Vila Velha – A village not so old

[highlight]Leia em Português[/highlight]

The capital of Espírito Santo was the destination, and as I also wanted to enjoy the beaches, I ended up in the neighbour city Vila Velha – in Costa Beach, to be more specific. It is considered the best one by friends and travel blogs. An urban beach full of modern high buildings. It is quite beautiful, with a bike lane, leisure areas and an esplanade, with people playing sports or taking a walk till dark, when everything is lit up. The seashore is much alike at both beaches: Itapoã and Itaparica, home of fishermen and with less modern architecture.

I spent three days enjoying the sun lying on the sand in the morning and going on tours in the afternoon. Highlights to Penha Convent – a steep ascent on a rock trail, which can also be done through the longest road, until you reach the best view of the city: a huge rock opened to Vitória Bay. A break for pictures and we keep hiking, thinking about the thousands of people who visit the convent. It stands on the top of the mountain and is seen everywhere. In Vitória, there is even a street where it is not allowed to construct buildings that interfere in the view to the convent. Up there you have a 360-degree view of both cities with much wind.

Another attraction is Vale Museum, which tells the story of the iron road connecting Espírito Santo to Minas Gerais. It is a pleasant place on the banks of Vitória Bay, there is the largest train model in the country and an original steam train. There was a couple of newly weds there taking pictures.

Now, what I always heard about this city is the Garoto Factory, but they do not make it easy for the tourists; the guided tours take place on working days with previous schedule, and the store is open on Saturday morning only. It was a holiday and the most I was able to see was the yellow box from afar. Morro do Moreno I saw from afar too, it is at the end of Costa Beach and is crowded with people doing hang-gliding and paragliding. Some say the view to Vitória Bay and Vila Velha is beautiful, it made me want to go hiking there.

Take Note

Accommodation: Transamérica Passárgada well located in Costa Beach. The rooms are big and comfy, the breakfast is reasonable, but the terrace with the pool and breakfast is the best part. Restaurant: Villa Vecchia in the hotel lobby. Excellent service and Italian cuisine with a view to the beach. The cod fish dumpling was exquisite. See more places where to eat at Espírito Santo cuisine.[/box]  

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Translated by Lúcia Maciel
English teacher