Mucugê reveals a Bahia without a beach or acarajé – 10/04/2023 – Tourism

Mucugê doesn’t have a self-esteem problem. It officially presents itself as “the most beautiful city in Chapada Diamantina” — and it’s right.

Created in the 19th century as a result of diamond mining, the city is one of the oldest in the Chapada and its entire architectural and landscape complex is listed by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute, Iphan.

The streets of the historic center are reminiscent of Paraty (RJ), and not just because of the cobblestones or the rows of colorful colonial houses.

With an intense cultural program, which includes an annual literary fair, Fligê, which attracted 10,000 visitors this year, Mucugê entered the radar of foreign tourists. Families from Bahia, especially from Salvador, have transformed listed buildings into holiday homes.

As one of the gateways to the Chapada Diamantina National Park, Mucugê gained fame for adventure tourism. Its hundreds of waterfalls, supported by peculiar rock formations, are truly stunning, as is the case of the nearby Fumacinha waterfall.

Today, however, the city is also making an effort to attract the attention of another type of public – and with the aim of keeping the gates closed to mass tourism.

“We don’t have regular bus lines and 85% of tourists arrive by car. Our prices are higher than those in neighboring cities, which helps us preserve that calm typical of the interior. Here, children still run around the streets”, says Fabiana Profeta, municipal secretary of culture and tourism.

Although it is in the heart of Bahia, Mucugê is closer to Minas Gerais than Salvador. The altitude, around 1,000 meters, guarantees a cool climate that is in no way reminiscent of the coast of Bahia — in winter, the minimum temperature can reach 7º degrees.

It is no coincidence that rural experience tourism is growing in the surrounding area — the mild, sunny days are suitable for growing red fruits and even wine grapes.

Officially opened in 2022, the Uvva winery was born with a wine tourism vocation. Founded by the Borré family, a large producer of coffee and potatoes, it occupies an imposing building designed by architect Vanja Hertcert, surrounded by 52 hectares of vineyards. From the terrace, you can see the outline of the Sincorá mountain range, whose pink rocks change color depending on the time of day.

Visitors can choose between three experiences, which cost from R$160 per person. Those who pay for the Entusiasta Sincorá tour (R$ 220) or the Uvva Experience (R$ R$ 310) can go down to the basement, where works of contemporary art by Bahian artist Marcos Zacariades will be on display until July 2024.

The winery also has a store, where house labels cost between R$143 and R$350, a wine bar and a restaurant, Arenito, open only for lunch, with a menu made up of ingredients from the region.

Mucugê also produces red fruits. Sítio do Galera, which harvests 25 tons of strawberries per year, offers guided tours from Monday to Saturday, with tastings of liqueurs and jams. During school holidays, the property receives up to 300 tourists per month, many from São Paulo.

Nearby, Sítio Frutas Especiais allows you to visit the beds of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and yellow dragon fruit – and end the tour in the little shop.

The hotel sector, which totals 1,400 beds, has followed the change in Mucugê’s tourist profile. Opened in December 2020, Refúgio na Serra is a boutique hotel with just 13 suites. Daily rates for the couple from R$ 1,160 entitle them to breakfast with regional delicacies.

Vacation rental accommodations have also emerged. Since 2021, Vila 61 has offered three houses for couples and one for groups of up to ten people, with daily rates starting at R$400. The rock walls typical of the plateau, topped with flowerbeds, are reminiscent of Tuscan villages.

The busiest times in Mucugê are the months of June, when the June festivities rock the city, and Carnival, packed with marching bands from the past.

The calendar of cultural and sporting events, however, covers the entire year. On October 12th, the city will host the fifth edition of the Chapada Forró Festival. In November, it’s time for the Ultra Trail Chapada Diamantina mountain ultramarathon.

For those looking for peace and quiet, we recommend visiting Mucugê outside of the official festivities. Without so many tourists, it is easier to find a place in the two most famous restaurants in the center: Dona Nena’s, the oldest in the city, which lines up pots with country recipes on the wood stove, and Cláudia’s, whose specialties are godó of green banana and chopped palm, brothy stews created during mining times.

It may seem strange, but visiting the cemetery is mandatory. Perched on the slope of the Sincorá mountain range, it has Gothic and Byzantine tombs, all painted white — the coffins are not buried, as the graves are simply placed on the rocks.

At dusk, when the loudspeakers of the Santa Isabel headquarters echo prayers through the streets of the center, it’s time to choose a bench in the square and eat mucugê ice cream, a fruit that grows on the banks of the rivers and gave its name to the city. They have it at Gelateria Café Preto, it’s worth trying.

What to visit

Gelateria Café Preto – @gelateriacafepreto

Refuge in the Mountains – refugionaserra.com.br

Restaurante da Dona Nena – R. Direita do Comércio, 140, Centro, tel. (75) 3338-2123

Cláudia’s Restaurant – @claudiarestaurante2

Sítio Frutas Especiais – @sitiofrutasespeciais

Sítio do Galera – @sitiodogalera

Vila 61 – vila61mucuge.com.br

Uvva Winery – vinicolauvva.com.br