Weekendtrip options around Itacaré, Bahia

Sunset in Taipu de dentro at the volleyball fiel

Even though Itacaré itself is a paradise, there are many other options to enjoy the nature and beaches of Bahia.

One of those is the peninsula of Maraú. The combination of stunning beaches, kind people and a lot of green is definitely recommendable. Compared to Itacaré, the vibe is even more chill, if that’s even possible!? As I visited in low season, there were only few people, so party animals might consider visiting in main season.

Beautiful beach in Taipu de Fora, Península de Maraú

The white beaches were pretty much always empty, which was a great change from the packed beaches of Itacaré and the clear water was comfortably warm. However, one of the things that I enjoyed most, was the way there. The bus ride there was rather uneventful, but being able to take the little boat to Barra Grande in the early morning was incredible. As I arrived there, I was supposed to take a taxi or little bus to my final destination (around 8km from Barra Grande), however Brazilian punctuality and reliability wanted to play another game with me, so I decided to exercise my body a bit and run to Taipu de fora, which I kind of underestimated, to be honest. With the perfect running gear: flipflops and a heavy bagpack and other great factors: the striking sun and horrible, muddy roads, I successfully completed the first kilometre and was prepared to complete the next 7 as well. To be fair, my secret plan was to catch a ‘Carona’ (hitchhike), but I have never done it before and was quite nervous to do so. When there was finally an opportunity (someone with a motorbike) in the distance, I was preparing myself mentally to stick out my finger, but then chickened out. Thankfully, the driver saw my yearning glance and stopped, to asked me if I wanted a lift. This was by far one of the best motor rides I have had yet, talking with my saviour about life and him, even taking me further than he needed to, to drop me off at the beach. This was quite an exciting morning, regarding that it was only 9 am, when I arrived at my little apartment.

Hitchhiking in a construction vehicle

This is what I love about Brazil: the people are so welcoming and open-minded, that this is just one of the thousand amazing experiences I have had with the locals here and I’m sure, you’ll experience the same when you arrive.

Depending on how much time you are planning to spend here, you can also consider doing a day trip to the waterfalls, doing a kayaking or stand up paddling tour, exploring the other towns of the península like Taipu de dentro or Praia de Algodões or, of course snorkelling in the amazing natural pools of Taipu de fora. What did it for me, was just relaxing on the beach in one of the million restaurants, talking to locals and bathing in ocean and sun.

Incredible sunset on the Península de Maraú

This experience was such a relief, as it allowed me to feel a great connection with nature again and to remember, why I’m got here in the first place and why this is such a great place to be.

by Emilie Merta