Which is better: Arraial d'Ajuda or Campos do Jordão?
Short answer
Arraial d'Ajuda is on the Costa do Descobrimento (BA), while Campos do Jordão is in the Serra da Mantiqueira (SP): different regions of Brazil. Arraial d'Ajuda: a clifftop village across the river from Porto Seguro; Campos do Jordão: Brazil's highest town, at 1,628 m in the Serra da Mantiqueira. The weather is similar in both this month.
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Frequently asked questions
Arraial d'Ajuda or Campos do Jordão: which is better?
Arraial d'Ajuda is on the Costa do Descobrimento (BA), while Campos do Jordão is in the Serra da Mantiqueira (SP): different regions of Brazil. Arraial d'Ajuda: a clifftop village across the river from Porto Seguro; Campos do Jordão: Brazil's highest town, at 1,628 m in the Serra da Mantiqueira. The weather is similar in both this month.
What is the best time to visit Arraial d'Ajuda and Campos do Jordão?
The best time to visit Arraial d'Ajuda is year-round; for Campos do Jordão, it is from June to September, based on INMET's climate normals (temperature and rainfall for each month). If your trip already has a date, check each destination's page for your month.
Which of the two is cheaper to get to?
By car, leaving from Porto Seguro, Arraial d'Ajuda is 3 km (2 mi) and costs about R$ 25 each way (fuel plus tolls); leaving from São Paulo, Campos do Jordão is 170 km (106 mi) and costs about R$ 94 each way (fuel only, tolls not included). The calculation assumes a car that gets 11 km/L. Lodging and activities vary with each place's season.
Where does it rain less, Arraial d'Ajuda or Campos do Jordão?
Averaged over the year, Arraial d'Ajuda has 15 rainy days a month and Campos do Jordão has 11. Campos do Jordão is the drier of the two over the year as a whole, but what decides the trip is the month: the rainiest month in Arraial d'Ajuda is March and in Campos do Jordão, January. For temperature, Arraial d'Ajuda is the warmer one (average high of 28° versus 21°).
How many days should you spend in Arraial d'Ajuda and in Campos do Jordão?
To see the main sights without rushing, Arraial d'Ajuda calls for 2–3 days and Campos do Jordão, 3–4 days. These are distant regions: with a week or less, it is usually better to pick one of the two and make the most of it.
Arraial d'Ajuda or Campos do Jordão with kids?
Campos do Jordão (Brazil's highest town, mountain cold, and Winter Festival) is the better pick of the two for families. Arraial d'Ajuda (Discovery Coast, Rua do Mucugê, and colorful cliffs) is geared more toward adults or couples. With small children, weather matters: Campos do Jordão has fewer rainy days over the year.
What should you not miss in each?
In Arraial d'Ajuda: Rua do Mucugê, Nossa Senhora d'Ajuda Church, Pitinga Beach. In Campos do Jordão: Campos do Jordão State Park (Horto Florestal), Morro do Elefante, Pico do Itapeva. These are the sights that show up most in first-trip itineraries for each destination; the full guide to each has the whole list.
