By Douglas Engle
It all began in 2014 when I cycled for five days from my home in Rio de Janeiro down the coast to the town of Ubatuba in São Paulo state, a trip of some 315 kilometers. From there I started cruising other segments along the shore, and soon realized I was on my way to conquering the whole of Brazil’s coastline in bits and pieces. So far I have made 10 trips, ranging from four to 10 days, and have cycled over 3000 km, more than a third of Brazil’s entire coast.
Traveling by bike–a human-powered vehicle, I like to say–alters your perception of a place. All my senses are at work. The visuals of a landscape. The smell of the forest, beach or city. The sounds of a city or countryside. The feeling of the weather on my body, and the taste of food (good and bad) encountered on the way.
There is also the element of surprise and human kindness as you stitch together your route day to day. I see none of this as an athletic accomplishment. I simply like to check stuff out.
I grew up in the land of the automobile, suburban Detroit. My father, and almost everyone’s father on my block, worked directly or indirectly for the auto industry. Perhaps my passion for bikes is a reaction to that, as I worked in a bike shop as a kid and have been pedaling places for much of my life.
Here are a dozen moments among the thousands of hours I’ve spent so far cruising Brazil’s magnificent coast. It’s a ride I highly recommend.
- Sunrise over the Angra Bay in Angra dos Reis, Rio state, just off the Rio-Santos highway. The 500-plus km road runs along the Atlantic Ocean, passing through, near and around dozens of beaches, waterfalls, mountains and forests. It is one of Brazil’s most beautiful roads. Rising early is a good way to avoid the Southern Hemisphere’s summer (December-March) heat, and allows for beautiful moments like this.
- With the challenges come the rewards. A big reason i cycle is for the sensation I get when I come across a view like this, from the Rio-Santos highway near Angra dos Reis, about 100km from Rio de Janeiro. The Rio-Santos highway is arguably one of Brazil’s most scenic. At 457 km long, it connects the capital of Rio de Janeiro to the metropolitan region of the port city of Santos. Alternating stretches of mountainous curves with panoramic ocean views, the road offers access to dozens of small coastal towns and also features several privileged viewpoints.
- I had to test the waters before crossing this river during a segment between Paraná state and São Paulo state, which required several trips to portage all my gear. With the tide rising, this may not have been possible only a few hours later. My options at that point would have been finding a place to camp nearby or hoping a friendly fisherman would take me over. I was prepared for both. Photo by Gordon Durnin, who accompanied me on this segment.
- Not all river crossings have an official taxi like this simple craft, which crosses the Rio Mucuri to the town of Mucuri in southern Bahia state. Part of the allure of cycling the Brazilian coast is exactly this: You never know what you’ll come across. I gather information from local residents and from online cycling groups before and during my trips, but there’s no such thing as a cycle route system in Brazil. You just have to wing it.
- Arriving in the historic center of São Francisco do Sul in Santa Catarina state was a pleasant surprise. I had not known it was the oldest in the state and the third-oldest in Brazil, founded in 1641. Still, tourism is not the main economic anchor of the city, and the historic part is actually quite sleepy. Instead, a large industrial port and steel mill nearby dominate the economy.
- After a long day’s ride and with nightfall approaching, I had to scramble for lodging options. That’s when I spotted this boat shack on the Praia Grande beach, part of São Francisco do Sul Island. Who needs a hotel when you can crash for the night in a free boat shack? It was perfect. I stayed on the beach until dusk then discreetly moved my gear inside. In the morning I did the opposite: I simply went back to the beach, had a swim, then started my day. Cooking tip: using sea water to make pasta ends up being quite salty.
- Brazil is large and diverse, ranging from highly developed and industrial to rural and remote. And cycling the coast gives you plenty of both. I knew nothing about the Itajaí-açu River and the large port city of Itajaí in Santa Catarina state when I came up this couple embracing while waiting for a ferry to cross the river.
- I had cruised into Palmas Beach in Santa Catarina state late one afternoon, with a campground as my destination. That’s when Amarildo Sabino came cycling in the opposite direction and immediately told me to stop. A fellow cyclist, he invited me to stay the night at his place, and told me of his adventures cycling around the state and southern Brazil. Here, he enjoyed a smoke after dinner.
- It was still early in the day as I cycled along the southern coast of Bahia state, the fourth day of a 10-day trip, when I came into the tiny fishing village of Praia do Riacho. The region is where the first Portuguese explorers first landed in Brazil in 1500 and is known as the “discovery coast.” My discovery? These weather-beaten dudes, pulling in their fishing net to see what the day’s haul looked like.
- This is my typical tropical camping setup during cycle trips along the Brazilian coast: A hammock with a mosquito net and a tarp. In addition to the minimal weight and volume, it works quite well in hot weather and rain. I have been lucky with the weather and have not experienced too much rain. My bike is a 1990s Giant mountain bike which I have slowly modified over time. Low-tech for sure, which I find is good for traveling in small towns in Brazil: parts for a bike like this are easier to find.
- I frequently include a bus journey on my cycle trips to get to a starting point or after completing a trip. Buses in Brazil are on a completely different level than the USA: cushy above and friendly to bikes, below usually for no extra fee. Before boarding I rearrange my gear, and put items i need onboard into one pannier bag, then i check the remaining three along with a duffle and the bike. Podcasts and a neck pillow help improve the ride.
- Oops. I found out the hard way that I had a hole in my long-sleeve cycling shirt when I felt something strange on my back. I hadn’t seen myself in a mirror in days, and when I finally did, I discovered this burned patch on my back! The sun is fierce and I have since taken to using a broad-brimmed hat, instead of a helmet, when cycling on the beach.
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—Douglas Engle is an American freelance photographer and videographer who has lived in Rio de Janeiro for 24 years and Latin America for 31. Between assignments, he travels a lot by bike. You can follow his bike adventures on Instagram @engle.douglas.