Travelogue:
The Fishing Village turned Hipster Hangout You Need to Visit Now
“You’re one of only a few Americans we’ve met in 15 years selling jewelry here,” said Cristiana, a beautiful Brazilian with an understated-mod style. She and her husband are artists and jewelers, displaying their work in front of a few small shops and a creperie in the Bahian beachfront town of Trancoso. Chunky silver pieces with modern silhouettes and coastal accent stones make the line increasingly in-demand: It had just been profiled in a global design book, and a European show was coming next.
“Like so many of the developing world’s coastal towns, Trancoso was a lazy fishing village just a decade ago. Then the tourists came.”
Like Trancoso itself, Cristiana was benefitting from the influx of global travellers. More tourists equals more money equals more exposure. Not long ago, though, Trancoso was a small, little-known fishing town on the Porto Seguro coast of Bahia, Brazil. It hasn’t had the rapid rise to fame (slash Westernization) that sister city Buzios has had—Brigitte Bardot laid claim to the town in the '60s as her very own discovery—but Trancoso is a new addition to the jetsetter travel playlist.
Stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bundchen became regulars a decade ago, but Trancoso still elegantly bridges two worlds: Cheap local markets hold their own on one side of town, and luxury brands like Chanel draw attention on the other. One of Trancoso’s longstanding favorite local hotels, Pousada Etnia, has also made its mark on the international design scene, becoming a favorite of luxe-curated site Mr and Mrs Smith and New York Times Magazine.
Like so many coastal towns in developing countries, the tourist trade is a mixed bag: The influx of capital and international culture brings jobs and security, but with it can come a loss of the local community. For Bahia, that local vibe is an inimitable warmth and welcoming lack of pretension. Fyor now, that spirit seems to still be intact. Those who arrived via private jet share a sidewalk (er, sandy path) with those who took a non-airconditioned 36-hour bus ride to rget there. And this hippie-turned-hipster haven still lets you get lost in its signature laid-back charm—with plenty of un beijos to go around.