The first thing you´ll hear when you talk about surfing in Espirito Santo, Brasil, is: ´go to Regencia´. A small town connected by a 45-minute dirt road to the rest of the world. Nothing really special you would think, but it´s here where some world-class surfing barrels roll in every once in a while (mostly in the Brazilian spring). It is said it´s the best wave of Espirito Santo, and some say it´s even among the best of entire Brazil. But no worries, even if surfing in Regencia, Espirito Santo is beyond your surfing level (as was the case for me), there is still lots to do in this little magical town. Or even better: don´t do anything 😉
The town of Regencia
As a typical, off-the-beaten-track beach town, the sandy streets, humble houses, pedestrians, and fishermen, Regencia captured me right away. After some weeks in the big city of Vila Velha, I was so happy to be surrounded by silence for a while. The town has a huge beach with hardly anyone on it; some small bars, kiosks, a bakery, a little supermarket and some fruit stores. Even better, there is a house that started making their own artisanal beers: Cervejaria Regencia Augusto.
Furthermore, there is an old lighthouse and a turtle rescue center, monitored by the Projeto Tamar, to visit.
Take a walk along the beach to the river mouth and see the different colors of the water as well as the mangroves.
The small port, the ´portinho´ is where the boats are moored. You can find a small deck here from which you have a privileged view of the sea!
A muddy past
On November 5th, 2015, a dam in the next-door state of Minas Gerais broke down, taking all the mud down the Rio Doce, until it emptied in the sea; exactly, right where Regencia is located. This massive mudslide destroyed many houses and infrastructure, and the river mouth and even the famous wave changed after this.
The surfing in Regencia
The river mouth is what creates the strong waves in Regencia, which, at the ideal conditions, are a barrel fest for experienced surfers all over the country. The river is also what makes the water of the ocean slightly brown and where the name ´chocolate barrel´ has come from.
The best conditions here is when the offshore winds blow from the northeast and the swell angle is from the south. There are both lefts and rights, though the barrels tend to be more left. However, take good care when surfing here: this is a fast wave in shallow water. Furthermore, there can be strong currents and people have been talking about the presence of sharks. In general, the other surfers are nice and mellow, but… When it´s on, it´s on and the crowd will come out. As everywhere else, the earlier the better.
The Projeto Tamar turtle reserve
About 7km out of the village, there is a Sea Turtle Protection Centre. This project is run by Projecto Tamar with help of volunteers. This is a nationwide initiative working to protect sea turtles, create awareness and education about how to protect them. They not only take care of the turtles but also of the tourism in the little town. Making sure that the tourism here is of the sustainable kind.
Next to Farol da Barra and the museum is the Ecological Center, a kind of support headquarters for the Tamar Project. Here you can find an archaeological exhibition of various species of turtles and other animals.
I hope this brief article helped you to understand a bit more about surfing in Regencia, Espirito Santo.
For more ideas on where to surf in Brasil, check out my other blogs here.
