Barra Grande, Península de Maraú

Barra Grande sits on the Península de Maraú, part of the Maraú district on Bahia’s southern coast. Thanks to its limited access, though, the area has kept a rustic, laid-back feel, with sand or dirt roads, including stretches of the federal highway itself.

Most importantly, we’d recommend staying in the Barra Grande area, since that’s where all the tours depart from, and where you’ll find the hotels, inns, and hostels, along with a genuinely pleasant little town center for evenings out.

Getting to Barra Grande

First, we flew into Ilhéus, where we rented a car to drive to Maraú and then Itacaré. We chose this route since we preferred hitting the farthest town first, making the return trip easier.

Since we were headed to Maraú, we opted for a 4x4, since we already knew the roads would be unpaved, and with the chance of rain, we could easily get stuck.

To get from Ilhéus to Barra Grande, Google Maps suggests a 127 km route taking 2 hours 34 minutes. You leave Ilhéus on highway BA-001. After about 80 km, at a roundabout, you turn onto BR-030, an unpaved, pothole-riddled road. We don’t have exact mileage for the turns, but there’s plenty of signage along the way. See the route from Ilhéus to Barra Grande on Google Maps.

Along the drive, we stopped at the Mirante na Serra Grande, a great photo spot, with an empada shop right on the roadside known for being genuinely delicious.

Where to Stay in Barra Grande

We stayed at Taipabas Hotel and liked almost everything about it, from its location just 200 meters from both downtown and the beach, to the spacious room and decent-sized bathroom. The only letdown was the shower, which alternated between hot and cold with no easy way to control the temperature.

The hotel has a pool that was always clean and in working order, and the front desk always had someone ready to help.

Breakfast had plenty of options, and everything served was tasty — we were genuinely satisfied. Every day at breakfast, there were two juice options, and just to give you an idea, we drank fresh juices made with pineapple, mixed fruit, cacao, and soursop.

On top of that, you had to pick a time slot for breakfast, meant to reduce crowding. We always chose the first slot, from 7:30 to 8:20, so we could head out early for a run, get back, shower, and eat.

What to do in Barra Grande

I’ll write about what we did each day we were there, since I think it’s the easiest way to break the region down and make it easier to follow.

Sunset at Ponta do Mutá + Dinner at Rô Gastronomia

Sunset at Ponta do Mutá

We arrived in the late afternoon, so we headed straight to watch the sunset here, a spot we’d definitely recommend. It’s a beautiful location, right on the Orojó River.

The sunset was beautiful, and you can settle into one of the waterfront restaurants to spend the day and just wait for it. Since we arrived an hour early, we watched from the sand, easing into the water since it was wonderfully warm.

If you’re staying in downtown Barra Grande, it’s just a 1.5 km walk, or if you’re driving, there’s parking for R$20.

Dinner at Rô Gastronomia

We had dinner at this restaurant, right on the Carapitangui River. The setting is beautiful and genuinely charming, though we think it’s better visited in the afternoon, since the view isn’t as striking at night, and the restaurant was close to closing when we arrived.

We also thought the prices were a bit steep for what you get, though the quality was fine. We ordered filet mignon with crispy potatoes for two, though Andrey wasn’t a fan of the sauce. The owner is very friendly, and it’s worth at least stopping by to see the space.

Lagoa Azul + Praia do Cassange + Rota das Bromélias + Farol de Taipu + Praia de Taipu de Fora

We did this stretch of the trip based on a tip from a woman at a boat tour agency, and in the end, it was well worth it.

Lagoa Azul

A beautiful spot for a photo, with genuinely warm water, though we didn’t stay long. You can see the lighthouse in the distance from here.

Praia do Cassange

We loved this beach, genuinely empty, and settled in at a spot called Cabana do João, a really nice beach kiosk to spend the day at, with great service, good food, and fair prices.

For lunch, we ordered shrimp stroganoff, served with rice and potatoes, though they’d run out of potatoes and swapped in fried cassava instead — everything was delicious. For dessert, we ordered cacao cocada, which came in a generous portion, and it was really good.

The one thing worth mentioning: if you like calm waters for swimming, know that the waves here are pretty strong, so you might want to pick a different beach.

Before reaching the beach, there’s also the Lagoa do Cassange, which has nice facilities if you’d rather spend the day there, but we went with the beach instead.

We left after lunch to go see the Farol de Taipu lighthouse and the natural pools at Taipu de Fora.

Rota das Bromélias

Along the way between spots, you pass through this stretch of road, known for its larger-than-usual bromeliads, genuinely different from what you’d normally see.

Farol de Taipu

You can drive in, though the road is full of potholes and unpaved with a lot of loose sand — we’d recommend having a 4x4 to drive right up, since the sand gets too hot to walk on barefoot.

The view around the lighthouse is beautiful, and it’s absolutely worth walking around it to take in the beaches.

Access to the lighthouse is via BR-030, and you’ll need to pay close attention, since coming from Barra Grande, there’s a sign pointing toward Praia de Cassange, and from there you can only see the lighthouse from a distance, without a way to actually reach it. At least, we couldn’t find the way in following the signage.

Taipu de Fora

Taipu de Fora is the beach with the famous natural pools, though we weren’t especially impressed, since we didn’t visit at the right time of year. In January and February, conditions are ideal, with little rain and guaranteed sun, but you’ll also need to check the tide table for water levels.

Low tide happens during the full moon and new moon, so plan your trip around those lunar phases. You can also check a lunar calendar to plan ahead.

We didn’t do this, so we ended up with high tide, and it wasn’t especially pretty — on top of that, the water was quite dark. Nothing like the photos we’d seen, so we skipped taking pictures ourselves, to avoid discouraging anyone from visiting.

Near the pools, there’s solid beach infrastructure, with attractive, comfortable kiosks, though packed with guests, which didn’t feel appropriate given the pandemic.

That night, we had dinner in the town center, though I’ll cover downtown Maraú separately from these day-trip write-ups.

Boat Tour

The boat tour is really great, and we did the full version, which passes several islands and ends at a waterfall. We booked through Península Tour, chosen because the owner who helped us was extremely reliable and helpful.

She’s also the one who recommended the tour we did on the morning of our second day, which, as mentioned, was well worth it.

The tour was scheduled to start at 10 AM, but ran about 30 minutes late. Reaching the waterfall, which is far away, takes about 45 minutes each way.

The pandemic changed a few things — for example, the boat used to allow up to 15 passengers, but it’s now capped at 12. Ours had 10 people, giving us plenty of space between everyone, which made it great to enjoy. R$150 per person.

Ilha da Pedra Furada

This was our first stop of the day. As soon as you arrive, the island’s caretakers charge R$5, covering the time you spend there taking photos. We stayed 40 minutes on the island.

You pass through an opening to reach the rock, and you’ll come out through what’s called the Gruta da Vagina. I know it sounds like an odd name, but that’s exactly what it’s called.

Crossing through the crevice, you’ll reach Pedra Furada itself, which has two holes carved through it, one larger and one smaller.

Ponta da Ilha Grande

We only saw this one from outside, just for a photo, but it’s home to 800 residents, and, as we were told, it has a health clinic and a sports complex.

Ilha do Goió

The only island where we could actually get in the water, and it’s beautiful, with crystal-clear water and plenty of fish, plus a restaurant where you can order food and drinks, though it’s not the tour’s designated lunch stop.

There are three types of water swings here, great for photos and videos. We stayed 45 minutes on the island.

Cidade de Maraú

Another spot we only passed by, snapping photos from the boat. The town of Maraú isn’t where you’ll base yourself for these tours — that’s Barra Grande.

Cachoeira do Tremembé

The highlight of the tour — first, the waterfall is beautiful, and you can spend a good amount of time there, since it has natural massage points, a natural rock slide, and a natural pool.

At the waterfall, you’ll need to work with the guides stationed there, who charge on average R$15 per person to help you navigate the very slippery rocks.

And my favorite part: the boat captain pulls the boat right up in front of the waterfall, letting you get soaked and take photos right there in it.

Ilha do Sapinho

This is where we had lunch, stopping here early in the tour, on the way out, to place our order for the main course.

Even though we ordered ahead, the dish still took about 45 minutes, and we were starving, since it was already around 3 PM — so the tip is to bring a snack, or order something at Ilha do Goió earlier on.

We ordered lobster, served with rice, beans, and farofa, and it was really tasty. It cost R$130 and served three people, plus a starter of stuffed crab shell.

We bought ice cream for dessert, though the restaurant didn’t have any — I had to walk over to the local market to buy some myself. It was delicious! Called Quyblito, similar to a Tablito bar. Price: R$5 each.

Ilha do Campinho

Finally, this was our last stop of the tour, where we stayed for 40 minutes.

Praia de Algodões

Above all, know that we loved this beach, genuinely beautiful, clean, lined with palm trees, with warm, crystal-clear ocean water. It was absolutely worth spending the morning here sunbathing. After that, we got in the car and headed toward Itacaré, our next stop.

We picked a really simple beach kiosk called Xycão, where everything was really pleasant, and our shade came from a giant tree.

Boulevard de Barra Grande

This is the town’s commercial hub, home to shops, restaurants, bars, and tour operators.

You can book everything from boat and speedboat tours to catamaran rides and ATV tours — a small area, but with plenty of variety, and genuinely pleasant, with unpaved dirt paths throughout.

I’ll share a few tips on shops and other spots here.

Igreja de Barra Grande

Founded in 1852, this church is dedicated to Santo Antônio.

Finachita

A pleasant shop with great products for picking up a souvenir from the region, run by an extremely friendly salesperson, with everything genuinely well organized.

Barra d’Cacau

A shop selling several local chocolate brands, also well organized.

Where to eat in Maraú

Every restaurant here is located on the Boulevard, and they’re all decent.

Tio Sazo

We came here for pizza on our second night, and picked this restaurant. Pleasant, and the food was decent. There’s a musician who plays in the square where the restaurant sits, so they add an artist’s cover charge to the bill without mentioning it upfront — not expensive, though, at just R$10 added to the total.

Per our usual order, we got half Portuguese, half four-cheese pizza, and it was fine. Andrey had the IPA BR craft draft, a local beer, and like the pizza, it was decent too.

Price: R$113 for pizza plus the artist’s cover charge and two draft beers.

Vila Café

As soon as we finished our tour, we stopped here for coffee and something sweet — a really pleasant spot, where Andrey ordered a coffee with pudim, and I had an iced tea.

Price: R$20.

Marengo Restaurante

On our last day in Maraú, the governor passed a law requiring restaurants across Bahia to close by 6 PM, and we’d just gotten back from our tour and weren’t especially hungry, but we were told several places would still offer delivery.

This was the only restaurant we found still operating, so we ordered by phone and picked up our pizza in person. We went with our usual, half Portuguese, half two-cheese, since that was the most cheese options available on the menu.

Price: R$67 for pizza alone.

Another tip for Barra Grande

Farol da Ponta do Mutá

Located 2 km from downtown, right on the beach, on the site of what was once an old Portuguese fort guarding the entrance to Baía de Camamu.

Learn more about our trip in Cacao Farms in Ilhéus.