By Patricia Ribeiro
Brazil Travel Expert, about.com
Itacaré, on Bahia's Cocoa Coast, sea and rainforest meet to create one of the most beautiful shorelines in Brazil.
Located 534 kilometers south of Salvador and 64 kilometers north of Ilhéus, the town is in the APA (Environmental Protection Area) Itacaré-Serra Grande.
[post_ads_2]
For
a long time, the town remained difficult to reach due to dirt road
access. The paving of the Ilhéus-Itacaré stretch of seaside BA-001 in
1998, with certain environmental measures such as wildlife crossing
points, made the access easier, but by then the APA had already been
created, in 1993.
A popular ecotourism and surfing
destination, Itacaré is, along with its neighbors on the Cocoa Coast,
experiencing the rebirth of the cocoa culture and the promising dawn of a
food travel scene centered on origin chocolate.
Town Center
The
town with about 30,000 inhabitants has its origins in an 18th century
village and has preserved some constructions dating back to the apex of
the cocoa boom in the early 20th century.
There are lots of places to eat for all budgets. Some of the best and
most charming are in the street formerly called Rua do Beco, which
reopened as Passarela da Vila in early 2014.
During
the day, the point known as Pituba (a nod to the neighborhood by that
name in Salvador) might be very quiet; in an afternoon in the low
season, its main street looks like something out of a ghost town. The
area bursts into life after dark, with the action going well into the
crack of dawn in the summer.
Itacaré Beaches
Traveling north from Ilhéus to Itacaré, one of the first beaches up is 10-kilometer long and scenic Itacarezinho, home to Txai.
Sea turtles lay their eggs in the sand from September to March; surfers
seek its waves year round. At the northern end is Itacarezinho, one of
the best toes-in-the-sand bars on the Cocoa Coast,
The shoreline
twists and turns as you travel northbound, forming a sequence of pretty
half-crescents encircled by rainforest-covered hills: Havaizinho,
Engenhoca, Jeribucaçu, São José, Prainha, and Ribeira. Reaching some of
them requires walking on trails; check with locals if there are any
ongoing safety concerns - there have been cases of theft on the long
trail to Jeribucaçu, for example - and try to go with a group.
Tiririca,
Resende and Concha, the closest beaches to the town center, have
pousadas, restaurants, beach bars, and a mixed crowd including surfers
and families with kids. Tiririca hosts several surf tournaments.
North of the town center, Pontal is another favorite surfing spot. Read more about local surfing on Easy Drop (www.easydrop.com/location/surfing-in-itacare).
Things to Do
Itacaré
and its surroundings have a myriad options for the traveler seeking
contact with nature and an adrenaline boost. Canopy walking at Prainha,
zip lining at Ribeira, trekking in the rainforest, rafting, kayaking,
canoeing, wakeboarding, and kitesurfing on the Contas River, and whale watching are some of the things to do. Local agencies such as Eco Trip (www.ecotrip.tur.br) offer those tours and experiences.
[post_ads_2]
[post_ads_2]
The
Cocoa Coast has entered an era of recovery and rebirth of its cocoa
culture, with a growing focus on sustainable farming and the production
of origin chocolate. You can make Itacaré your base for a journey into
the flavors, traditional practices, and history of cocoa in Southern
Bahia - and one of the best ways to do that is by visiting a cocoa farm,
such as the ones in Ilhéus.
Where to Stay
Itacaré has delightful places to stay, including resorts, hotels, and pousadas.
Besides Txai, travelers who prefer resorts have the Ecoporan, with family-size beach houses as well as suites just right for couples and easy access to Concha, Resende, and Tiririca.
The Itacaré Ecoresort,
steps away from São José and less than a mile from Prainha, has its 70
guest rooms spread out between sea and mountain. Guests can take lessons
in surfing, capoeira, forró dancing, and yoga.
Itacaré Village
- a good resort for families with kids and babies - supports
non-governenmtal organization Floresta Viva, which fosters the local
culture through traditional handicrafts and culinary.
Aldeia da Mata is a beach resort amid preserved native vegetation, with special amenities for honeymoons. Aldeia do Mar, with wonderful bungalows, is active in local preservation projects such as beach cleanliness and the promotion of recycling.
Concha
has the most places to stay, from Ecoporan and Aldeia do Mar
to pousadas for all budgets, with some of the best inside a planned
neighborhood called Conchas do Mar.
Some of the best pousadas are Villa Maeva (www.villamaeva.com.br), Vila do Dengo (www.viladodengo.com.br), Coqueiro Verde (www.coqueiroverde.com.br), Burundanga (www.burundanga.com.br), Maria Farinha (mariafarinhapousada.com.br), and Bambu (www.pousadabambu.com.br).
Charming places elsewhere include Pousada Tãnara (www.pousadatanara.com), on Tiririca, awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and listed as one of Alison McGowan's Top Picks on Hidden Pousadas Brazil; Art Jungle Eco Lodge & Spa (artjungle.com.br), another Hidden Pousadas favorite.
Where to Eat
There
are many great places to eat in town, with some of the finer options in
the town center and hotel restaurants such as the excellent buffet
served at Ecoporan.
One of the best experiences for the traveler
is eating at one of the cabanas, rustic beachfront restaurants where you
can eat local specialties - mainly lots of seafood dishes, but also
other regional food such as sun-dried meat.Moqueca or
fried fish with sides such as farofa and plenty of finger foods to go
with icy drinks, coconut water, and fresh fruit juice are among the
things you can enjoy while looking at the sea.
Itacarezinho, on
the breathtakingly beautiful beach by the same name, has a grassy
lounging area with little kiosks. Cabana Maré Alta, on Praia da Concha,
is much more rustic, but it also has a privileged location with tables
right on the sand and right by a lookout point perched atop a hill, from
which you can enjoy the sunset and a full view of the seaside town
center as well as Concha.
Concha and Ribeira have the most cabanas..
Weather
The
Cocoa Coast is warm and pleasant year round. The coast is so lush
because it gets quite a bit of rain; nevertheless, Itacaré is said to
have about 300 days of sunshine a year. From June to September, the
rains are more frequent. The winter is also the top season for surfing.
Rain
is less frequent from about August to February. Summer thunderstorms
bring welcome relief from the heat from about December to March. See
more about the local conditions on AccuWeather.com.
More Travel Tips
Learn more about the many fun possibilities on the excellent, locally produced Itacaré.com.
The writer visited Itacaré on a press trip with the International Chocolate & Cocoa Festival, Bahiatursa, and partners..
