Should I rent a car for
Barra Grande or Itacare?

If you are coming by plane, you will obviously need to decide how to get from the Ilheus Airport to the Marau Peninsula. For the first time traveler to the Marau Peninsula, we recommend a professional transfer service, especially if you don’t speak any Portuguese. However, under certain circumstance you might want to rent a car. Listed below are the pros and cons of renting a car, and we’ll start with the disadvantages first.

Cons:

• Bad weather on the Marau Peninsula - The only road on the peninsula is the infamous BR030. Although maintenance of the road has improved in the last two year, things go to crap after any significant rainfall.
• Off-road conditions – Even when the weather is good, you need to be a confident driver with basic off-road skills. You will almost always encounter mud, standing water, and loose sand the farther you go up the peninsula.
• Difficulty communicating – The car rental agencies will have you believe that their all their desks will have English speaking staff to help on your arrival. This is simply not true. But if you’re a seasoned traveler, good at basic sign language or speak a little Spanish, you can always noodle your way through. More importantly, though, is the drive. Signs in Ilheus are designed to confuse rather than help! If you need to stop for directions or help of any kind, your chances of finding an English speaker are slim to none.
• Length of stay – If you’re planning to stay for 4 days or more (which we highly recommend), you may be better off paying for a transfer. Don’t forget to calculate fuel cost, which are very expensive in Brazil these day, and even more so in rural Bahia.

Now that we’ve got the downside out of the way, here are some advantages.

Pros:

• Flexibility – If you’re just staying in Barra Grande, you really don’t need a car. But if you’re staying anywhere else, such as Taipu de Fora, Cassange, or Algodoes, you’ll need to rely on taxi if you do not have your own car. It all depends on how much mobility you want to factor into your stay, which only you can answer.
• Cheaper if you plan on staying 3 days or less.