Espírito Santo is a state in the southeast of Brazil.

Regions

Regions of Espírito Santo

Central

North Coast

Northwest

South

Cities

• 1 Vitória — the capital of the state of Espírito Santo, famous for its bay, beaches and nightlife
• 2 Afonso Cláudio — the Cordillera do Empoçado: is a mountain formation that forms a wall of stones and well-preserved forests
• 3 Cachoeiro de Itapemirim — offers great geological attractions and hiking
• 4 Colatina — surrounded by lakes and waterfalls, it has one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world
• 5 Domingos Martins — to get a taste of a town colonized by German immigrants
• 6 Guarapari — a popular beach resort town, famous for its lively ambiance, with many clubs and beach parties, especially during the summer months
• 7 Itaúnas — famous for its dunes and forró, a Northeastern Brazilian dance
• 8 Linhares — characterized by the presence of many lakes, including the "Juparanã Lagoon" which is the second largest in the country
• 9 Santa Teresa — to get a taste of a town colonized by Italian immigrants

Other destinations

• 1 Pedra Azul State Park — the main attraction of this 12-km² park is its 1909-m-high peak, Pedra Azul, which got its name due to the blue tonality reflected on the rock at some moments of the day
• 2 Mosteiro Zen Morro da Vargem — the largest Buddhist monastery in Latin America, where you can take guided tours of the spacious grounds with reclining and upright Buddha statues and various tranquil meditative settings. Also available are handicrafts, pastries, corn porridge, sugarcane juice, and Buddhist specific items. North of Serra on BR-101 at Km 217 in municipality of Ibiracu, Website, phone: +55 27 3257-3030.

Understand

Forming a narrow and long band between the ocean and the mountains, the state of Espírito Santo has a great potential for tourism, offering beaches for all tastes; old buildings, and historic landmarks of its colonization. The origin of the capixaba people – that's what the locals are called – comes from a mixture of Indians, blacks and Germans, among others.

Its capital, Vitória, stands out for sheltering one of the most important Brazilian ports, Tubarão – and for offering excellent places for sports fishing. Besides, it is the second oldest city in the State. The oldest is Vila Velha, founded in 1534; but the hostility of the Goitacas Indians who used to live in that region forced the colonizers to move to the island across it. In the land dispute, the Portuguese triumphed and gave the new settlement the name of Vitória. The two cities prosper harmoniously, separated only by a 4.8-km-bridge.

The state of Espírito Santo holds a very diversified industry, standing out as the one which has had the biggest economic development in the past few decades. Besides, the state is greatly responsible for the connection of the country with the international market. Its port complex is among the most efficient in Latin America.

Get in

By plane

Vitória Airport (VIX  ^IATA) - also known as Eurico Salles Airport - is the main airport of the state, and is in the capital Vitória. It receives daily flights from most state capitals in the country. Among the main airlines serving the airport are LATAM and Gol. A number of smaller carriers also serve the airport, including Azul, TEAM, and TRIP.

See

O Frade e a Freira (The Monk and the Nun) is an interesting rock formation near Cachoeiro de Itapemirim. The Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves are a UNESCO World Heritage site; two of the forests are located in this state (the others are in Bahia): 3 Linhares Forest Reserve and 4 Sooretama Biological Reserve.

Eat

• Caranguejada, a local stuffed crab dish.
• Moqueca Capixaba - a delicious seafood stew cooked in a traditional clay pot. This version in milder than the Bahiana version because it does not contain dende oil.
• Torta Capixaba

Go next

• Rio de Janeiro - World-known city famous for its breathtaking landscape and annual carnival.