Should I rent a car for
Barra Grande, Marau ou Itacare?
F.A.Q.'S, driving tips, road conditions, maps, etc.
Trying to decide whether to rent a car in Ilheus, Salvador or anywhere else in Bahia? We are travel experts for Barra Grande and the Peninsula de Marau, but wherever your destination in Bahia, we highly recommend Rentalcars.com for those of you coming from overseas. If you're not visiting the Peninsula de Marau, just skip to the next section and read why.
Should I rent a car or take a Transfer to the Marau Peninsula?
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.
The best choice for car rental in Bahia
For foreigners traveling to Bahia, or anywhere in Brazil for that matter, there is no better rental car company than Rentcars.com. especially if you need to rent while traveling abroad. Rentalcars not only scans all the best known companies like Hertz and Avis, but they have partnered with the largest car rental companies in Brazil, such as Localiza, Unidas, Movida and more. We have worked with and researched pricing and availability with every Brazilian and international online rental car companies, and Rentalcars beats every one, hands down, in terms of price and availability. No need to search several sites looking for the best deal... they've done it already, and guarantee the best price.
- Reserve your car before you travel, in English
- Pay in your local currency... no conversion or international fees
- Price match guarantee - If you do see a better price, fill out the short form on their site, and they will match it.
