We finally experienced a full day in the great outdoors—and it was glorious. We began our day quite early, as our destination was 120 kilometers away [a two hour drive without stops]. Our first stop was the beautiful town of Domingo Martins.
The interior of Espiritu Santo was settled by European immigrants in the late 1800s—primarily German, Austrian, Portuguese, and Italian immigrants. Throughout this region, then, one will find communities greatly influenced by these peoples and cultures. Our first stop was the beautiful town of Domingo Martins—a small town settled by German immigrants in the 1880s. Today, German culture, architecture, food, language, and peoples continue to thrive in this small community. Most street names possess German surnames, and the majority of businesses are still owned and operated by the descendents of these German immigrants. A beautiful German Lutheran Church occupies the town square, and one can find delicious German meals at some of the local restaurants. Many of the buildings were built in the style of a small German town circa the turn of the century. At first glance, one might think one’s been transported to Bavaria or Switzerland—as Domingo Martins is nestled in the very green hills and mountainous region of Espiritu Santo.
After our visit to Domingo Martins, we continued our trek towards our final destination—the Parque Estadual Pedra Azul [Blue Rock State Park]. But first, a delicious lunch in a very small, rural town near Domingo Martins. Don Lorenzoni Due, an Italian restaurant owned and operated by descendents of Italian immigrants, provided the perfect respite from what turned out to be a long day of adventure and travel. Our meal was impeccable—from the stuffed mushrooms to the Prime Rib and Gnocchi.
After our very satisfying lunch, we drove the last stretch to finally arrive at Pedra Azul. After a very extensive introduction to the history and flora and fauna of the park, we trekked up a part of the mountainous rock. There was even one part of our journey up the mountain in which we had to traverse—literally climb—a 45 degree angled rock that stretched for what seemed like nearly 10 stories. It would have been impossible to climb without the built in rope system.
At the very top of our hike we discovered our prize—several glistening, natural pools of water. A few of us took this opportunity to jump in the pools—a refreshing choice.
The views from this spot: priceless. It was a fantastic cap to our adventure day in Espiritu Santo.
Traveling Fern 