Pituaçu Metropolitan Park

The Metropolitan Park of Pituaçu , or simply Parque de Pituaçu , is located in the neighborhood of Pituaçu, in Salvador, near the waterfront and the Catholic University of Salvador (UCSal). It was created by State Decree No. 23,666 of September 4, 1973 and Decree No. 23.113 of April 12, 1978 declared the public utilityof the land for expropriations  , initially with 660 hectares,  during the state government of Roberto Santos .  . It is situated on the seafront and currently occupies 425 hectares  , the largest ecological reserve in the city of Salvador , Bahia . On weekends, it receives between four and five thousand visitors. 

One of the main points of the city with remnants of Atlantic Forest is source leisure and tourism to the city with its diverse fauna and flora , in addition to the beauty of the Pituaçu Lagoon . As part of the Park, there are two multi-sports courts , cycle path , skating rink and skateboard , children's playground , pedal boat. This is where the Salvador Rowing Association operates, which also coordinates social projects , as well as athletes. There are also shops selling food and drinks. From these spaces and facilities, the Pituaçu Park is the scene of ecological trails and sports competitions , including extreme sports . In the same way, several cultural activities are also held, highlighting exhibitions and book fairs and reading sessions. 

In 2006 , specimens of brazilwood , aroeira , pigeon, jenipapeiro , cajá , mangaba , cedar and ipês purple and yellow were planted around the lagoon, aiming to restore the area of ​​the lost forest.

There is a training ground for aeromodelismo , abandoned, in the park made in the management of Mário Kertész .

Cyclovia

The cycle path of the Pituaçu Park follows most of its route along the banks of the Pituaçu Lagoon , except when it cuts off the two largest peninsulas of the lagoon. It currently has 15 kilometers of extension with signage, five kiosks and other points of support, and is one of the largest in Bahia.  It begins next to the Mário Cravo Space, passing next to the Campus of Pituaçu of the UCSal , to the Stadium of Pituaçu , to the office of the CONDER , to the office and the garden of the SUCAB , to the dam of the Pituaçu River and to the Museum of Science and Technology of UNEB .  At the beginning of the cycle lane is a bicycle rental for rent. 

Although the Park closes at 6:00 pm on Saturday, it is possible to conduct night cycling tours accompanied by the Environmental Protection Police Company (COPPA) through the Pedal of the Moon , which occurs on Saturdays prior to the full moon . 

Inside the Park is located the Pituaçu Lagoon , the largest of the metropolitan area of ​​Salvador with 200 hectares (or two square kilometers). It was formed artificially in 1906 to serve as a source of supply of the city, from the impoundment of the Pituaçu river , until then a voluminous tributary of the Rio das Pedras . The lagoon underwent a vast process of degradation that forced the suspension of the use of its waters for supply. 

Today, the lagoon is one of the main public spaces of leisure of the city.  It is a place for canoeing , including from projects of the Salvador Rowing Association, such as the Community Project and the Adapted Rowing Project. Training also takes its place in the pond and there is the claim to build a "paddle stadium" which features CONDER's government projects to install Olympic and Paralympic streaks in the mirror. 

Space Mario Cravo

Espaço Mário Cravo, also known as Parque das Esculturas, occupies an area of ​​53 thousand square meters inside the park. There are sculptures by Bahian plastic artistMário Cravo Júnior , arranged in permanent and outdoor exposure, as well as a center of culture and art.  The area provided by the State Government of Bahia is managed by the Mario Cravo Foundation, in partnership with the Bahia State Urban Development Company (Conder) and the Bahia State Urban Development Secretariat (SEDUR) . In the Space, also works the artist's atelier inside the building located at the entrance of the park , frontal to the border. 

Bahia Café Hall

The Bahia Café Hall is a house of shows inside the park, on the banks of Avenida Paralela . The area of ​​one thousand square meters was the object of a public concession for five years from the state government to the private initiative for the operation of a restaurant for the servers of the Administrative Center of Bahia . Meanwhile, the Bernard restaurant network passed on to businessman Guilardo Lopes Filho, who turned it into a house for events. Therefore, in 2008, the state government claimed breach of contract and requested the return of the space, which was not met. The concession contract expired in 2010, but the concessionaire continued to administer it. A judicial proceeding was opened, and part of it was finalized in April 2015, when there was a reintegration of possession of the space for the Secretariat of Administration of the State of Bahia (Saeb). Also, the state government judicially charges a debt of 2.2 million reais relating to the period after the end of the concession agreement and intends to transform it into a multicultural space.

Source: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_Metropolitano_de_Pituaçu