• Interesting food options
• Walkable
• Good time of the year to visit based on weather trends
• Non-stop flights between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

More about Trancoso:

Trancoso is a small village in Brazil’s Bahia province, founded in the 1500s by Jesuits. Trancoso was relatively unknown until the 70s but since, tourism has been slowly growing, as tourist infrastructure improves. Prior to the highway being built in the 1990s, Trancoso was much more difficult to access and yet today, the roads in and around the area are mostly unpaved. Now, one can find all the modern amenities that are common in touristy spots, while also enjoying the small town atmosphere. 

Is it like Tulum (Mexico)? Is it like Ubud (Bali)? Is it like San Pancho (Mexico) ? Is it like Santa Teresa (Costa Rica)? There are some similarities, but Trancoso has its own identity and atmosphere. As an upscale destination for mostly Brazilian tourists, followed by the French, it doesn’t appear to be suffering from the mass tourism and over tourism that other idyllic beach towns are facing.

There are enough things to do and from speaking to the manager at our hotel,  most people stay for 5 days. That’s a good amount of time to rest, enjoy the beach, do a few tours, and enjoy the restaurants in towns. 

When we write our post about “idyllic beach towns you may never have heard of”, Trancoso will definitely be on the list!

Where to Stay: Casa de Pera Inda

Our hotel, Casa de Perainda added to our magical days in Trancoso.Our days were filled with slow-paced multi course breakfasts with the hotel guest and staff, enjoying the hotel pool, and relaxing in our stunning room. 

Our Days in Trancoso:

We also spent time walking the beach and visiting beach clubs. Evenings were also magical and always included walking around the town’s picturesque Quadrado after dinner. In between, we would also watch the local residents play soccer in the Quadrado, people doing capoeira, and taking photos of the church and other buildings.

Tips to Visit Trancoso:

• Cash VS Card: Like in Sao Paolo, credit card was widely accepted everywhere. Most restaurants add the 10% service charge already and so you don’t need to have tons of cash to tip and can use just small bills/change to round up as you wish. One beach club did not charge the service charge or allow us to add the tip on the card: only cash was accepted.

• Budget: Generally, we found Trancoso expensive but what it offered made it worth it for us. We were visiting during a quieter time and it gets even more expensive in peak times, like Christmas and during festivals. For example, it is not easy to find accommodations under $250USD, meals in the Quadrado will cost $100USD++, and beach clubs have minimum consumption per person that range from $50USD-$150USD. There are some more budget friendly accomodations, like hostels, guest houses, and smaller pousadas. Eating at restaurants outside of the Quadrado is also more budget friendly.
• Getting Around: To get to Trancoso from Porto Seguro, it takes about 45-60 minutes, depending on how fast your driver is driving! When in Trancoso, you can easily walk to most things within 10-15 minutes. The beach is also nice to walk on. You can also rent quads or motorbikes if you want to venture out more. Taxis are also plentiful and we took one to Praia Tartarugas one day for about $10 each way.

• Safety: Overall, we found Trancoso to be very safe, but we did take general precautions, i.e. not leave out things unattended on the beach when swimming, leave purses or wallets on tables or chairs outside, and took less things with us walking at night outside of the Quadrado area. Yes, you can walk at night, and it is very nice to see all the lights in the trees in the Quadrado.
• When to Visit: We visited in October. Overall, the weather was nice but we did have a few cloudier and windier days. You can have a look at this post for more information about weather trends in Brazil.
• Where to Eat: Here are a few places we would recommend for meals, but from speaking with people, everyone has their favorites!
  • Ginger: We often avoid fusion restaurants, as they can be very hit and miss, but Ginger was a pleasant surprise and we highly recommend it! We enjoyed the papaya salad and shared a curry. It was fun to sit outside in the alley and also enjoy their delicious cocktails!
  • Silvana & Cia: We knew we wanted to try a fish moqueca and the best place to do so would be Trancoso! After careful consideration, we chose Silvana & Cia in the Quadrado because it was offered during lunch, and the price was more reasonable than other places. It was a very enjoyable meal and setting.
  • Sao Jao Batista Burgers and Pizzas: This is a quaint and low-key spot to enjoy homemade pizzas and burgers just steps outside of the Quadrado. Everything here is homemade and the service is very welcoming. Prices are very reasonable too. **A special thanks to the hostess who realized we didn’t speak Portuguese and found another patron to help translate the menu!
  • Ca Cozinha: We stumbled upon Ca Conzinha while walking outside the Quadrado one evening. As we were not very hungry, we decided to give this a try. They serve “esfihas”, which are Brazilian meat pies. They have meat and vegetarian options. We enjoyed a couple of esfihas each, with a few cold beers. Since our visit, we have learned that Ca Conzinha has opened up a 2nd location in the Quadrado. They also do take out, if you want to grab some for the beach.
  • La Cevicheria: This is a small restaurant outside of the Quadrado that serves up Peruvian style ceviche and other dishes.
  • Praia Tartarugas Beach Club: We took our hotel’s advice and booked a day here to enjoy the beach, food, and drinks. As we were more interested in the dishes on the beach menu, we stayed here instead of going up to the restaurant for lunch. They had all kinds of things, like fish moqueca, steaks, fish, etc. Overall, the food and service were impeccable and we are happy we came to relax here.

• Where to Stay: Here are some hotel options for you to consider for your trip to Trancoso.
  • Casa de Perainda: We are not sure we could come back to Brazil without coming back to stay here! This small, 6 room boutique hotel has all the luxuries you can need/want, with the comfort of “your casa”. The staff welcome you to “your home” for your stay. Two major highlights were the lavish multi-course breakfasts each morning with the hotel GM and other guest, and the expansive indoor/outdoor bathroom with a large soaker tub.
  • Hotel e Resort Villas de Trancoso: We considered staying here due to the location on the beach, but it is too far to walk into town and we wanted to avoid using taxis all the time or renting a car. If you are looking to stay at a more secluded resort setting and want to take transportation/drive yourself into town, then you may enjoy staying here. We did enjoy a day at the beach club here, and found the food and service to be very good.
  • Uxua Casa Hotel y Spa: Uxua is probably one of the most renowned hotels in the region (along with their beach club). Uxua renovated some of the village’s casitas to preserve their heritage but also incorporate modern style and luxury.
  • Hotel Fasano Trancoso: This is a new resort built about a 10 minute drive outside of the main Trancoso Quadrado area. For those who are unfamiliar, Fasano is an upscale luxury Brazilian hotel chain. We considered staying here due to how nice the rooms are but the walkability discouraged us.

Summary:

As we sit at home and write this post, we dream of returning to Trancoso as part of another trip to Brazil. This small town in Bahia with beautiful beaches, and picturesque village square that is touristy but still full of local life, has enchanted us in ways we never imagined. Paired with our exceptional stay at Casa de Perainda, delicious food, and friendly people, it is truly a magical place, one that you never knew could exist!