Breezes Costa do Sauipe

Reasons to Visit:

• many activities, all-included
• nursery, kids' club
• fabulous food
• part of a beautiful complex
• land price is right
• outing to historic Salvador

Breezes Costa do Sauipe

Resort Review- Breezes Costa do Sauipe, Brazil

The Bottom Line: a beautiful place to sample Brazil the easy way, and vacation where Brazilians do.

Breezes Costa do Sauipe - fast facts

• Breezes Costa do Sauipe is a SuperClubs super-inclusive: meals, drinks, on-property activities, kids program -- it's all covered
• Costa do Sauipe is a spectacular planned complex with five resorts that share a shopping/entertainment "village", golf course, equestrian facilities.
• Costa do Sauipe is on the Bahia coast. Typical flight route is New York (or Miami or LA) to Sao Paolo plus short flight to Salvador; Varig Airlines may have direct flights to Salvador also. A luxury bus takes guests to/from the resort.
• enjoy on-property windsurfing, boogie-boarding, and many land activities; or venture out for "eco-tours" or a day-trip to historic Salvador.

Breezes Costa Do Sauipe Brazil - Guide Review

Go the Distance
Yes, it's far. But land prices are great; the resort is spectacular; and the ambiance is -- well, Brazilian. Most of the guests are from Brazil: which means that Costa do Sauipe is a safe, no-hassle way to sample Brasilia.

Breezes Costa do Sauipe: Beach

Behold an endless sweep of unspoiled beach. To the left are lounge chairs and a beach with fine waves for boogie-boarding or, with calmer seas, wind-surfing with free instruction. To the right is a sheltered area suitable for small kids. The beach for the Costa do Sauipe complex extends over five miles.
(click pictures for larger images)

Breezes Costa do Sauipe: Land Activities

Land fun on-property includes Breeze's signature activity, trapeze (with instruction). For teens and grown-ups, fitness classes rock to salsa rhythms, and even little kids can jump around on the sidelines. Also for grownups: a spa with very reasonable rates. Try a massage in an open-air pagoda at night.

Daily activities might include: a demonstration of capoeira (Brazilian martial art), "bouncy boxing", aquasize, and evening entertainment.

Bikes are free of charge*: guests can walk or bike the oceanside path past the four other resorts in the Costa do Sauipe complex.

More Activities at the Costa do Sauipe Complex

Beyond these resorts are the shops, restaurants, and "pousada" inns of the Vila Nova da Praia "village". During a visit at Easter, guests thrilled to a free outdoor concert by a well-known performer; Costa do Sauipe frequently features good entertainment. Return to your resort by (free) horse-drawn cart or bus shuttle.

Across from Vila Nova lay temptation: a giant plastic ball with two padded seats inside. Kids rapidly cadged $5 from parents to cannonball down a ramp inside the ball.

The Costa do Sauipe complex also has:

• Equestrian Center, with horse-riding outings and lessons.
• Nautical Center. Rent a rowboat, canoe or paddleboat, and tour the large lake. Or try the "flying fox" zip line, or the climbing wall.
• a Kids' Club at the Vila Nova village, open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. (-no relation to Breezes' kids' program.)
• 18-hole golf course. ≈$40US for 18 holes.
• sports center with soccer fields.
• tennis center for all ages, with 15 courts.

Activities here aren't all-included in your Breezes vacation, but prices are modest. (Photos of activities.)

Breezes Costa do Sauipe: Kids' Zone

Breezes Costa do Sauipe welcomes babies with a nursery located near the pool and Tropical Restaurant. Beside the nursery is a kids' club with daily programs. Portuguese is the language spoken, but an English-speaker is available.

Breezes Costa do Sauipe: Outings
Bahia Adventure was the prominent tour company serving Costa do Sauipe, at the time of our visit: "eco-tours" can be booked through the resort, or at the Bahia Adventure office in Vila Nova.

We sampled "quardriciclo", better known to North Americans as all-terrain vehicles, that romped noisily down dirt lanes through trees on an old plantation. Hard to tell where the "eco" was in this adventure, but the trip was fun and included a dip in a cool river.

Our second eco-tour was a canoe trip on the Sauipe river: a lovely outing, though North Americans may expect more education about flora and fauna. Our guide was fluently bilingual and the trip included a swim at a deserted beach.

We also took a private trip with a driver to the sea turtle project (Projecto Tamar) at Praia da Forta: an interesting outing. Praia do Forte is a popular beach area and a good place for shops and restaurants.

Out'n'About: Salvador

The historic city of Salvador can be reached either by an inexpensive shuttle from the resort (approx. $6) or by an escorted tour on an air-conditioned bus. (Photos from tour.)

Salvador has centuries of history: the tour includes the photogenic Pelourinha colonial zone with many restored buildings, and is a good introduction to this large city of more than 3 million people, which was Brazil's capital for 214 years.

Breezes Costa do Sauipe: Grounds, Rooms & Meals

Back to the resort: grounds are well-maintained, buildings are attractive. Our room was spacious with a small table and sitting area. Rooms are located in a six-storey poolside building midway between the poolside Tropical Restaurant, kids club, and fitness center, and the main building with lobby, buffet restaurant, and spa. (Photos of grounds.)

As for food...

Breezes Costa do Sauipe far surpasses many Caribbean resorts where flavors are often "dumbed down" for fear that a guest will find a dish "too spicy". At Costa do Sauipe, the clientele is 90% Brazilian. Expect flavor, and dishes you haven't tried before. Lunch by the pool should never be missed: giant paellas; cauldrons of feijoada, scrumptious pork and black beans over rice; huge dishes of moqueca de camarao (shrimp stew, Bahian style) on which you sprinkle farofa, toasted manioc flour (-delicious.)

Expect masses of seafood; gigantic lobster tails, for instance, at Jimmy's Buffet (which is a pleasant, airy restaurant.)

At Pastafari, the Italian restaurant, gorge on the elaborate table of antipastas, order a pasta course, and you may have no room for the main course at all. The Munahani Japanese restaurant, meanwhile, serves delicious sushi, tempura, and teppanyaki cooked right at your table. The Marketplace serves a dazzling array of Mediterranean cuisine.

In two words: Food- Fabulous. And don't miss the caipirinha cocktails with lime plus cachaca liquor made from sugar-cane.

Breezes Costa do Sauipe: Price

The land price for Breezes Costa do Sauipe is surprisingly modest, and even better with promotions: check the Superclubs site. You may find packages with airfare, too.

Keep in mind when you travel to Brazil:

• check Brazil visa requirements. At time of writing, citizens of the US and Canada need a visa. This is an inconvenience and an expense (approx. $90 per person.) Apparently this policy is based on reciprocity, i.e. the US and Canada require that Brazilian visitors have visas.
• you may find it difficult to cash travelers checks.
• ATM machines are scarce, and not all machines work with all bank cards. Tip: use machines on arrival at the airport.
• fortunately, credit cards are widely accepted even at small shops.

Continue to:

outings | Salvador | grounds, pool, Costa du Sauipe complex

See other Superclubs resorts:

Breezes Curacao | Starfish Resort Jamaica

*Always check destination web sites for updates!

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.

All Images (c) Teresa Plowright.