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LODGING | PORTUGUESE VERSION |
I finally arrived at "Mangue Seco" (Dry Swamp)... " |
You can say that Mangue Seco is between nothing and nowhere, and maybe this is why it is such a nice place to be visit.
It was here where Jorge Amado wrote the novel "Tieta do Agreste", which later became the famous soap opera. In the buggy rides for the dunes, the local guides show the sceneries of the soap opera, reminding the most outstanding facts, like: "it was here where Tieta kissed the so-and-so", "it was there where Tieta kept her goats... ". Besides, the place is used as sceneries for films and videoclips.
"It is a beautiful place! " |
The village is simple, but it has electric power and public phones, and also a cell phone antenna in the middle of the city. Some buggys and off-roads cars ride around the city. The village is between Real river's edge and the dunes that extend to the beach. From up on the dunes, one can see the whole immensity of sand, several coconut trees buried until the top, some donkeys and cows and the river flowing out into the sea. It is an awesome view.
" The town is very peaceful." |
The local residents earn their money by taking the tourists for buggy rides on the dunes; with their rustic lodgings; restaurants; kiosks at the beach; motorboat transport and by fishing.
"Sand, lots of sand... " |
The buggy ride costs between 10 and 20 bucks and it lasts about 40 minutes with stops for pictures. At about 1,5 km from the village, is the beach, and you can ask for the driver of the buggy to leave you there and to pick you up later. There you can take a drink and eat some foods such as crab, shrimp, French fries...
"When the tide is low, you can go to the city by car (only 4x4 or buggy)." |
If you do not want to do the buggy ride to save money, you can do it on foot, but do it during the low tide, because when it is high, you will have to cross the dunes, which is one crazy thing to do.
"From up on the dune there is a nice view of the sand banks of Real river." |
How to arrive:
By 4X4 or buggy: go to "Costa Azul", take the beach and ride for 33 km to the left, by the edge of the water.
By regular cars: take "Linha Verde" (Green Line) highway, that connects Bahia to Sergipe, after Indiaroba towards Sergipe, turn right, in an dirt ascent to Pontal. There is a parking that collects 3 bucks a day and right there you take a motorboat to Mangue Seco.
By bus: worst choice. Only one goes to Pontal, it leaves Estância at 16:00 and it leaves Pontal at 5:00 in the morning. Can you see it? No motorboat leaves Mangue Seco before that schedule.
"Those two coconut trees are called of Romeo and Juliet. " |
Tips by GUSTAVO VIVACQUA |
1. There is cell phone signal and several public phones there. 2. There is no bank agencies there. Take the money you'll need. 3. Forget about trousers or trainers, the streets are made of sand and slippers are the best shoe to wear. 4. Get ready to face a lot of flies, they are everywhere. They are so much that you sleep in the bed and wake up in the bathroom because they carried you to there. 5. Hats help a lot. There are too much sun and a few shades during the trips. 6. Don't you even try to get there by car, if yours is not a 4X4 or a buggy. You may arrive, but won't get back due to the steep ascents of the dunes. If you want to try to go by car, go during the empty tide, because during the flood no one can pass. Ohh... it is 33km along the edge of the beach. 7. Take a flashlight. 8. When you're going to dive, open your eyes for jelly fishes and caravels, they burn. 9. The waves there are not good for surfing. 10. There is a microlite there, if you have the money, go for a flight. But don't count on it, because the owner is not always there. 11. A canteen of water softens the excessive heat from the trips on the dunes. 12. "The tip on going to Mangue Seco by 4x4 car by Costa Azul. The beach of that passage is an area of environmental protection and there are several turtles there and others animals living and spawning there. And, of course, that itinerary is not allowed. " tip from Carla Panneti 13. "My dearest, I was visiting your site and I think it is the best site for who seeks some place to travel. Therefore, I want to tell about an experience I lived in a wonderful place. I was at Mangue Seco, in 1994. After visiting thousands of beach of the coast of Brazil, it was in Mangue Seco where I discovered the place with all of the qualities that attract me. Peace, beautiful landscapes, wonderful beaches, a magnetic moonlight and with a lot of energy. Don't miss visiting Mangue Seco. Hugs". tip from Wilson Canuto (Rio de Janeiro) 14. "The place is wonderful for who wants to flee from the stress and from the noise of the big city. It is very good to sit down at the edge of the river and to watch the sunset, it is unforgettable. The only problem of there is that the food and the trips are expensive. Then, you'd better get to know the prices before travelling. The important is to relax and to forget that the rest of the world exists and just enjoy the paradise that surrounds you." tip from Mônica Machado - Salvador 15. "I've just come from Mangue Seco and the innovation is that the road to Pontal is already paved. Practice the Sand-boarding there, because there are some great dunes" tip from Márcio |
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