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
thumb|left|upright|Bust of Friar Pedro Palácios, founder of the [[Penha Convent]]
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.
left|thumb|255x255px|Wooden model of the Caravel Glória, displayed at the Memory House Museum
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.
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. 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.
thumb|left|Vila Velha in 1964. [[Brazilian National Archives|National Archives.]]
left|thumb|293x293px|Tram 42, once used for public transport in the city, is now exhibited at the [[Memory House Museum in Vila Velha - 2025]]
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 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.
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.