This is a day that begins at the sea and ends at the sea, but the coastline changes entirely along the way — from Sergipe's flat, quiet beaches to the UNESCO-listed colonial waterfront of Salvador, a city that carries the weight of four centuries of Atlantic history in its stone forts and steep escarpments. Between the two, the Linha Verde does most of the work, threading 140 kilometres of coconut-lined coast through a sequence of small fishing villages and deserted beach turnarounds that make it very hard to stay on schedule.
Heading South Down the Linha Verde
The day begins at eight in Aracaju, pulling south out of the city along the SE-100 — a broad coastal artery that runs parallel to the Atlantic through the urban southern fringe of the state capital. The road is fast and well-signed, and within twenty minutes the city has thinned out and the morning light is catching the water.
The first stop, shortly before half past eight, is Praia do Mosqueiro, the southernmost beach of Aracaju proper, tucked against the mouth of the Rio Vaza-Barris. The beach itself — fine white sand, clear warm water, a handful of bar-restaurants with hammocks slung in the shade — is among the cleanest and most pleasant in the city, favoured for windsurfing and jet-ski when conditions are right. On the riverside side of the village, the Orla do Pôr do Sol is the departure point for catamarans to the sandbank islands of Croa do Goré and Ilha dos Namorados — a detour for another trip. Continue southwest toward the state line.