Discover Vitória

Vitória was built on an archipelago of 33 islands and a mainland section. The city’s distinctive features include beaches, protected nature, glimpses into its history and a strong pottery tradition. Regional cuisine also reflects this craft. When planning your trip, you might therefore consider whether you would like to focus mainly on time by the sea, nature experiences, culture or local cuisine.

Beaches and protected nature

Praia de Camburi is Vitória’s only mainland beach and stretches for six kilometres. If a beach visit is part of your plans, its length gives you a concrete sense of the beach’s significance in the cityscape. The Praia Acessível project offers assisted sea bathing for people with disabilities or reduced mobility at Curva da Jurema on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This set schedule is important when planning to use this bathing service.

Parque Estadual da Fonte Grande lies in Vitória’s central massif. It protects one of the largest legally protected remnants of Atlantic Forest in an urban area in Brazil. Parque Natural Municipal da Gruta da Onça complements the nature theme with a differently described protected area: covering 66.67 hectares, it offers trails, small grottoes, springs and streams amid Atlantic Forest and free-roaming wildlife. The area is fully protected within the Área de Proteção Ambiental do Maciço Central. Visitors who want to combine nature with city history can find both these protected landscapes and a house museum in Vitória.

City history, theatre and crafts

Solar Monjardim is now a house museum that offers a glimpse into the everyday life of a wealthy 19th-century family. A different view of the city can be found in the anamorphic sculpture “Vitória 360 Graus”: it depicts the name Vitória and is part of the city’s architectural and landscape heritage. It was inaugurated in September 2017. The two places offer different perspectives: the life of a family in the 19th century on the one hand, and a sculpture in the urban landscape on the other.

The work of the women artisans is also one of the defining cultural themes. At the Associação das Paneleiras workshop in Goiabeiras, visitors can watch the potters at work in 32 individual booths. For travellers who want to learn not only about finished products but also the craft behind them, the workshop is a destination in its own right.

Marine wildlife and special times to visit

The Tamar Vitória Visitor Centre offers children and adults an interpretive tour about the protection of sea turtles in Brazil, the biology of the species and their entire life cycle. This makes it possible to focus an outing on wildlife and conservation. Espaço Baleia Jubarte, by contrast, is dedicated to whales, porpoises, dolphins and other marine mammals. It features bones, animal replicas, biological materials and information panels.

From June to November, Espaço Baleia Jubarte also supports tourist whale-watching departures and offers talks to raise environmental awareness. If this topic particularly interests you, you can take the season into account when planning your trip; these activities differ from a visit focused solely on the exhibition. Another cultural event is the Festival Nacional de Teatro Cidade de Vitória, held every October since 2005. It offers free performances of national and capixaba plays in several theatres, squares, parks and alternative venues across the city.

Moqueca Capixaba and the pottery tradition

The connection between craft and cuisine is especially evident in Moqueca Capixaba. In Vitória, it is traditionally prepared in clay pots handmade by the potters of Goiabeiras. This means the pottery tradition is not only visible in the workshop, but also shapes a well-known style of regional cooking. When choosing a holiday apartment in Vitória, the kind of trip you want can be a useful starting point: the city offers ways to explore nature, culture, marine wildlife, theatre and local food culture.

More places to discover: Ibiraçu, Piúma, Itaipava, Sooretama, São Mateus, Vargem Alta, Café, Linhares.

For the broader travel overview: Espírito Santo.