Trancoso: where hippies, adventurers and hedonists mix
LUNA LOVE, THE HIPPIE Luna arrives tired after an hour on a mid-level, European-style bus, but she has had to dance too much to the rhythm set by the curves of a national highway that skirts the entire coast. The journey from Arraial d'Ajuda , at least, it has been a kind of detoxification of asphalt: little by little civilization is abandoned to enter deep nature, in the explosion of mini ecosystems that occurs when jungle and ocean collide. She comes hoping to find what has made this town so famous: her hippie past. . Until the 1970s, Trancoso had survived at its own pace, with no more setbacks than the weather. The rural exodus began to decimate the population, which grew clouded by the neon lights of nearby cities such as Salvador de Bahía or Rio de Janeiro.
And then came the hippies. It mattered little to them that the only decent building was the church of São João, they were not looking for comfort but a purer coexistence with nature . In a way, the fact that Plaza de Quadrado was unpaved convinced them since they could make a living feeling the bushes and grasses on the soles of their feet. Luna arrives in order to populate one of those houses that her predecessors painted in histrionic colors , one of many that now serve as a souvenir shop. Obviously, 40 years later it is not the same, but nothing happens. Its 11,000 inhabitants have no problem recognizing that this cultural and social current was the one that breathed hope into the place . When the hippie vibe was mythologized, it became a magnet for designers and artists who gradually made the area 'cool', but without overly colonizing the spirit of the people.
Luna, despite all this, is comforted. The Quadrado continues to serve as a meeting point for artists and musicians that at night liven up the roost and take over the square, with authenticity and love of art. Life in Trancoso can continue to be simple and unapologetic.
HERNANDO, THE SYBARITE Hernando likes the good life, and he knows that Trancoso sneak in among the trending topics in the conversations of the country club . Even so, it is not such a common place to spend your long vacations, so it has two great advantages. The first, that he can boast of being in a destination not so well known among his friends. The second, that **there is still some authenticity in its streets and in its people, a feature of the province of Bahia** that cannot be missed.
And it is that in Trancoso everything is luxury . Especially in lodging, since the villas, hotels and resorts have landed on the right foot, knowing how to maintain a dialogue with nature. They have all kinds of comforts, yes, but they do not give up their great asset, which is the landscape and hand in hand with palm trees, mangroves and waves. Perhaps the most representative and most convincing are the Villas de Trancoso, largely due to their wide range of hotels and suites. It could not be less, being a place with so many environments and ecosystems that it seems like a nature theme park. It is clear that Hernando cannot let his wrist rust and for that he has the Club Med golf course at his disposal. And the beach? Itaporococa, the exclusive private backwater ideal for quiet while maintaining a status.
The night reserves for Hernando the most unforgettable picture of his trip. The walk through the Quadrado serves as an excuse to touch reality and to feel the closeness and diversity of its people. In his bars and restaurants he runs away from international food buffets to surrender to dishes with exotic names such as vatapá, moquecas, acarajé, feijoada or caruru ; all of them with native reminiscences and African and European influences. But the best is yet to come. With the setting of the sun and the absence of public electric lighting (except in the church), the Quadrado remains in the dark with the only lighting being the candles of the establishments and their terraces. Who was going to tell him that after so much light and color, the best came with the absence of the sun?
One of the Villas of Trancoso
ARTHUR, THE ADVENTURER Arturo's jeep is already resting quietly in a parking lot. It is only a small respite after a demanding effort that the adventurer takes advantage of to cross the Quadrado, haggle and ignore the São João temple, to go behind it and look out over the cliff. It is as promised, a wild cliff where you can admire the sea and the white beaches. And then it's all worth it. He had come hoping find a virgin and naked beauty , not with that of being a playful European like the 'winter birds' derogatory name with which the inhabitants refer to tourists and seasonal visitors.
Arturo is interested in beaches and mangroves. He quickly abandons the temptations of luxury and relaxation of the multiple hotels and villas that have mushroomed thanks to his fame to get lost in the small paradises that are hidden between the Rio da Barra and Praia do Coqueiros . This first one is one of the most attractive of the 12 kilometers of sandbanks that the municipality accumulates. And perhaps it is the most emblematic and significant, because of the red and white cliffs that attract almost more eyes than the calm waves. Normal. Arriving in Curuípe, he discovers the fishermen's houses that are still standing, although they are in the shadow of hotels and resorts that overwhelm him. Arturo continues his march to reach Nativos, the busiest beach in the municipality. In this case, he does not run away from the crowds, since he knows that he has a special attraction to which it is very difficult not to succumb: on each side of the beach a stream flows into the sea, forming small pools and making it possible to bathe in fresh and salt water in a matter of seconds, a real privilege. Arturo ends his excursion with a good taste in his mouth in Patimirim. Here there is nothing but tranquility, mangroves and unconquered sand esplanades.
The beaches of Trancoso
The interior of one of the Trancoso Villas