Amazon.com
Brazzil
July 1999
TourismSurprise
BoxAlthough usually bypassed by tourists Piauí has much to offer, among other things prehistoric sites, rock formation, rock paintings, great hikes, besides some exquisite beaches.
Piauí, one of the largest states in the Northeast, is also one of the poorest states in Brazil, due to the oppressively hot and arid climate in its eastern and southern regions. The odd shape of the state—broad in the south, tapered at the coast—is due to a unique pattern of settlement, which started from the sertão in the south and gradually moved towards the coast
The climate on the Litoral Piauiense (Piauí coast) is kept cool(er) by sea breezes. If you're heading into the interior of the state, the best time for festivals and cool breezes is during July and August. The worst time, unless you want to be sunbaked to a frazzle, is between September and December.
Although Piauí is usually bypassed by travelers, it offers superb beaches along its short coast; interesting rock formations and hikes in the Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades; prehistoric sites and rock paintings in the Parque Nacional da Serra da Capivara, which ranks as one of the top prehistoric sites in South America; and the chance for rock hounds to visit Pedro Segundo, the only place in South America where opals are mined.
TERESINA
Teresina, the capital of Piauí, is famed as the hottest city in Brazil. Promotional literature stresses heat and yet more heat, with blurb bites such as `Even the Wind Here Isn't Cool' or `Teresina—As Hot As Its People.'
It's an interesting, quirky place which seems addicted to giving a Middle Eastern slant to the names of its streets, hotels and sights. The city itself is a Mesopotamia of sorts, sandwiched between the Rio Poty and Rio Parnaíba. Teresina is untouristed and unpretentious, and the inhabitants will stop you on the street to ask `Where are you from?'. Like the British, residents of Teresina instantly warm to discussion of the weather, and especially of their favorite topic: o calor (the heat).
We recommend a visit if you yearn for attention or would like to feel famous for a day or so. And there's got to be something good going for a city that hosts an annual festival of humor!
Information
Tourist Offices
PIEMTUR (223-4417), the state tourism organization, at Rua Álvaro Mendes 1988, has helpful staff who happily dole out literature and advice. It's open from 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday.
The IBAMA office (232-1652), at Avenida Homero Castelo Branco 2240 (Jockey Club district), was one of the most active we encountered in Brazil. Leaflets about the national parks in Piauí are available here. It's open from 8 am to 5.45 pm Monday to Friday.
Travel Agencies
For tours to sights in Piauí, contact Servitur Turismo (223-2065), at Rua Eliseu Martins 1136, or Espaço Turismo (223-3777), inside the shopping gallery of the Hotel Luxor.
Museu Histórico do Piauí
This state museum is divided into a series of exhibition rooms devoted to the history of the state; religious art; popular art; archaeology; fauna, flora and minerals; and an eclectic assortment of antique radios, projectors and other ancient wonders. Hidden in the corner of one room is a pathetic cabinet containing a flag, kerchief and some scribbled notes from comunistas, a flexible term used here to describe a group of independent thinkers, who were wiped out by the government in 1937.
Admission is free, and the museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 8 to 11 am and 3 to 6 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to noon.
Palácio de Karnak
This Greco-Roman structure once functioned as the governor's residence and contained valuable works of art and antiques. In the late '80s, the outgoing governor made a quick exit, together with many of the valuable contents.
Centro Artesanal
This is a center for artesanato from all over Piauí and it is a pleasant spot to come browse among the shops which sell: leather articles; furniture; extremely intricate lacework, colorful hammocks; opals and soapstone (from Pedro Segundo); and liqueurs and confectionery made from genipapo, caju and maracujá.
The Cooperativa de Rede Pedro Segundo, a producer of high-quality hammocks, sells beautiful linen hammocks at prices ranging from $55 to $130. Cotton hammocks start at around $26.
Mercado Troca-Troca:
In an attempt to perpetuate the old tradition of troca troca (barter), the government made a permanent structure out of what was once an impromptu barter market. Unless you are curious to see the river, it's not worth a visit.
Potycabana
If you hanker after aquatic frolics and games as a respite from the searing heat, visit the Potycabana, an aquatic entertainment center with water tobogganing and a surf pool, close to the Rio Poty.
Festivals
The main festivals, with typical dancing, music and cuisine of the Northeast are held between June and August. The Salão Internacional de Humor do Piauí (Piauí Festival of Humor) is held during the second half of November and features comedy shows, exhibitions of cartoons, comedy routines and lots of live music
Places to Eat
If you feel like seafood, try Camarão do Elias, at Avenida Pedro Almeida 457, or O Pesqueirinho, which is at Avenida Jorge Velho 6889, several km outside town on the riverside. It serves crab and shrimp stew. For a splurge, visit the Forno e Fogão, inside the Hotel Luxor, which charges $8 per person for a gigantic buffet lunch. There's also a good restaurant inside the Teresina Palace Hotel serving regional food. Chez Matrinchan, at Avenida Nossa Senhora de Fátima 671 (Jockey Club district), is divided into three elements: a restaurant serving French cuisine, a pizzeria and a nightclub. There's live music here on Friday and Saturday nights.
Getting There & Away
Air
The airport is on Avenida Centenário, six km north of the center. There are flights between Teresina and Rio, São Paulo, and the major cities in the Northeast and North.
Varig (223-4427) has an office at Rua Desembargador Freitas 1177, and VASP (223-3222) is at Rua Frei Serafim 1826.
Bus
Teresina has regular bus connections with: Sobral ($9.50, seven hours); Fortaleza ($15, or $23 for leito, ten hours); São Luís ($10 for frequent daily service, seven hours); and Belém ($19, 15 hours, five times a day).
To Parnaíba there are two executive buses ($10, four hours) and several standard buses ($9, six hours) daily. There are bus connections twice daily to São Raimundo Nonato ($14, 10 hours). To Piracuruca ($7, 3½ hours), there are several departures daily, and buses run hourly between 5.45 am and 7 pm for Piripiri ($4.50, three hours). There's one direct bus daily with the Empresa Barroso bus company to Pedro Segundo, at 4.15 pm, or you can take one of several connections daily from Piripiri.
Car
If you're driving to São Luís, the Pousada Buriti Corrente (521-1668) (between Codó and Caxias) on BR-316 at Km 513, is a beautiful hotel with apartamentos at $ 19/25 for singles/doubles, and a small zoo. It's 14 km from an alcohol factory. For tours, ask for Sérgio or Marcos.
Getting Around
To/From the Rodoviária
The cheapest option is to take the bus from the stop outside the rodoviária—it's OK if you arrive at night, when it's cooler, but during the day it's a frying pan on wheels.
Although the rodoviária has a bilheteria with a mandatory price table posted on the window, the ticket price for a taxi ride to the city center is calculated at $9—almost twice what you pay if you walk out to the road and hail one there. Clearly a scam.
LITORAL PIAUIENSE
Parnaíba
Parnaíba, once a major port at the mouth of the Rio Parnaíba, is a charming town, which is being developed as a beach resort, along with the town of Luís Correia, which is 18 km away. It's well worth a trip from Teresina, and onward travel to Maranhão state is possible for adventurous travelers. Porto das Barcas, the old warehouse section along the riverfront, has been carefully restored, and contains a maritime museum, an artesanato center, art galleries, bars and restaurants.
Information
The Piemtur office (no phone) is in Porto das Barcas. They have some brochures, and can provide information about the boat trip around the Delta do Parnaíba and buses to local destinations.
The Banco do Brasil on Praça da Graça changes money.
The main post office is on Praça da Graça, next to the Banco do Brasil. The telephone office is at Avenida Presidente Vargas 390.
Beaches & Lagoons
Praia Pedra do Sal, 15 km north-east of the center, on Ilha Grande Santa Isabel, is a good beach divided by rocks into a calm section suitable for swimming, and a rough section preferred by surfers. Lagoa do Portinho is a lagoon surrounded by dunes about 14 km east of Parnaíba on the road to Luís Correia. It's a popular spot for swimming, boating, sailing and fishing.
The prime beaches closer to Luis Correia are Praia do Coqueiro and Praia de Atalaia. The latter is very popular at weekends and has plenty of barracas selling drinks and seafood. The nearby lagoon, Lagoa do Sobradinho, is renowned for its shifting sands which bury surrounding trees.
Delta do Parnaíba
The Delta do Parnaíba is a 2700sqkm expanse of islands, beaches, lagoons, sand dunes and mangrove forest, with abundant wildlife, which straddles the border of Piauí and Maranhão. One photographer recently described the amount of wildlife as `comparable to what I saw on good days in the Pantanal'. Sixtyfive per cent of its area is in Maranhão state, but the easiest access is from Parnaíba. Day trips by boat around the delta run from Porto das Barcas on weekends, with a stop on Ilha do Caju—the cost is around $30. Ilha do Caju has been owned for several generations by a family who are now trying to establish an ecological reserve there. There is one pousada on the island. For more details, contact the Piemtur office in Porto das Barcas.
Places to Stay
The Pousada Porto das Barcas (no phone) is a friendly hostel in a restored warehouse right in Porto das Barcas. Dorm rooms cost $3 per person, with a good breakfast included. There's a campground at Lagoa do Portinho, where the Centro Recreativo Lagoa do Portinho (3221982) also provides apartamentos at $10 per person and chalets at $14 per person. The Hotel Cívico ( 3222470) at Avenida Governor Chagas Rodrigues 474, in the center of town, has a swimming pool and apartamentos starting at $16/23 for singles/doubles.
At Luís Correira, there's the threestar Rio Poty Hotel (3671277), on the beach, or the Hotel Central, a cheaper, familyrun place. On the beach at Pedra do Sol, the Pousada do Sol has been recommended by readers.
Places to Eat
Sabor e Arte, on Rua Almirante Gervásio Sampaio, is a relaxed little place with cheap home-cooked meals and interesting original art on the walls. In Porto das Barcas, Restaurant Portas das Barcas has a great riverfront patio and local seafood dishes. Across the street, Comilão has good pizzas
Getting There & Away
Agência Empresa São Francisco runs two buses daily from Praça Santa Cruz to Tutóia (Maranhão state), at noon and 5 pm. The trip takes about four hours over a brain-rattling dirt road. From Tutóia there are trucks running to Barreirinhas, for access to the Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses.
A small wooden boat plies a route daily through the Delta do Parnaíba to Tutóia ($4, about six hours). This is a good way to check out some of the Delta do Parnaíba—if you have a hammock, you can sling it on the top deck, relax back and enjoy the voyage. The boat leaves from Porto Salgado, on the riverfront close to Porto das Barcas, between 10 am and noon—check at the port in the morning for departure times.
PARQUE NACIONAL DE SETE CIDADES
Sete Cidades is a small national park with interesting rock formations, estimated to be at least 190 million years old, which resemble sete cidades (seven cities). Various researchers have analyzed nearby rock inscriptions and deduced that the formations are ruined cities from the past. The Austrian historian Ludwig Schwennhagen visited the area in 1928 and thought he'd found the ruins of a Phoenician city. The French researcher Jacques de Mabieu considered Sete Cidades as proof that the Vikings had found a more agreeable climate in South America. And Erich van Daniken, the Swiss ufologist, theorized that extraterrestrials were responsible for the cities which were ruined by a great fire some 15,000 years ago. There's clearly lots of scope here for imaginative theories. See what you think!
The road around the park's geological monuments starts one km further down from the Abrigo do IBAMA (IBAMA office and hostel). The loop is a leisurely couple of hours' stroll. It's best to start your hike early in the morning and bring water because it gets hot; watch out for the cascavéis—poisonous black-and-yellow rattlesnakes. The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm. Ask at the IBAMA office for information; guides are available at a small cost.
Sexta Cidade (Sixth City) and Pedra do Elefante, the first sites on the loop, are lumps of rock with strange scaly surfaces. The Pedra do Inscrição (Rock of Inscription) at Quinta Cidade (Fifth City) has red markings which some say are cryptic Indian runes. The highlight of Quarta Cidade (Fourth City) is the Mapa do Brasil (Map of Brazil), a negative image in a rock wall. The Biblioteca (Library), Arco de Triunfo (Triumphal Arch) and Cabeça do Cachorro (Dog's Head) are promontories with good views.
Places to Stay & Eat
Abrigo do IBAMA is a good-value hostel at the park entrance—rooms with fan cost US $6 per person. There's a restaurant attached to l the hostel. Designated campsites are also available here.
The Hotel Fazenda Sete Cidades (276-2222), a two-star resort hotel six km from the park entrance, has attractive apartamentos for $24/38 for singles/doubles. Even if you don't stay overnight, it's good for lunch and a quick dip in the pool.
Getting There & Away
The park is 180 km from Teresina and 141 km from Ubajara (Ceará state) on a fine paved road. Buses depart Teresina hourly between 5.45 am and 6 pm for Piripiri ($4.50, three hours). There are several daily bus departures from Piripiri to Fortaleza ($11, nine hours) and Parnaíba ($4.50, three hours).
Getting Around
IBAMA courtesy bus transport for the 26-km trip to the park leaves from Piripiri daily at 7 am. There is usually some transport returning from Abrigo do IBAMA to Piripiri in the morning between 9 and 10 am, and a bus at 5 pm. A taxi from Piripiri costs around $15. Hitchhiking is also effective. In the park itself, you can drive on the roads or follow the trails on foot.
PEDRO SEGUNDO
The town of Pedro Segundo lies in the hills of the Serra dos Matões, around 50 km south of Piripiri. Close to the town are several mines, which are the only source of opals in South America.
The only accommodation in town is the Hotel Rimo Pedro Segundo (271-1543), on Avenida Itamaraty.
PARQUE NACIONAL SERRA DA CAPIVARA
The Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara, in the southwest of the state, was established in 1979 to protect the many prehistoric sites and examples of rock paintings in the region.
There are over 300 excavated sites which are opened to the public depending on the research schedule. If the staff have time, you may be lucky enough to receive a lift and be shown around. For details about access and archaeological sites, contact Doutora Niede Guidon at FUMDHAM (Fundação Museu do Homem Americano) (582-1612), at Rua Abdias Neves 551, São Raimundo Nonato. There are plans to open a museum and conduct guided tours of some of the sites.
Getting There & Away
For bus services between São Raimundo Nonato and Teresina, see the Getting There & Away section for Teresina.
Excerpts from Brazil - A Travel Survival Kit, 3rd edition, by Andrew Draffen, Chris McAsey, Leonardo Pinheiro, and Robyn Jones. For more information call Lonely Planet: (800) 275-8555. Copyright 1996 Lonely Planet Publications. Used by permission.
