Accommodations

There are an awful lot of accommodation options in Arraial [1], and the vast majority are quite enticing. Prices are quite reasonable in the off-season, but come summertime, they can double and you’ll also need to reserve in advance. Rates listed are for off-season.

One of Arraial’s nicest affordable options is the Tubarão Pousada (Rua Bela Vista 210, tel. 73/3575-1086, www.tubarao.arraialdajuda.com [2], R$60–80 d). On a pretty cobblestoned cul-de-sac, facing a cliffside with stupendous beach views, the hotel offers pleasant, homey rooms, all of which open onto a shady oasis with a pool.

Also a good bargain is the attractive Hotel Pousada Saudosa Maloca (Alameda da Eugênias 31, tel. 73/2105-1200, www.saudosamaloca.tur.br [3], R$135 d). Located on a tranquil sandy street, its modern, comfortable rooms with verandas and swinging hammocks overlook a garden with a pool and a cheery breakfast area.

In the same price range and with a terrific location, only two minutes from Mucugê beach [4], is the Pousada Bucaneiros (Estrada do Mucugê 590, tel. 73/3575-1105, www.pousadabucaneiros.com.br [5], R$85 d). Although tightly packed within a garden complex, the simple rooms are enhanced with nice decorative touches. The friendly owners are able to organize walking trips and excursions. Ideal for families or big groups of friends are the three bungalows that come with fully equipped kitchens.

For sublime sea views, go across the street, where the massive windows and generous verandas of the tropically swank Hotel Paraíso do Morro (Estrada do Mucugê 471, tel. 73/3575-2423, www.paraisodomorro.com [6], R$220–280 d) will leave you gasping in awe. Recently, when a nightly soap opera called Paraíso Tropical wanted to grab the attention of the viewing public during its first few episodes, it did so by filming on location at this colorfully decorated hotel.

Although not as close to the beach (but right off the Estrada do Mucugê), the panoramic view from the pool at the Hotel Pousada Vila do Beco (Beco do Jegue 173, tel. 73/3575-1230, www.viladobeco.com.br [7], R$120–220 d) is also pretty hypnotic. The rooms are soothing, as are the grounds planted with tropical fruit trees.

If you want to be right on the beach, you can’t do any better than the downright enchanting Pousada Pitinga (Praia de Pitinga, tel. 73/3575-1067, www.pousadapitinga.com.br [8], R$324 d, no children under 12), which belongs to the exclusive Roteiros de Charme group of stylish luxury hotels. Set in a lush jungle area that spills right onto the sand, the term “tropical chic” barely does justice to the beautiful rooms that rely on raw and polished natural materials to lull you into a state of total harmony with nature. Discounts are offered in the off-season, but you’ll need to book months in advance for the pleasure of such lodgings in the summer.