Beach time in Vila Velha, Espírito Santo

Every time I say I come from Brazil, people immediately mention São Paulo or Rio, saying they would love to visit them or asking me whether I have ever been there before. I have visited those cities, which are very nice, but I have also seen places as beautiful as them.

One of these places is a city called Vila Velha, a gorgeous beach city in the small state of Espírito Santo. This state is surrounded by Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Mi[nas Gerais](https://www.livetheworld.com/post/oscar-niemeyer-s-masterpieces-in-belo-horizonte-bs55), which are much more in the spotlight of national and international media. But I can assure you, after living there for two years, I certainly recommend you visit Espírito Santo. More specifically, Vila Velha.

Vila Velha, Espírito Santo

It is a very old city for Brazilian standards, with almost 500 years of exciting history. But in fact, its past is not the theme of this story; let us leave it for another one. At the moment, I am just going to talk about its nature, or should I say specifically, about the beaches of Vila Velha.

Yes, the end of the year is summertime in Brazil and therefore the best time to visit it. I understand you might find it weird to celebrate Christmas with 30º degrees, but I am sure you will enjoy spending New Year’s Eve dressed in white, on the beach, watching the fireworks while you throw flowers to Iemanjá, the Godness of the sea, and jumping 7 waves for good luck in the new year.

It is a life-changing experience, and I certainly recommend you do that. If you do not like going to the beach by night, fine, let’s go during the day! What about drinking some coconut water from a proper coconut? Or eating a very different combination of fish & chips on local bars? Or the best: what about going to a beach where the water temperature is as pleasant as the weather itself, which means, 19º to 32º the whole year?

There are two main beaches you can not miss when visiting Vila Velha, which are Praia da Costa and Itapuã. They are not perfect for surfing but are ideal mainly for swimming and playing. Apart from plenty of bars on the seashore, you will find lots of beautiful hotels and hostels nearby. Also, there are many other beaches you could check as well, but these two ones are more accessible, as you can walk to them. 

You may not find it comfortable to live in a permanent summer (I certainly do!), but I am confident you would like to experience it for a couple of weeks, at least. It is not only nature, you know, but it is also everything that comes with it: groups of friends playing volleyball on the sand, couples jogging on the seashore, food trucks and street markets by night…

The best about Vila Velha is that it is not as touristic as other beaches in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, so you can actually enjoy seeing the locals' routine. And I am sure they will be very open to sharing it with you, even though speaking English might be an issue. My advice: give them a big smile, and you can get any information you might want!