In a state blessed with miles of glorious beaches, a common topic of discussion among residents and visitors is which beach is the most beautiful. Of course, there are bragging rights in getting to those that are not easily accessible. Few are reached by paved roads, so a bouncy dirt road ride in a jeep does not earn you stripes. From Txai, we hiked a few miles to reach one arc of sand which had a waterfall pool nearby. Another day, we kayaked among waterways where fishermen cast nets for their daily bounty before we reached a virgin stretch to the south of the resort.

Surfers in Itacaré have their favorite ones for wave breaks. And from Trancoso we drove on dirt roads and made a short but steep hike down to Praia do Espelho, Mirror Beach. It’s always on the list of people’s favorites and for good reason. With miles of soft white beach, a lattice work of rocks that forms little pools in spots and dramatic high cliffs that you can climb for a postcard perspective, it certainly ranked up there with the best beaches I have ever visited from Belize to Zanzibar. Added advantage at Mirror Beach is even though it’s remote, you don’t have to picnic. There are a number of restaurants tucked under the palm groves.

Terravista has been ranked the #1 Golf Course in Latin America. Designed by Dan Blankenship, it offers 18 holes on a dramatic clifftop site overlooking the Atlantic. Any of the local hotels can arrange for a tee time.

The fishing village’s main square, the Quadrado, is ringed with small pousadas, or houses. Their rooflines reflect the influence of early Portuguese settlers and many have been restored and repainted in bright colors. A few are still inhabited by locals but most have been transformed into restaurants and shops that sell beach clothing and accessories at prices that are equivalent to those on Madison Avenue. Don’t come for the shopping but for the atmosphere. At dusk, teenagers come out to flirt and occasionally bareback riders will congregate in the grassy center for a scruffy form of pickup polo. At one end stands a 15th century church, which is so close to the ocean that you can smell the sea when sitting in the pews. The church was built so the congregation would be facing the sea if the back altar wall were removed, and there’s a palpable reverence for the sea pervading the tiny edifice. If you walk back behind the church, which is often ringed with stalls where Indians sell their crafts, you will come to a cliff that drops right down to the beach.