Espírito Santo            Southeast Region

Channel to Vitoria Port

Vitoria The Capital

Founded in 1551, the capital of Espírito Santo lies between the sea and the mountains. The island is 45 km2 in area, and consists of colonial buildings, ports and beaches. Studded with   bays, it has five beaches and is in fact the largest island of an archipelago of 33 islets, which are joined by landfills and bridges. The city has tree-lined streets and a fine sea front on the beach at Camburi, six kilometers long for jogging or walking. Next to Camburi is Canto beach, the location of two well known squares, Desejo and Namorados. This is the area of the most lively bars and finest restaurants in Vitória, where the most famous traditional dish is moqueca capixaba, served in a clay pan.

The main buildings in Vitória are the Palácio Anchieta, begun when the city was founded, and formerly a college, a church, and now the seat of government; the church of São Gonçalo, dating from 1766, in Jesuit colonial style; the Metropolitan cathedral,  built in the twentieth century in Gothic style; the chapel of Santa Luzia, the first building of the city, constructed on a rocky outcrop; the church of Rosário, which is reached by a flight of 95 steps; and the Carlos Gomes Theatre, built in 1927 as a smaller replica of La Scale in Milan.

For a panoramic view of Vitória and Vila Velha - the first settlement in the state, linked to the capital by a bridge - one can go to Morro da Fonte Grande (312 meters), seven kilometers from the city center. For shopping, the Capixaba Market sells items of wicker, sisal, shells and liana, as well as pottery (ceramics typical of the state). However, the most traditional ceramic pottery is to be found in Goiabeiras, a district in the north of the city.

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