Prado, in Bahia, Attracts Tourists and Humpback Whales in Search of Peace and Warm Waters

03/09/2017 - 11h20

Two hundred and ten kilometers from the busy tourist destination of Porto Seguro, in the Brazilian state of Bahia, Prado welcomes those in search of some peace and quiet.

The city is a meeting point for tourists from the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo who take advantage of the short distance to the south of Bahia – Prado is not on the list of hype destinations yet.

There are 84 kilometers of beaches surrounded by cliffs up to 30 meters high. The sea water is so warm that tourists are never surprised by cold temperatures as they dip their feet in the water.

The pleasant temperature does not attract only cold-natured tourists. From July to November, humpback whales also visit the area to mate and give birth to their offspring.

That is why the region that goes from the most southern point in Bahia to Prado is called the Whales Coast.

To see them, the best way is to take a boat ride to the Abrolhos archipelago, some 70 kilometers off the coast.

Prado stretches its influence in the neighboring touristic area called the Discovery Coast. A short conversation with the local residents is enough to see them annoyed by the official version of Brazil's history, which holds that, in 1500, the Portuguese first reached the Brazilian shore of what would become Porto Seguro.

Before anchoring their ships in Porto Seguro, expedition leader Pedro Álvares Cabral allegedly had made a stop in Barra do Cahy.

Other than a restaurant on the sea shore, everything in the area is very similar to the landscape found 500 years ago: red cliffs, white sands, coconut trees, mangroves and a river that flows to the sea.

From the boat sailing along the coast, it is possible to see the Pascoal hill, 536 meters high. The hill was described in the historical first letter written by Pero Vaz de Caminha sent from the recently discovered country – the local residents believe that it is the proof that Prado was actually the first point visited by the Portuguese explorers.

If tourists are looking for isolation, it is best to keep on towards the most northern point of the city. As it is difficult to arrive there (along 55 kilometers of dirt roads) Corumbau means "far from all worries" in the language of the native Pataxó tribe.

The lack of cell phone reception helps tourists turn off and connect with the local attractions.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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