Morro de São Paulo is one of those typical places in Bahia, you arrive, you feel at home and you don't want to leave! It's one of those islands that welcome you with good energy, calm, warm seas, good food and hospitality… oh, and good cocoa drinks too!!
Pousada Cristal: charm and excellent location on the First beach in Morro de São Paulo.
When I decided on my trip to Morro de São Paulo – exactly a week before boarding, lol – the first thing that caught my attention were the charming inns on the island – I confess I didn’t expect it – but there were so many beautiful and apparently comfortable places that I found in my researched by Booking, that my decision for Pousada Cristal was for the excellent cost-benefit and for the location !!
Pousada Cristal is part of the chain of inns – Joias do Morro – all in Morro de São Paulo and located on First Beach. The chain includes the inns Safira, Pérola and the most recent Cristal.
Location:
My research to decide which hostel to book on the island was summarized between First and Second beaches, as they were the best locations for those who wanted to be close to the bars, restaurants and shops of Morro. My priority on this trip was to stay as close as possible to the “centrinho” and movement of the island and thus have total ease to move at any time, without depending on the tide or walking a lot.
Pousada Cristal, without a doubt, has one of the best locations on the entire island!!! It is located in the main square – Praça Aureliano Lima – close to all shops, a 5-minute walk from First Beach and less than 10 minutes from Second Beach and also 10 minutes from Tirolesa (which is one of the island’s postcards). Even better is that it is super close to the port where the boats arrive in Morro de São Paulo. You disembark in Morro and in 5 minutes you are already inside the inn!!
1TP4 TIP: Even being very close to the port, I highly recommend hiring the boys who carry your bags!!! They stay in this port waiting for the boats to arrive, at any time of the day/night and charge an average of R$30 to carry their bags to the hotels – as my inn was very close they charged R$15 – I didn’t accept it because I thought it was unnecessary and I regretted five steps then when I looked at the huge slope at the exit of the landing hahahaha. Swear!! You deserve this “treat” after hours of transfer to get to the island!!
Hostel and Amenities:
Pousada Cristal is super new, with a clean, modern design, lots of glass, airy and very charming. It has a breakfast room, outdoor tables and a deck with a pool and ocean views.
This pool deck is super nice, the pool is a delight for a late afternoon dip and it even has a pool bar.
It is an inn without luxury or amenities for more demanding guests, but it serves very well those who are looking for comfort and practicality !!
Breakfast is served in a spacious lounge overlooking the sea. It has some types of breads, cold cuts, fruits, eggs, juices, cakes, yogurt, cereals and some savory dishes.
Bedrooms:
There are 15 rooms divided into two categories – Standard Superior and Luxury Suite. I stayed in both categories, I really liked both types of rooms but the Luxury Suite really is amazing!
My first two nights were in the Standard Superior Room, very spacious -12m2, with clean but functional decor and equipped with 43′ LED TV, electronic safe, box bed, split air conditioning, telephone, minibar and free wifi.
The bathroom is very bright, with a good size, good towels and a very fragrant amenety kit but I thought the shower could have a better water trim!
The last three nights I switched to the Luxury Suite, which is perfect for anyone wanting extra comfort!! They are 14m2, very cozy, integrating the room with the bathroom and the whirlpool bath and also equipped with a 43′ LED TV, electronic safe, box bed, split air conditioning, telephone, minibar and free wifi. The glass in the bathroom and the wooden deck of the whirlpool give all the charm to this suite.
The bathroom has a good size, the same ameneties kit, good towels, bathrobes (of great quality) and the shower has great water flow! In addition, the whirlpool is the highlight of the room !! There's nothing better than arriving from the beach, opening a bottle of wine and relaxing in the hydro for a few hours.
Details:
- Category: 3 stars
- Location: Excellent
- Value for money: Excellent
- Excelent reception