Lesser known peninsula area of Bahia, characterized by beaches with many rocks and natural pools, surrounded by chill and less developed islands.
The numerous rocks on the beach combined by the long inconvenient route to get here, help very much to keep it a less popular tourist destination. Getting there requires the use of infrequent buses and/or ferry or driving on a terrible rocky road full of potholes (that almost no taxi driver wants to do). The rocks on the beach are the sharp jagged kind that hurt your feet. Pretty to look at, can wander inside the natural pools or explore sealife at low tide, also fun for children and family activities, but may be less desirable for those wanting a clear beach which just sand and ocean.
All areas of the peninsula (except for one) are very quiet and very few open business establishments (let alone nightlife) after a certain hour. Overall, it’s a nice place for perhaps couples or families. Young crowds or or solo travelers looking for nightlife and something more social may easily get bored or feel too disconnected from everybody else here.
I recommend a 5-day minimum for Marau. Especially considering how much of a hassle it is to get to. Spend 3 days in Barra Grande and 2 days in Taipu de Fora. You could also switch that around if you’re some who wants more remote vibes and quiet.
Where to stay:
- Barra Grande (CENTRO) – great location and busy part of town, many restaurants and shops (lively all day & night), has a pier for boat tours and jump-off points for swimming, and nice sunset views. Beach here is much busier, but you can’t deny the supreme location convenience. Absolute busiest area is from Pier de Barra Grande to Praca da Tainha square. Further north or south of this feels more accommodations and fewer shops. I loved the town center…very vibrant and commercial conveniences without feeling TOO commercial. Barra Grande also has some nightlife.
- Ponta do Muta (TIP) – northernmost tip of Barra Grande area, has 2 sides. West is closer to town and has the best sunset views so it’s busier, east is farther from town and no sunset so it’s cheaper and quieter (dead at night). Whole area is 5-10 mins walk from any point to another so it wouldn’t matter where you stay. Just matters if you want to avoid people or not, whether you want 10sec access to sunset, or if you want 10sec access to a dark empty beach at night (to hang by the water or look at stars). Big drawback about Ponta do Muta is that it’s a far walk to town center, can be 35min walk or 50rs taxi (moto taxi is less). It was doable for us…but I’d aim to be closer next time.
- Casa Summer Moon – nice place right on a nice (and less crowded) beach, with active restaurants and bars on the water (during the day), but becomes dead quiet at night.
- Ponta do Muta (TIP) – northernmost tip of Barra Grande area, has 2 sides. West is closer to town and has the best sunset views so it’s busier, east is farther from town and no sunset so it’s cheaper and quieter (dead at night). Whole area is 5-10 mins walk from any point to another so it wouldn’t matter where you stay. Just matters if you want to avoid people or not, whether you want 10sec access to sunset, or if you want 10sec access to a dark empty beach at night (to hang by the water or look at stars). Big drawback about Ponta do Muta is that it’s a far walk to town center, can be 35min walk or 50rs taxi (moto taxi is less). It was doable for us…but I’d aim to be closer next time.
- Taipu de Fora – beautiful area with natural pools in the water when the tide is way out (mornings ~8am). Much smaller “town” than Barra Grande but still enough restaurants, shops, bars. More of a chill beach town. Nice vibe, but keep in mind that it’s on the eastern side of peninsula with limited sunset views from the beach. You’ll have to kayak or paddleboard out into the water, or take a ATV quadriciclo elsewhere if you want sunsets. Most people stay by the main natural pools at Praia Taipu de Fora and that’s also closest to busier town area, but I’d argue the long strip from the northern natural pools and Piscininha Irma Lua are nicer beaches. Very beautiful and also wonderful natural tide pools and very few people!
- Estacao Organica Taipu – great place and great location. Closest to a quieter beach, but 10mins walking distance from the main natural pools.
- Taipu de Dentro – tiny local residential area, with tiny beach next to 4-5 restaurants, also some kiosks around the neighborhood. Beach is calm and doesn’t have the beauty of the other areas, nothing to see or do. Calm waters and lots of trees results in mosquitos everywhere. The only tourists here come by car from other areas and only for some hours to eat by the beach and maybe take a ferry to nearby islands. You can enjoy a small pier (has restaurant/bar) with sunset, but whole town is super quiet during the day and totally dead after sundown.
Hostels & Hotels:
- I haven’t tried any hostels but it’s a great idea for this kind of place, where you can meet people and wander around nature together.
Neighborhoods, walking areas, public squares:
- Barra Grande
- Praca da Tainha** – the lively cute town center of Barra Grande, and probably the busiest area of the entire Marau peninsula. Great place to walk around. Shops, restaurants, bars, street vendors, seating, live music, activities for kids, etc. Seems like you’ll be here every night. Flies can get really annoying when you eat outside.
- Rua Dra Lili & Estr. Barra Grande – the common streets that you’ll walk alot when going between the town center and the beach (or your accommodation). Many more restaurants, shops, and also clubs along this way.
- Taipu de Fora –
Activities to do:
- Viewpoints, landmarks, sunsets, hikes:
- Sunsets
- Praia de Barra Grande – best beach to see sunset in the area. You can view it from the beach just outside the crowded restaurants like Obar, or from outdoor seating from restaurants like Tulum Beach Club, or walk further north on the beach (towards Ponta do Muta) to get away from people and also better views of the sunset.
- Ponta do Muta – most popular sunset point in Marau. Best and most unobstructed view of the sunset and right by some shallow water areas with rocks (for some nice photo ops). Although people are around, it’s still very peaceful and easy to take sunset photos without anyone else in there.
- Pier de Barra Grande – nice big pier with lots of space to sit on the floor and watch the sunset, not crowded at all. Keep in mind many boats are docked nearby and will appear in your photos. If you want pure nature views of the sunset, stick to Ponta do Muta.
- Taipu De Dentro – walk to the little pier right on the tip. Here, you can enjoy the sunset almost all by yourself. Maybe a local fisherman or some small boats will occasionally dropoff and pickup people.
- Praia de Barra Grande – best beach to see sunset in the area. You can view it from the beach just outside the crowded restaurants like Obar, or from outdoor seating from restaurants like Tulum Beach Club, or walk further north on the beach (towards Ponta do Muta) to get away from people and also better views of the sunset.
- Campinho de Marau – heard it’s a nice area for hiking along the water, with beautiful views of the islands and nature landscapes.
- Mirante 1 – Serra Grande – nice elevated viewpoint on the mountain overlooking Praia de Pe de Serra. You’ll pass by here on your way to Marau or Itacare from Ilheus airport. I believe there’s also a Mirante 2 nearby here.
- Sunsets
- Buildings & architecture:
- Parks, gardens, green spaces:
- Beaches, bridges, water-points:
- Barra Grande:
- Pier de Barra Grande – big beach with narrow sand strip and long pier sticking far out into the water. It’s right by the main town center. Lots of families, kids, and noise. Beach is however swimmable and restaurants nearby. Pier has stairs and nice jump-off points for swimming the ocean. Main highlight is sitting along the pier at sunset (not crowded). Seems all boat tours leave from here, good place to go during the day or early morning to shop around for tours.
- Praia de Barra Grande:
- The main beach of this area, big and popular. You could walk this whole thing in 20-30 minutes (during the day). But I’ll explain the key differences between each part.
- north (sunset part) Ponta do Muta** – northernmost part of the beach becomes “Ponta do Muta”, has a big area of shallow water and many rocks. Extending far out into the water giving you the most beautiful unobstructed views of the sunset. Lots of space to avoid people if you want. (This area is right by Restaurante Macunaima Lounge Bar.)
- Farol do Muta – the part of the beach curling around the top and just slightly to the right side of the peninsula. Very beautiful here, less people, and still able to see the sunset from here.
- middle north (sexy bars)* – this part has the most people and restaurants (with loud music). Many people eat and drink here during sunset hours, and hanging out on the big sand areas. This area is marked by Obar restaurant down to TULUM BEACH CLUB, both of which I’d recommend as good beach restaurant bars for sunset.
- middle south (hide tide) – this part of the beach (from Beleleu Restaurante and further south) has very narrow sand and becomes underwater during high tide in the evening. Is the less popular part of the beach, seems people only walk past here to get from Praia de Barra Grande beach to the busy part of town.
- Ponta do Rio Carapitangui – further south of Barra Grande. Looks like a nice place with interesting landscapes.
- Praia Tres Coqueiros – beautiful beach on the east side of the Ponta do Muta point. Strong waves, less crowded and chaotic here but still very lively with some restaurants serving food during the day and up until sunset time. Walk further south and you’ll see some rocks and natural pools.
- Praia de Bombaca – nothing but pure nature. No kiosks or restaurants and therefore few people. Very strong waves. Lots of natural pools and rocks during low tide. Beautiful to explore from this stretch all the way south to Taipu de Fora.
- Taipu de Fora (natural pools)**:
- The natural pools along the beaches of Taipu de Fora are the #1 tourist attraction in Marau for me. Unique natural landscape of rocks and corals in the sea, creating a wonderful eco-sanctuary for colorful sea life…easily explored by snorkeling or walking around in the tide pools during low tide. Please protect them by not bringing sunblock, trash, or other pollutants into the water…also don’t step on the corals! You MUST SEE these natural pools! There are many and I’ll explain the differences of each one.
- Easiest way to spot the natural pools is using “Satellite” layer in GoogleMaps to see the size and location of each pool. Generally, they are located from Praia Tres Coqueiros beach all the way down to Pousada Taipu de Fora (maybe even slightly past this). The very best stretch of these natural pools IMO is from to slfdd. Best time to explore is during low-tide (usually 8am).
- . lNatural pools Piscininha Irma Lua
- Piscininha Vi & Wa
- Praia Taipu de Fora – absolute biggest and most popular natural pool. There’s a large rock formation curving around to create like a bay in the water. There’s a huge rock formation here, creating lots of corals underwater and many tide pools above water (at low tide). Pisicinas Naturais Always many people around during the day, even some early morning or at night looking at the fish and corals.
- Taipu de Dentro:
- Has only a tiny beach next to 4-5 restaurants (e.g. Restaurante do Elinaldo). Beach is calm and doesn’t have the beauty of the other areas, nothing to see or do. Calm waters and lots of trees results in mosquitos everywhere. My favorite part was having a drink by the small pier (has restaurant/bar) with sunset, but whole town is super quiet during the day and totally dead after sundown.
- Totally skippable stop IMO and doesn’t add any value if a boat tour offers to take you here. Come here only if you want a quiet sunset on a tiny pier with almost nobody else around.
- Island beaches – usually, you reach these from a boat tour or private transfer.
- Ilha do Goio
- Barra Grande:
- Arts, museums, culture:
- Markets, shopping:
- Barra Grande (Praca da Tainha) – will have the best selection of boutiques and shopping. Clothing, souvenirs, also street vendors, etc. Everywhere else will have some small jewelry and clothing shops, and not much elsewhere.
- Tours & activities:
- Barra Grande:
- Boat tours – great place to do boat tours,
- Taipu de Fora:
- Night snorkeling** – called “night diving” (“mergulho nocturno”). Very fun and highly recommended activity. Where you put on wetsuits, fins, life-jackets, snorkel mask, and flashlight…and float around in group formations looking at underwater life. Very beautiful colorful corals with lots of sea life under there. Fish, lobster, eel, and a bunch of other moving things I didn’t know the names of. You are swimming inside a big natural pool so there’s no danger of ocean waves pulling you out to sea. Super safe and recommended for all ages and swimming ability.
- I booked with Afonso Mergulho. He does night snorkeling, kayak tours, drone images. Contact his Instagram or WA +55 73 99963-9123. They usually meet every night around 8-9pm at his dive shack depending on which group you booked. Better to message and reserve in advance, but you can always walk up in person and see if they have an opening.
- Kayak – you can rent kayaks and I think also water bikes. They’re usually located right on Praia Taipu de Fora beach right by the natural pools where all the people usually are. Sunset would be a great time to rent a kayak and get farther out into the water so you can see more of the sunset. (Since the sun comes down on the opposite side of the peninsula.)
- Boat tours – not many offered from this side of the island since it opens to the sea, whereas other side opens to the river and is closer to many islands. I did see unofficial sign “Boat tour – 5 islands” at 90rs/person, reserve with Erika +55 (73)99821-1560. I’m guessing they drive you to Taipu de Dentro and from there, a boat takes you around Ilha do Goio and that sort of thing.
- Night snorkeling** – called “night diving” (“mergulho nocturno”). Very fun and highly recommended activity. Where you put on wetsuits, fins, life-jackets, snorkel mask, and flashlight…and float around in group formations looking at underwater life. Very beautiful colorful corals with lots of sea life under there. Fish, lobster, eel, and a bunch of other moving things I didn’t know the names of. You are swimming inside a big natural pool so there’s no danger of ocean waves pulling you out to sea. Super safe and recommended for all ages and swimming ability.
- Barra Grande:
Restaurants & Cafes:
- Barra Grande & Ponta do Muta
- Tozen Beach Bear – nice place to eat on Praia Tres Coqueiros beach. Beautiful surroundings. If you walk south or north, you’ll see many rocks with natural pools and sealife in them.
- Taipu de Fora
Bars, clubs, and nightlife:
- Barra Grande
- Santo Forte Musical Bar* – great place and highly recommended by locals. Many people here dancing and drinking to a mix of all kinds of Brazilian music. I really enjoyed it. Mix of mostly casual and some dressed-up people. Drink prices were fair.
- Barra Club – the other popular place in Barra Grande. Seems more like a proper club, more upscale, higher price and more dressed up. We never went here as we kept going to Santo Forte because it was so much fun and had a nice vibe.
Miscellaneous tips:
- Brazil – quick travel guide
- Transportation:
- Being that everything is spread out with lots of distance to walk on the beaches, or finding restaurants within town, or exploring different towns on the peninsula. A taxi
- Electric bike – best way to get around the peninsula IMO. I see many people using these on the beach and it’s fantastic. You can explore the whole beach coastline very quickly and easily (stopping as you like). Likewise, you can also go inland to go eat at restaurants, or get from town to town.
- ATV/quadriciclo – I was quoted 300-450rs/day. Great way to get around town but I didn’t see them on beaches (so maybe it’s not allowed).
- Taxi – there are taxi points out there (“ponto de taxi”). Nearly all drivers live in Barra Grande so their prices are calculated from there. If you’re only going from Taipu de Fora to Taipu de Dentro, you’re better off finding a driver who lives in the Taipu areas.
- Barra Grande to Ponta do Muta was 50rs car taxi.
- Ponta do Muta to Taipu de Fora was 100rs car taxi.
- Taipu de Fora to Taipu de Dentro was 130rs car taxi.
- Rideshare – both 99 and Uber aren’t going to help you much. You’ll need local taxi.
Itinerary:
- 5-DAY:
- Stay the first 3 days in Barra Grande, then next 2 days in Taipu de Fora. But honestly…a week would be so much better, as you’ll have more time to
- DAY 1 –
Nearby towns:
- Itacare** – super nice vibey hippie beach town with many many beautiful beaches.
Unfiltered notes: