We have returned to Morro after 21 years. It was a sandy place with a few wooden cabanas then and very quiet and safe. There are a couple of things that might be useful to anyone coming here that I would like to pass on.
First, sanitation/health. Bicho de pae are little worms that crawl inside your skin and lay eggs, they were here 21 years ago( my hubby had one in his toe) and are still here in strength. I am recovering from a bout after sitting on the sand ( on a sarong) and have met several locals who have had one or more bouts. It's easy to clear up with medicine but dang uncomfortable. They itch all night, some of the day, crawl around and leave big red trails on your skin. I took one dose of medicine and need one more to clear them out. Just be careful on the beach.Recommend renting beach beds for Rs 10 and keep your flip flops on at all times on the beach, wear them to the water and back to your bed.
We met a lady who lives here who had a bug bite that was open. She swam at 2nd beach and contracted a staphylococcus infection from the water. We didn't see her for two weeks and then when she reappeared she had spent 10 days on a drip in hospital in Valenca. The doctor told her it was from sewage basically in the water, so beware swimming with open sores. Her infection was pretty nasty, we saw her before she went to hospital, you do not want that let me assure you!
Safety issues. There have been many gunpoint robberies here on the island of 3000 or so souls, one happened on the 5th beach the week after we got here, but that ended in a shootout the next day between the robbers and the police, killing one robber and wounding another. Walking trails, quiet areas and near forested areas seem to be problematic. One Italian we met went to Mangaba, the highest point on the island with some friends and was locked in a bathroom at gunpoint while the second robber relieved him and his friends of all valuables. I could tell more stories that we have heard, but bottom line is stay in busy areas. The village, beaches up to 4th beach seem to be ok, and at night there are lots of people out and about until late.
Just a couple of things to pass along. It's still a pretty place but caution is recommended.
Two small corrections.
It's actually Morro de São Paulo.
The small creatures you encountered are called bicho de pé, because they commonly burrow into your feet,. They aren't restricted to Tinharé, they can be found across the continent.
Thanks for your incredibly helpful response. I am not discussing the continent. I am discussing several people's experiences on this island. Many apologies for the important corrections that you felt necessary to point out.
I believe you may be right (I am referring to your partially edited response), but we don't need to meet again, so don't bother responding.
Cheers
I can discuss more than several people's experience on this island (of which Morro is just one village) including our own frequent visits over the years and those of locals, that are nothing like what you describe. We have found it tranquil and problem free, and we tend to go at off season.
Unfortunately, pollution, robberies and insects can on occasion be encountered in the tropical paradise of Brazil, and elsewhere in the world, and all too often the former two come along with tourist development and faulty political policy.
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