Itacare, Bahia Guide: How to Get There, Beaches, Tours, Hotels

Guide to Itacare, Bahia

Itacare is situated along the northernmost portion of Bahia’s Cocoa Coast, just below the Marau Peninsula, in a region that showcases just about every feature you would imagine in a tropical paradise. Unspoiled beaches are nestled between mountains inside of preserved Atlantic Rainforest, and most can only be accessed by trails that run alongside rivers and waterfalls. Each beach is distinctly different, and much like great works of art, there is no “best”. Itacare’s diverse geography and natural beauty makes it a great all-around destination for families or groups with varied interests, such as eco-tourism, yoga and spiritual retreats, sports and adventure travel.

The Portuguese first colonized Itacare in 1532, and while primarily a small fishing village, it became a refuge for Dutch pirates, slave traders and later on, wealthy cocoa barons. It fell into obscurity in the late 1960’s due to a wide sweeping plague that nearly wiped out all of Bahia’s vast cocoa plantations. Because of its difficult access back then, it remained anonymous to tourism for the next few decades, except to hardcore Brazilian surfers and nature lovers. In an effort to expand tourism in the region, the Bahian government paved a road from Ilheus to Itacare in the late 90’s. Since then it has become one of Bahia’s hippest destinations, attracting travelers through word of mouth from every walk of like and from every corner of the world.

The center of Itacare is an old fishing village inside of a natural harbor, with the historic Rio de Contas to the north and all of its beaches to the south. Despite being a small town, it has a modern infrastructure compared to other Bahian towns, and everything is within easy walking distance, including restaurants, nightlife, most of its hotels and three of its beaches.

One of Itacare’s greatest attributes is the eclectic mix of locals and visitors. Here you’ll find native fisherman, the surfer set, Brazilian rastafarians, European jetsetters and backpackers, hippies, expats, nature lovers and every spiritual following imaginable.  Acceptance of everyone is the norm, and any kind of racism or intolerance does not go over well here. The shops, restaurants and nightlife are reflective of this radical mix of cultures, making it all the more interesting. Just take a walk down the main street, Rua Pedro Longo, at night… the wide variety of sights, music, and the aromas coming from local and ethnic restaurants makes it difficult to choose where to stop!