Itacaré beaches

About this place

Itacaré is a town on Bahia's southern coast where the Rio de Contas, flowing down from the Chapada Diamantina, meets the Atlantic, about 70 km north of Ilhéus in the cocoa country immortalised by the novelist Jorge Amado. It was first recognised in 1732 as the village of São Miguel da Barra do Rio de Contas and became a city in 1881; it was a port for cocoa and whaling, and is surrounded by Atlantic Forest and the Serra do Conduru State Park. Today it is known for a string of beaches between rocks and forest. Concha is the calmest, with still water and a freshwater channel running down from the hills, good for children; Tiririca has strong waves that host surf contests, with restaurants and inns around it; and from Ribeira beach a trail of about 40 minutes leads to Prainha, which many consider the loveliest beach in Itacaré, with no facilities, where a guide charges about R$70. The beaches are free, most within walking distance of town. Take water and food to the remoter ones, and swim carefully on beaches open to the ocean swell.