The municipality of Aracruz, north of Espírito Santo, is well known for its coastline. It has wonderful beaches that attract a lot of people.
But what many people don’t know is that the interior of Aracruz also has attractions that provide good tour options.
One of these attractions is a small chapel built on top of a rock approximately 800m high.
It is the little church of Monte Serrat, also known by locals as “little church of Pelado”. It attracts Catholics, curious people and ecotourism practitioners as you can only reach it by following a trail and from the top you have a beautiful view of the region.
The chapel was built in 1931 by Mr. Euvaldo Soares Souza, better known as “Osvaldo Baiano” to fulfill a promise made to Our Lady of Monte Serrat when he arrived in the region.
He built it on top of Morro do Pelado to “escape the misfortunes of the world”. He had a strong personality and questioned many things on earth.
The materials for its construction were carried on the back of animals and also carried by people, including two of his daughters. Today the way to get to the little chapel is a steep trail, I can imagine the difficulties of the time.
After building the little chapel, a little below, Osvaldo Baiano built a house to live in away from the lost world. He lived there until 1957 where he was stabbed to death.
Initially, only family and closest friends visited the chapel. Over time, it became better known and more sought after by other people. Even because it is seen from afar by those passing by on the highway.
I myself had already seen and heard about the “little naked church”, but I totally forgot about it. Until at the beginning of the year I started seeing her post on Instagram and one day I mentioned to friends that I wanted to go and see her. To my surprise, the idea was accepted and on the appointed day we went with four people.
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| During the climb, enjoy the landscape. |
I only knew which direction it was, but I had an idea what it would be like, if I could get to it, if there were signs. To tell the truth, I thought I would get close and come back without success. But we went.
To my surprise, 10km after the center of Aracruz, I started to see improvised signs and signs indicating the place.
We left the paved highway onto a dirt road and I continued. The name Monte Serrat was written on stones and boards, but it was passing through private property and I didn’t know if I could enter it. Until I saw a man working in a corral, I asked for information and he told me to follow.
We arrived close to a house where it was no longer possible to follow. We left the car there, went through a gate that said “Monte Serrat” and walked a little further to the bottom of the hill where we were greeted by two dogs, they were our guides. They knew the way and seemed to always accompany the visitors.
The path is a steep trail, but not bad. Most of them have a kind of steps and shade, closer to the top there is open space. There are no signs but the path is well beaten and if in doubt, just follow the dogs. On the route there are some points with running water where you can drink and refresh yourself.
The fact that it was steep made it very difficult for me. I’m sedentary and overweight, I have the resistance to swim on the flat, but I can’t handle anything when going uphill. I stopped many times to catch my breath and enjoyed the view. The place has a beautiful landscape.
At the top, we passed the ruins of Osvaldo Baiano’s house. He took a breath to continue to the capelina, which is not far away. At the end of the trail there is a staircase built to reach the top of the rock where the chapel is located.
It took me 2 hours to make the journey, but it was worth it. The little chapel at the top and a 360º view of the region.
There are no shadows up there and we share a small shadow formed by the chapel with the dogs.
The day we went was hot with clear skies. We started climbing at 9am and with the help of the vegetation and shade we didn’t suffer. But when we went down the sun was out and it was very punishing. So plan to go up as early as possible.
It is a small chapel where 5 people can stand inside. It is open, and inside there is a small altar with some images and a book for visitors to write something.
Its interior was damaged and the cross that was at the top of the door was missing. This was the result after vandals vandalized and stole the little church in Monte Serrat.
The church is private and what happened is making the family rethink the way visits happen today every day and freely.
HOW TO GET
Following the ES-124 highway towards BR 101, it is 10km from the city center of Aracruz in the town of Taquaral.
You can get there by car until you reach the bottom of the hill. You don’t pay anything.
DO NOT FORGET
* Sunscreen, hat, repellent, water and fruit. Don’t leave trash.
FOR YOUR TRIP
Tour Guide: Discover Espírito Santo with a guide. Make contact with me.
Accommodation: Make your reservations on Booking.com and travel with peace of mind.
Car rental: Are you going to rent a car? Get quotes from several companies on rentcars.com.
Airline ticket: You can buy it at Passagens Promo.
