Porto Seguro was founded in 1535 Porto and was the first landing spot of Portuguese explorers in Brazil. It’s known for its beautiful beaches, lively nightlife, and historical significance.

Where is Porto Seguro located

Southern area of the state of Bahia 711 km south of Salvador on the shore of the Atlantic ocean.

How to get to Porto Seguro

There are 2 ways to get to Porto Seguro:

Plane: Porto Seguro Airport has arrivals from all over Brazil as well as Argentina. Currently the carriers are: LATAM, Gol and Azul

Bus: Services from Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and other regional cities. The bus journey takes a long time so be prepared for that. You can book online and check the schedules at Busbud

Getting Around

Port Seguro isn’t very big and you can get around town by foot. The beaches and other attractions are mostly out of town and the best way to get there is by taxi or Uber. Taxis will be driving around town where you can flag them down and they will hang around the main beaches.

When is the best time to visit Porto Seguro

Summer (December–March): The peak tourist season, with hot temperatures averaging between 22 °C (72 °F) – 29 °C (84 °F)
Shoulder: Hot temperatures averaging between 19 °C (66 °F) – 28 °C (82 °F)
Low season (May–August): More rain this time of year with temperatures averaging between 18 °C (64 °F) – 26 °C (79 °F)

Our Verdict: The weather is ideal to visit all year round. Avoid the rain and the extreme heat and visit in the shoulder.

Where to stay

You have 3 options of where to stay and it all depends on the type of vibe you are after:

Porto Seguro: Stay here for access to restaurants and the walking street and are happy to take taxis out to visit the beaches. Accommodation is also cheaper here.

Beaches North of Porto Seguro: There are resorts to the north of Porto Seguro around Praia de Taperapuã, Stay here if you want a more lively place to stay. The beaches here have a beach party vibe with loud music and bars.

Beaches South of Porto Seguro: The resorts to the south of Porto Seguro towards Arraial d’Ajuda are more relaxed and chill. Come here for a quiet beach getaway where you can lie back on a sun lounge and enjoy a book. It’s more of a pain to get to the resorts as you will need to take the ferry across the Buranhem river and then a taxi or collectivo to your accommodation.

Things to do in Porto Seguro

Explore the Old Town

The Centro Histórico area is a living museum, featuring colonial buildings and landmarks that take you back to the early colonial period of Brazil. From Centro Histórico’s high vantage point you can also take in the view of Porto Seguro Bay, where the Portuguese ships first arrived.

Chill on the Beach

Most of Porto Seguro’s best beaches are located about 5km out of town. The most popular beaches are Praia de Taperapuan and Praia do Mundaí. These beaches have a beach party vibe going on if you are after something a little more chill consider Praia de Araçaípe.

Passarela do Álcool

Passarela do Álcool is a popular pedestrian street known for its lively atmosphere, with loads of bars and restaurants serving drinks and local cuisine. The street comes alive in the evenings, when market stalls line the street and the all bars and restaurants open up.

Arraial d’Ajuda

Arraial d’Ajuda is a beautiful beach town known for its stunning natural beauty and charming colonial buildings. The town has picturesque beaches with crystal-clear waters, and surrounded by lush green jungle. To get there go the pedestrian entrance of Balsa – Arraial d’Ajuda x Porto Seguro(marked on map) you can buy your ticket here all tickets include the return journey and costs R$5.

Once you make it across the river there are multiple ways to get to Arraial d’Ajuda:
Bus: There are local buses that have Balsas-Arrial in the window and you can catch these to arrival. It will also cost R$5

Collectivos: Shared vans that will leave once full and will drop you off along the way at any of the beaches you want to stop at.

When you arrive explore the beautiful cobblestone streets of Arraial d’Ajuda and be sure to check out the viewpoint behind the church!

Take the colourful stairs behind the church that lead you down to a couple of beaches including the beautiful Praia de Araçaípe.

Parque Marinho do Recife de Fora

Parque Marinho do Recife de Fora is a marine park off the coast near Porto Seguro. You can take a 5-hour excursion where you’ll board a schooner and sail along the reef for about an hour. You will get the opportunity to explore the park’s and swim, snorkel, and see starfish, colourful fish, and coral.

Where To Eat & Drink

Porto Beer – Cervejas Artesanais: Small bar that sell local craft beers

Restaurante Sabor do Porto: Go here for seafood and typical food from Bahia and has rooftop seating.

Bar E Restaurante Por Do Sol: Popular place to watch the sunset over the river Buranhem river and they serve food!

Our Experience

Porto Seguro is charming city and an excellent beach getaway that really surprised us. We stayed here to break up the bus journey to Salvador from Rio and we wish we had stayed longer. There was mostly Brazilian tourist here and gets passed over by foreign tourist who mostly go straight to Salvador. Do yourself a favour and stop by Porto Seguro!

Next Stop:

Also check out our YouTube video below 👇