Espírito Santo » Hotels, Travel and Tourism

The state of Espírito Santo is limited by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Bahia to the north, Minas Gerais to the west, and Rio de Janeiro to the south, occupying an area of ​​over 46,000 square kilometres (a little bigger than Estonia); beyond the capital, Vitória, the major cities are Aracruz, Cariacica, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Colatina, Guarapari, Linhares, São Mateus, Serra, Viana and Vila Velha.

In 1535, when the Portuguese settlers arrived in the current territory of Espírito Santo and landed in the area of ​​Prainha, they founded the first population center, called Vila do Espírito Santo (Town of the Holy Spirit); due to Indian attacks, however, Governor Vasco Fernandes Coutinho decided to establish another village, this time in one of the islands, which was called Vila Nova do Espírito Santo (New Town, now Vitória), while the former capital is now called Vila Velha (Old Town).

Most of Espírito Santo is a plateau, part of the Atlantic Massif: the average elevation is 600 to 700 meters, with very uneven topography and isolated peaks, called pontões; in the border region with Minas Gerais, the terrain turns into a mountainous area with altitudes exceeding one thousand meters in the mountain ranges of Caparaó and Chibata, where stands one of the highest points of Brazil, Pico da Bandeira, with 2890 metres of altitude.

Espírito Santo has two main types of climates: the rainy tropical and the humid mesothermal; the former dominates in the lowlands and is characterized by high temperatures throughout the year and averages above 22 °C; a moderate and humid climate without dry season is felt in the mountainous region of the south, with winter temperatures below 18 °C and abrupt changes.

The beaches of Guarapari, said to cure rheumatism and arthritis, and the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Penha, at Vila Velha, are the major tourist attractions in the state.

In Victoria, important places are the Anchieta Palace, now hosting the state government, the churches of Santa Luzia, Rosário and São Gonçalo Garcia, the Moscoso Park, with and acoustic shell for 400 spectators, and the beaches of Comprida, Suá, Camburi and Canto.

The coast of Espírito Santo has many beautiful beaches that attract many tourists, mainly from Minas Gerais, especially Guriri, at São Mateus, Marataízes, Guarapari, Piúma, Iriri, Anchieta and Conceição da Barra, where visitors can find the famous dunes of the Itaúnas River.

In the mountains, there are also points of tourist attraction, like Domingos Martins, Santa Teresa and Rio Novo, and, near the border with Minas Gerais, the Caparaó National Park.

The peaks of Pico de Itabira and Pedras do Frade e da Freira (310 metres), in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, are the symbol of the city.

The most famous dish of the state of Espírito Santo is a pie, torta capixaba, traditionally made in the homes of Victoria during the Holy Week, but also offered throughout the year to tourists in the capital's best restaurants; also noteworthy is the moqueca, a dish of fish and seafood ​​cooked in clay pots with annatto sauce.

Municipalities: Afonso Cláudio, Água Doce do Norte, Águia Branca, Alegre, Alfredo Chaves, Alto Rio Novo, Anchieta, Apiacá, Aracruz, Atílio Vivácqua, Baixo Guandu, Barra de São Francisco, Boa Esperança, Bom Jesus do Norte, Brejetuba, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Cariacica, Castelo, Colatina, Conceição da Barra, Conceição do Castelo, Divino de São Lourenço, Domingos Martins, Dores do Rio Preto, Ecoporanga, Fundão, Governador Lindenberg, Guaçuí, Guarapari, Ibatiba, Ibiraçu, Ibitirama, Iconha, Irupi, Itaguaçu, Itapemirim, Itarana, Iúna, Jaguaré, Jerônimo Monteiro, João Neiva, Laranja da Terra, Linhares, Mantenópolis, Marataízes, Marechal Floriano, Marilândia, Mimoso do Sul, Montanha, Mucurici, Muniz Freire, Muqui, Nova Venécia, Pancas, Pedro Canário, Pinheiros , Piúma, Ponto Belo, Presidente Kennedy, Rio Bananal, Rio Novo do Sul, Santa Leopoldina, Santa Maria de Jetibá, Santa Teresa , São Domingos do Norte, São Gabriel da Palha, São José do Calçado, São Mateus, São Roque do Canaã, Serra, Sooretama, Vargem Alta, Venda Nova do Imigrante, Viana, Vila Pavão, Vila Valério, Vila Velha and Vitória.