Transportation in Vitória and Vila Velha

Getting to Vitória

By Air

Vitória´s airport, Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport (also known as the Goiabeiras Airport), is the main airport in the state of Espirito Santo. It is located in the Goiabeiras neighborhood of Vitória, which is about sixteen miles from the downtown area.

Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport (VIX) is Vitória’s national airport and has the capacity to receive all types of aircraft. Usually executive jet planes and helicopters leave from the Goiabeiras airport. It connects Vitória with most other areas in Brazil through Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont and Galeao), Belo Horizonte (Confins) and Sao Paulo (Congonhas and Guarulhos Airport). The airport is also well connected to Brasilia, Salvador, Governador Valadares, Campinas, Curitiba, Maringá and Manaus.

Goiabeiras Airport is fully air conditioned with a check-in hall of 25 check-in desks and convenient arrival and boarding lounges. Recently, the government has built more enclosures for aircraft parking, which has significantly enhanced the operational efficiency of the airport. Around 2.3 million passengers used the Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport in 2010, and only to arrive in Vitória.

For transport from the airport to the city (or from the city to the airport), we recommend Green Path Transfers, who offer eco-friendly airport transfers in hundreds of destinations around the world.

By Boat

The Espirito Santo state is one of the most dynamic states in Brazil because it has a perfect location; it’s not too far from the big urban and industrials centres, though also near a beautiful coastline. For these reasons, the port in Vitoria is one of the most important in Brazil. Vitória is accessible by both large cargo vessels and small boats. The entrance to the harbour is marked by Brazil's tallest bridge, which is set against the scenic backdrop of Camburi Beach.

Vitória´s Port offers reliable infrastructure for port operators. Today, this port is used mainly by cruise liners and for the repair of oil platforms and ships. Vitoria has been a regular stop on cruise routes since 1998. In 2007, the City Hall developed a project called Estação Porto. This, structure assembled at the Storage #5 of Vitória´s Port, is where a tourist reception centre is located.

The Estação Porto is a point of support for maritime tourists. When the tourists arrive, they are initially welcomed by receptionists that speak English and Spanish. They are also offered snacks and brochures about the things to do in Vitória. Outside of the port, there are structures around the island for the arrival and boarding of boats, mainly for tourists. That is the case at the Iemanja Pier, Camburi Beach, and Caieiras Island. There is also the Yacht Club, at the Canto´s Beach.

Getting around Vitoria

By Road

There are two main roads in Vitória, which run from north to south and from west to east. BR-101 runs north-south along the coast, across the Greater Vitória Metropolitan Area; it links Vitoria to Salvador in the north and Rio de Janeiro in the south. BR-262 runs from east to west and links Vitoria to Belo Horizonte. The Sunny Highway or local highway number 60 joins Vitoria to Guarapari in the south.

Vila Velha is only 10 km away from Vitória. To arrive there, simply drive over the Terceira Ponte (Third Bridge) after landing in Vitória.

By Bus

The inner-city bus station in Vitória is located downtown. Vitoria is 20 minutes away by taxi and 30 minutes away by bus from the hotels of Vitória. Vitória´s bus station is the main point of arrival for the travellers to Espirito Santo by land. It has connections to cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Bahia and Rondonia. The bus riders can check online for updated bus routes.

By Taxi

Another option for ground transportation in Vitória are taxis. Vitória has hundreds of accredited taxi services. The cabs are inspected yearly to check their condition of use and the cab driver’s registration. All official Vitória taxis have a special pattern on the doors of yellow and orange stripes. The official logo of Vitoria´s taxis and the name of car company are located on the back doors.

By Train

Every day, two passenger trains ply the Vitória-Minas Railroad. One leaves from Vitória´s outskirts in Cariaica at 7:00 am and arrives in Belo Horizonte around 8:10 pm. The other train leaves from Belo Horizonte and arrives in Vitória around 8:30 pm. Functioning since 1907, the passenger train encourages tourism in the region and contributes to the integration and development of local communities. This is the only train that operates long trips daily in Brazil.