I visited the Covento da Penha, I enjoyed Praia da Costa both as a neighbourhood and as a beach, and I climbed the Morro do Moreno.
But wait, there are other hidden gems in Vila Velha…
Ilhas Itatiaia
Walk along Praia dos Pescadores and you can be sure one of the fishermen is going to tempt you with a boat ride to Ilhas Itatiaia, an archipelago just off the coast.
I declined a motorbike trip with my second Airbnb host—thanks but no thanks, I’ve seen way too many accidents and I wasn’t particularly interested in spending time with him. But a boat ride? Hell yeah, sign me up! I love boats.
These are not the jangadas sailboats you find in the Nordeste. It wouldn’t work here—rough sea and no wind, so motorboat is it. Less picturesque, more efficient.
It takes about ten minutes to reach the island.
And by “island,” I mean giant rock with a small beach.
Don’t get me wrong, the scenery is gorgeous with clear waters and an amazing view on Vila Velha, but it takes about five minutes to “tour” it. I was shocked when the couple who had taken the boat with me asked for a ride back around sunset. I guess they… ahem… had things to do together?
The boat ride is 30 reais ($6) and it’s totally worth it. Just make sure the boatman waits for you, unless you want to be stuck for a few hours on a giant rock.
The Garoto chocolate factory
This one was a last-minute tip from my Brazilian friend because I had no idea the headquarters were in Vila Velha. I’ve seen the candy bars in supermarkets though—after all, this is one of Brazil’s largest manufacturers of chocolate.
The factory is in Glória, at the end of a long, busy street. You can’t miss it, it’s the giant yellow building.
You can only visit the museum right now and you’re supposed to book ahead but I was lucky, I just showed up right on time for the last tour of the day.
The company was founded in 1929 by German immigrant Heinrich Meyerfreund and the museum both explains how chocolate is made and how the company evolved through the years. It’s actually really interesting to learn how cocoa is turned into chocolate and to see candies from the 1930s.
You get a cute little box of best-sellers chocolates at the end of the tour.
And that’s it for Vila Velha for me!
Time to move on and leave Espírito Santo… Next stop, “Cidade Maravilhosa.”
I forget if I ever asked you this, but have you travel to Brazil say— mid west area – far from the coastal line (well ya I notice you did transit in some cities before moving to its neighbor countries before covid era).
I wonder what Brazil looks like over there.
Never that much. I know Curitiba pretty well, as well as Foz. I’m always close to the coast, but the interior is tempting as well… I postponed it during the pandemic because the beach is a easier default option.