Trancoso has some of the best hotels and pousadas in Bahia. Although some are quite expensive, especially during the highly sought-after Trancoso holiday season, you can find more reasonable options and count on lower rates during the off-season. That's when Trancoso and the Discovery Coast have a little more of the quiet of pre-discovery times (both by the Portuguese colonizers and the hippies and hips of our era).
Start looking for reservations for New Year's Eve in Trancoso as soon as the previous New Year is over. E-mail hotels in the first week of January and inquire about rates and whether they offer the option of monthly payments.
Expect a full breakfast and rooms with air conditioning in all the inns. Check for internet access, free parking and the availability of laundry services.
Trancoso Hotels and Pousadas
- Jacaré do Brasil Casas
One of the newest lodging options in Trancoso, Jacaré do Brasil Casas opened in late 2008 with beautifully designed houses.
- Uxua Casa Hotel
Another brand-new, meticulously designed and decorated hotel made up of nine homes.
- Club Med Trancoso
Closer to Arraial d'Ajuda than to Trancoso, Club Med stands atop high bluffs overlooking the beach.
- Villas de Trancoso
A stylish beach getaway owned by an American.
- Pousada Bahia Bonita
Cabins and suites on beautiful Rio Verde beach.
- Pousada Estrela d’Água
One of three Relais & Chateaux hotels in Brazil. It’s also a member of Roteiros de Charme.Located on Praia dos Nativos, a short walk north from the Quadrado, the inn has comfortable bungalows, master suites and double suites, all with a safe deposit box, high speed and wi-fi internet.
None of the rooms are fully adapted for travelers with disabilities in this beachfront inn with privileged, sand-level access to the beach. However, I talked with the Estrela d'Água staff and they said they would try to make up for that with special attention to the guest. They’ve had a guest who was on a wheelchair due to an accident, and who was acommodated in a room with a wide enough door to the bathroom and helped with access inside the inn and to the beach.
The Estrela d’Água beach bar is a favorite place for New Year's Eve.
- Etnia Pousada e Boutique
Very near the Quadrado, with one of Trancoso’s best boutiques, attractive and gay-friendly Etnia has eight bungalows spread out on a lot full of trees, as well as one of Trancoso’s best clothing shops. Each bungalow (with a safe deposit box) evokes a cultural influence – Japanese, Indian, African, Mediterranean, and so on. The bar and restaurant are highly sought after during the holiday season. A member of Condé Nast Johansens.
- El Gordo
El Gordo Pousada confidently claims that their Room 5 has the best ocean view in Trancoso. Four other rooms (7, 8, 9 and 10) in this 11-room inn also have sea views. Located on the Quadrado, El Gordo has a great restaurant/bar (where you can dine even if you're not a guest) and a nice pool.
- Pousada Capim Santo
On the Quadrado, Capim Santo is one of the pioneers in charming Trancoso accommodations. There are 15 apartments with a safety box and a pool. The Capim Santo Restaurant, a beloved meeting point, serves creative dishes with fish and regional ingredients.
- Hotel da Praça
A boutique hotel on the Quadrado (or Praça São João), with great design and decorations and a restaurant. The hotel's eight guest rooms and three suites all have unique decorations and the suites feature exclusive, Mucki Skowronski-designed bedspreads, cushion covers and hand-painted curtains. There's a restaurant, but not a pool.
- Mata Nativa Pousada
Surrounded by a park landscaped with plants that attract hummingbirds, the eight apartments, mostly named named after native trees, are beautifully decorated with natural materials and watercolors by Maruzka Cára.
- Pousada Porto Bananas
Across from Trancoso's little church on the Quadrado and alongside the trail to the beach, Porto Bananas has two houses and 11 apartments decorated in a light, graceful beach style and surrounded by fruit trees and gardens. All accommodations have wi-fi and safety boxes. There's a bar and café.
- Pousada Mundo Verde
Less than 500 feet from the Quadrado and a 15-minute walk from the beach, Mundo Verde is one of the best pousadas in Trancoso for families with kids. Great sea views, a pool with a shallow end for little ones, and a park which is home to monkeys and other animals are some of the traits of this inn with 11 apartments, some of them for up to five people. There's a restaurant, a bar and a game room.
- Pousada Calypso
The small and colorful inn near the Quadrado has a luxury bungalow and seven apartments and suites. There's a jacuzzi and well-kept gardens.
- Pousada Encantada
Near the Quadrado and a 0.4-mile walk from the beach, Pousada Encantada has eight suites with a safety box and wi-fi for up to three people. Some changes in the layout are possible to accommodate guests' needs.
- Pousada Ramona
Pousada Ramona has 10 pleasant apartments and suites with safe deposit boxes. Located about 0.3 mile from the Quadrado and 0.7 mile from the beach, the inn has a pool surrounded by coconut trees and wi-fi access.
- Pousada Mar à Vista
Apartments and suites (including a honeymoon suite) with great views of the ocean and the Trancoso River are surrounded by lush gardens with coconut and other fruit trees. The inn, located on a cul-de-sac near the Quadrado, has its own horses.
- Pousada Casa Itália
A touch of European charm and a home atmosphere in Trancoso.
- Pousada Saruê
Budget rooms in central Trancoso.
- Pousada Zen Mandir
Located on Praia dos Nativos (about a mile from the Quadrado), the inn has seven airy adobe apartments with a living room and a kitchen, just 100 meters from the beach.
- Pousada Aldeia do Sol
Less than 2 kilometers from the Quadrado on Praia do Rio Verde, toes-in-the-sand Aldeia do Sol has 20 apartments and five suites as well as its own beach bar, the Cabana Beach, where there's a New Year's Eve party for guests only. The inn offers scheduled free van rides to the Quadrado.
- Suites Nativas
Located about 150 meters from Praia dos Nativos, Suites Nativas has four suites with a kitchen and a small veranda. Breakfast and chambermaid services are optional.
