Best pousada accommodation in Rio, Salvador, Bahia, Pantanal, Amazon

What an amazing place- the pousada Capim Santo. I had been hearing good things about this pousada for some time from friends but the reality exceeded all expectation. The aim of owners Sandra and Nando is to offer comfort of the highest quality in the relaxed informality of a home from home, with superb cuisinne as an aditional extra and guests obviously approve as there is a huge repeat business.

Capim Santo is one of the most traditional pousadas in Trancoso and it has grown substantially since its beginning some 25 years ago and also added a beautiful pool ,massage suite and beautifully kept tropical gardens. There is choice of different standards of suite together with individual bungalows and all have excellent bed linen, flat screen TVs, telephone, safe and fridge and are decorated in clean white style which gives an immediate sense of peace.

However it is the superb restaurant and the service, detail and staff commitment which really set the Capim Santo apart: the welcome you get from the staff when you arrive, the eco-friendly beauty products, the information booklet in English and portuguese, not to mention the amazing cuisine. I stayed a night and felt immediately like cancelling the rest of my trip and just chilling there. I will be back!

Trancoso lies forty five minutes drive to the south of Arraial d'Ajuda and an hour from the balsa or ferry which brings you over from Porto Seguro. Originally an Indian fishing community it was founded by the jesuits priests in 1583 and the famous church  of St John the Baptist of the Indians was built on the site of the orginal 16^th construction,  at the top of a cliff overlooking a neverending turquoise sea. From here it is just a short walk down to the beaches and beach bars of Nativos, Trancoso and Coqueiros

This is a place which manages to combine the best of the old and the new, the chic and the laid back. Boutique shops now inhabit the  colourful former fishermen's cottages round  the quadrado or main square which is the focal point of the town and restaurants spread out onto the grass with pretty table cloths and candles and pretty expensive prices to match.

This is a place where you can get as much action as you want- from snorkelling, golf, tenis, mountain biking, horseriding, surfing and kitesurfing to capoeira and forró dance lessons. The nightlife also offers choice with  restaurants  vying with bars and all night dancing places. But Trancoso also has its gentle side. It is a super friendly place where people talk to you in the streets and the pace of life is much slower than a normal beach resort. For me one of the best things to do is just to go with the flow, sleep in (with earplugs!) and chill out, soaking in the beauty of an extraordinary place as yet unspoilt by mass tourism.

   

• the quadrado at fullmoon when it often rises full red
• chilling by the pool
• a massage in the spa
• Jonas' beach bar
• a visit to the Pataxo (Indian) villages