Vila Velha (; ) is a Brazilian municipality situated on the coast of the state of Espírito Santo, in the Southeast Region of Brazil. It is part of the Greater Vitória Metropolitan Area and covers an area of , of which is within the urban area. According to estimates by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2024, its population was inhabitants, making it the second most populous municipality in Espírito Santo, surpassed only by Serra.
Founded on 23 May 1535 by the Portuguese Vasco Fernandes Coutinho, the grantee of the Captaincy of Espírito Santo, Vila Velha served as the captaincy’s capital until 1549, when the seat was transferred to Vitória. As the oldest city in the state, it is home to numerous historical landmarks, including the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Fort of São Francisco Xavier de Piratininga, the Santa Luzia Lighthouse, and the Penha Convent. The latter, constructed between the 16th and 17th centuries, is one of Espírito Santo’s primary tourist attractions and was designated a national cultural heritage site by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 1943.
Today, Vila Velha is a significant industrial hub and the state’s second-largest commercial center, following the capital, Vitória. Its coastline is almost entirely lined with beaches, which are key tourist and scenic attractions, including Praia da Costa, Itapoã, and Itaparica. The city hosts several annual events that further boost tourism, such as the Festa da Penha, a tribute to Our Lady of Peñafrancia, considered Brazil’s third-largest religious event; the Chocolate Festival, showcasing the work of Chocolates Garoto, one of Vila Velha’s largest and oldest industries; and Jesus Vida Verão.
History
In the 16th century, when Portuguese colonizers first arrived in the region now known as Vila Velha, the area was contested by three distinct indigenous groups: the Goitacá (from the south), the Aimoré (from the interior), and the Tupiniquim (from the north). The Portuguese grantee of the Captaincy of Espírito Santo, Vasco Fernandes Coutinho, landed at the present-day Prainha (then called Piratininga by the indigenous people) aboard the caravel Glória with 60 men on 23 May 1535. He founded the "Vila do Espírito Santo" (now Vila Velha), named so because it was the Sunday of Pentecost. The settlement became the captaincy’s capital.BUENO, E. Capitães do Brasil: a saga dos primeiros colonizadores. Rio de Janeiro. Objetiva. 1999. p. 120.
Due to frequent attacks by indigenous groups, French, and Dutch forces, the Portuguese relocated the captaincy’s capital in 1551 to the present-day city of Vitória, on Santo Antônio Island in Vitória Bay. In 1558, Friar Pedro Palácios, a native of Medina de Rioseco, Spain, arrived at Prainha. Years later, he was tasked with building a hermitage atop the Penha hill. Palácios commissioned an image of Our Lady from Lisbon, which gave rise to the devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia. The modest hermitage gradually evolved into the Penha Convent, now the most significant religious monument in Espírito Santo’s architecture.
Little is known about Vila Velha’s history from the 16th to the 19th centuries. During this period, notable events include the completion of the Penha Convent and Dutch attacks on sugar plantations in the 17th century. The city saw minimal development, with a provincial government report recording inhabitants in 1827. Access to the capital, Vitória, which, unlike Vila Velha, was steadily growing, was challenging.
At that time, the economy relied on agriculture, sustained by slave labor of indigenous and Black individuals. In the area now known as the Aribiri neighborhood, a quilombo of escaped slaves existed, which, in the early 20th century, gave rise to a settlement and later the neighborhood.
In 1890, the municipality was formally established under the Espírito Santo Constitution, changing its name from "Vila do Espírito Santo" to "Vila Velha." In the following decade, a city plan was drafted, followed by street expansions and other infrastructure projects, which began attracting commercial investors. However, significant economic growth occurred only after the construction of the Florentino Ávidos Bridge in the late 1920s, connecting Vila Velha to Vitória. The opening of the Chocolates Garoto factory during this period also spurred development, drawing more residents and boosting commerce. The city’s tram, introduced in 1912, was gradually replaced by vehicles starting in the 1950s. On 21 April 1931, Vila Velha was annexed to Vitória but was reestablished in 1938. It was annexed again in 1943 and reestablished four years later, officially recognized by State Law No. 479 on 31 January 1959.
By 1950, the population had grown to approximately 24,000 inhabitants, but until the 1960s, Vila Velha remained closely tied to Vitória. Many residents of Vila Velha or its districts worked or studied in Vitória. The establishment of schools, commercial enterprises, and economic strengthening reversed this dependency. Investments in tourism also began, with improvements to beach infrastructure and the regularization of the hotel network, alongside the development of port terminals.
Vila Velha remains a tourist and historical site, with Penha Convent an important historical and religious site in both Espírito Santo and Brazil. The City has many beaches, such as Praia da Costa and Itapoã, suitable for tourists. The city also boasts a robust real estate market and is a growing hub for garment manufacturing and foreign trade, with its port terminals handling approximately 90% of Espírito Santo’s exported goods.
Geography
According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the municipality spans , with in the urban area and the remaining in the rural area. Located at 20°19'48" south latitude and 40°17'31" west longitude, it lies approximately south of the state capital, Vitória. Its neighboring municipalities are Vitória to the north, Cariacica and Viana to the west, Guarapari to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
Under the regional division effective since 2017, established by the IBGE, the municipality belongs to the Intermediate and Immediate Geographic Regions of Vitória. Previously, under the division into microregions and mesoregions, it was part of the Vitória microregion, within the Central Espírito-Santense mesoregion.
The ongoing conurbation process in the region is forming a metropolis centered in Vitória, extending to the municipalities of Cariacica, Fundão, Guarapari, Serra, Viana, and Vila Velha. The Greater Vitória Metropolitan Area (RMV) was established by State Complementary Law No. 58 on 21 February 1995, and is currently the 14th largest urban agglomeration in Brazil, with over 1.68 million inhabitants. It is the most dynamic economic region in Espírito Santo, accounting for 58% of the state’s wealth and housing 46% of its population and 57% of its urban population.
Vila Velha encompasses two hydrographic basins: the Guarapari River and Jucu River basins, with areas of and , respectively. The Jucu River is the main river flowing through the municipality, originating in the mountainous region of Domingos Martins and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean within Vila Velha’s territory. It supplies water to 60% of the Greater Vitória Metropolitan Area’s population. The river’s confluence with the sea occasionally forms small tidal bores during certain periods of the year.
The climate of Vila Velha is classified by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics as tropical hot super-humid (type Aw per the Köppen classification), characterized by dry, mild winters and rainy summers. Winds are consistent year-round, but the passage of occasional cold fronts can cause stronger gusts, with speeds exceeding . Extreme cold events are rare. According to data from the automatic weather station of the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) in Vila Velha, located at Fazenda Paraíso, the lowest temperature recorded was on 19 May 2022, and the highest was on 14 March 2019.
Topography
The terrain is predominantly flat, with the average altitude of the municipal seat at above sea level. The municipality has of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Notable elevations include Morro da Concha, a rocky coastal formation covered with restinga; Morro do Penedo, composed of granitic formations and reaching ; Morro do Moreno, with an altitude of , designated a natural heritage site by Municipal Law 262 of 1990 and Decree 202 of 1996, and hosting a significant remnant of Atlantic Forest; and Morro da Penha, at , home to the Penha Convent, one of Espírito Santo’s most visited sites.
Several islands fall within Vila Velha’s territory. Itatiaia Island is a rocky island near the Praia de Itapuã coast, serving as a breeding ground for seabirds such as herons and swallows. Garças Island is another key breeding site for species such as herons and the black-crowned night heron, with its restinga vegetation supporting conservation efforts. Located from the mainland, it is used for fishing but access is restricted from January to March during the breeding season. Pacotes Island, restricted to the Brazilian Navy, hosts a maritime signaling lighthouse.
Ecology and environment
The original and predominant vegetation in the municipality is the Atlantic Forest, with some areas of restinga. However, much of the native forest has been cleared in recent years, primarily to accommodate urban expansion and the construction of condominiums, subdivisions, and residential developments. To address this, various initiatives have been implemented or are planned, including the creation of Natural Areas, which are non-urbanized zones designated as conservation units (UC) or Permanent Preservation Areas (APP).
Vila Velha has eleven Permanent Preservation Areas (APP): Lagoa Grande, in Ponta da Fruta; Morro de Argolas, established to protect the local Atlantic Forest fauna and flora; Morro do Pão Doce, in the São Torquato district; Lagoa de Jacuném, in Ponta da Fruta, encompassing a complex of about of Atlantic Forest and restinga remnants; Morro da Ucharia, in the Prainha neighborhood; Morro do Convento, an ecological reserve also home to the Penha Convent; Morro do Moreno, a significant Atlantic Forest fragment covering ; Morro do Cruzeiro, a native forest reserve between the Jardim Colorado, Santos Dumont, Jardim Guadalajara, Brisamar, and Guadalupe neighborhoods; Morro do Jaburuna, a complex of three coastal rocky massifs hosting a native forest reserve; Lagoa Encantada, with an area of ; and Lagoa de Jabaeté, spanning .
According to the municipality, there are currently three conservation units: the Morro da Manteigueira Municipal Natural Park, established on 13 November 1999, with an area of , located along the Vitória Bay channel at the mouth of the Aribiri River, near the Glória neighborhood; the Jacarenema Municipal Natural Park, created in 2003 and ratified in 2008, covering in the Barra do Jucu neighborhood; and the Morro do Penedo Natural Monument, along the Vitória Bay channel, established in 2007 and regularized in 2010 to protect the Atlantic Forest remnants on the Morro do Penedo rocky formation.
Demography
In 2010, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) recorded the municipality’s population at inhabitants, with men and women. According to the same census, residents lived in the urban area, and in the rural area. By 2020, statistics indicated a population of , making it the second most populous municipality in the state (behind Serra) and the 48th most populous in Brazil.