After the Litoral Marathon: One More Night in Caiobá

The Route: Caiobá hotel → Praia Mansa → Matinhos promenade → Caiobá hotel → Curitiba → Airport (CWB) Logistics: No change of base. Short taxi rides or walks along the waterfront, then a Graciosa bus to Curitiba the next morning. Marathon Month: July Duration: 1 night

Caiobá hotel ──(walk or taxi)──> Praia Mansa ──(taxi)──> Matinhos promenade ──> Caiobá hotel
Caiobá hotel ──(taxi)──> Matinhos bus stop ──(Graciosa, 1h30-2h20)──> Curitiba ──(taxi)──> Airport (CWB)

The race finishes at Praia Mansa, so the waterfront you want to see is already underfoot. The simplest plan is to keep your room and let Monday be slow.

July in Matinhos is winter. Daytime highs average about 20°C and nights about 15°C, with about 89 mm of rain across the month. It is a beach town in its quiet season, so expect some places to be closed and the sea to be rough. Look at the forecast before you plan an outdoor lunch, and do not swim without checking the bathing advice for the day.

The day after

Do nothing hard. A short walk along the Praia Mansa front, a seat and a coffee will do. The square where you finished, Praça Dante Luiz Júnior, is a few minutes from the sand. Walk on the pavement and avoid long stretches of soft sand, which is hard on tired calves.

In the afternoon, take a taxi to the central Matinhos promenade for a short look at the coast. The rocky surf point at the end is not a gentle recovery walk, so stay on the flat. The hill of Morro do Boi, between Caiobá's beaches, is worth leaving for another trip, since it needs good legs and good footwear.

Where to stay

Keep your race-weekend room and ask for the extra night in advance. Hotel Sesc Caiobá, at Rua Dr. José Pinto Rebelo Júnior 91, describes full board on its page, which takes the question of where to eat out of the evening. It releases rooms in dated booking windows and has a notice about pool renovation, so ask what is open. Pousada Caiobá, at Rua Jacarezinho 275, is a smaller alternative in the same district. Ask either about checkout time and luggage storage.

Where to eat

Casa do Camarão, at Avenida Atlântica 2010 in Caiobá, is listed as a seafood restaurant, though published Sunday hours disagree, so ring ahead. La Bodeguita is recommended for meat and seafood by a Matinhos hotel; ask your own hotel to confirm its address and opening times.

Getting out

Graciosa buses run between Matinhos and Curitiba through the day, with a first departure around 06:30 and a last around 20:15, taking between 1 hour 30 and 2 hours 20. Schedules vary by date, so look up your day before you buy. Take a morning bus and allow time for traffic into the city. The airport is Afonso Pena (CWB), in São José dos Pinhais, a separate town outside Curitiba, so add a taxi or app car from the bus terminal. Do not book an early flight on the day you leave.