Road Trip from São Paulo to Salvador Exudes Beautiful Views

02/05/2015 - 08h44

Would you like to take your car and hit the road from Southeastern Brazil to the Northeast?

Then, you should avoid the rain season between April and July. It is likely that highways become more dangerous during that time, and beaches become less attractive.

In the luggage it is essential to take a first aid kit with medication and water. Equipment such as a snorkel and a waterproof bag may be useful.

Travelling such a long itinerary - 4.500 km were covered - the best tip is to choose the destinations with the help of friends, tour guides and social networking sites.

The latter, in fact, came in handy when choosing hotels. Tourists's comments on websites such as Trip Advisor and Hotel Urbano were used.

At the beginning of the trip the views at Paraty were taken in, as well as some beautiful islands in Angra dos Reis and the beaches around Arraial do Cabo, all in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

On the way back to São Paulo, motorway BR-116 cuts through Minas Gerais and emanates mountainous views.

The state of Bahia, especially Cumuruxatiba, is worth one of the best moments of the road trip: calm beaches and cliffs covered in palm trees.

Another stop with great value for money is Morro de São Paulo, also in the state of Bahia, which has a restricted number of vehicles allowed at any given time - the car was parked in Valença (US$18 for three days), where the motorboat leaves from.

On the other hand, visiting peaceful Caraíva is pricey - the highest prices were registered here. A simple lunch for one person hardly costs less than US$11.

From there to Espelho beach the boat trip costs US$37 per tourist. By car it is cheaper: the 20 km dirt road is in good condition and parking on the beach costs US$7.

With or without puddles, driving on Brazilian highways is not easy. On the way out of São Paulo, the worst stretches start after Vitória, capital of the state of Espírito Santo.

From then on, BR-101 highway has one lane for most of the way, which makes it difficult to overtake large trucks.

Even so, after everything, only two questions remain: when and where will be the next destination?

US$ 1,350
was the cost per person for the trip, which took place in September during the low season; the average hotel price per night was US$43

4,500 km
was the total distance covered in 24 days: 90 hours and 49 minutes with the car on; average speed 61.3km/h

300 liters
of gas were spent in a similar make to a Chevrolet Sonic with the air conditioning on for most of the time; average consumption 15.3km/l

Translated by CRISTIANE COSTA LIMA

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