"Coolest city in Brasil" Aracaju by wowimapa

Aracaju is a quiet, yet extremely typical city in Brasil. The people are the friendliest I have found anywhere in my travels. Even the mayor, when out, will walk up and start talking with you. Even though English is not a primary language, and most people do not know any English, they will go out of their way to make you feel wanted and comfortable. Even with the disparity between those with and without money, everyone finds the time, and money, to enjoy themselves on the weekend with dancing and conversation at the local neighborhood bar and restaurant. More people in the world should learn to live like these remarkable people.

The staff of Atlantic Bar e Restaurant

Aracaju is full of little restaurants with good food to be discovered. Some of the common foods are "pastels", Carne do Sol, and peixe (fish). In the downtown area, restaurants and bars that serve food can be found on every street. Of course there are the street vendors selling baked cheese and other small items. Another popular style of food is "launches" and the small buildings that house the restaurants can be found along the side of the streets. a "launche" is a sandwich that has meat, cheese, vegetables, eggs, and sauces on them and are a whole meal into themselves. By far the best restaurants are along the beach in Atalaia where the tourist hotels are on Av Santos Dumont. Here the restaurants mix food and cervaja (beer) with live entertainment every weekend. There is dancing every weekend in these places until at least 2:00 am.

I would highly recommend four restaurants in Aracaju. The first is called La Tavola and is a full blown Italian restaurant and is located in the downtown area of Aracaju. The next three are in Atalaia on Av Santos Dumont. They are San Marino down by the lighthouse, Caipiri which is near Hotel Jatoba and offers live music on the weekends in two different areas. Last, but best, is a little place right across from the Orla Beach arches called Atlantic Bar e Restaurant. Here the people are very friendly and the food is all home made. It is a family run place and great to relax at after being on the beach. The speciality is fish and seafood.

Downtown Shopping District

As a tourist, people are naturally attracted to the various gift shops along the Av Santos Dumont that runs along the beach in Atalaia. The gifts here are great, and the prices are reasonable. But there is much more to see than just those. Jardin's is the shopping mall most people go to. It is on the south side of the city and offers everything any other shopping mall offers. But don't miss the downtown district shops. The roads have been closed to traffic and you must walk through there. It is in the center of the city and is awesome. They are only open until 6:00 pm and most close at 2:00 pm on Saturday, so get there early. Just up the front street along the river is an open market place with more to see. It takes two days to see the downtown area and walk all the streets to see the shops. Along the way you will see the oldest chruch in Aracaju, a beautiful old cathedral and street vendors gather in the park in front of it. I have never seen much crime there and would recommend being out of the downtown section by 9:00 pm.

• Pros:Relaxing, Friendly People, and Lots to See
• Cons:Very limited English , most shops, hotels, and restaurants speak no English
• In a nutshell:A Hidden Paradise in Brasil