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nicolos1 Jan 14th, 2015 05:24 PM

driving to salvador
 
Hello,
My wife and I are still working on our itinerary. I've booked our travels through March 23rd in Arraial d'Ajuda. Has anyone driven to Salvador from this area? We have until April 2 before we fly home from Salvador. Any suggestions on places to visit and stay on the way to Salvador? We will probably stay in Salvador for 3-4 nights. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.
Nick

SambaChula Jan 15th, 2015 02:46 AM

There's a comfortable overnight semi-leito bus for about R$160.
One problem with driving is that some of the nicer beach destinations along the way don't have access by car, so you'd be paying the daily rate to have it stand idle, and maybe a one-way drop off fee of R$1-1.50/km. and either driving way around the bay or figuring out how to get the car on a ferry.
Buses can get you up the coast to the destinations below too.
Between Porto Seguro and Salvador are Ilheus, Itacare, Marau/Barra Grande, Boipeba, Morro do São Paulo, and inland if going around the bay, Valenca, Cachoeira/São Felix, and Santo Amaro.

nicolos1 Jan 15th, 2015 03:36 AM

Thank you Samba Chula. You have been most helpful with all my postings. Nick

SambaChula Jan 15th, 2015 03:54 PM

Nick--Bahia is home base, much beloved. Enjoy it. If you need any more details, I'd be happy to expand on the info above.

SambaChula Jan 16th, 2015 08:18 AM

A good site to familiarize yourself with Salvador is www.salvadorcentral.com written by a longtime expat and local music mavin.

nicolos1 Jan 28th, 2015 03:12 PM

Thanks again Samba Chula,
I have booked Mar.23 checkout on Thurs. Mar 26 in Itacare. I'm looking at Morro do Sao Paulo and then Salvador where we'll be flying to Boston on April 2. Any suggestions on places to stay especially in Salvador. Not sure of the transportation by ferry, catamarans, etc. to Morro do Sao Paulo. One mistake I made was not visiting the dunes which are near Sao Paulo. We will be in Rio for 4 days, but not sure I could visit these dunes due to the the distance. Thanks again for the
Salvador website. I'll check that once again. Nick

nicolos1 Jan 28th, 2015 03:41 PM

Hi Samba Chula,
I checked past posts and did see your suggestion for Pousada Estrela do Mar in Barra. I'll check that. Thank you.
Nick

SambaChula Jan 28th, 2015 04:01 PM

You might want to see Ilheus too while around Itacare. Read some Jorge Amado before or while traveling there; that's where many works were set.
Transport to Morro is from the port in Valenca, by speedboat (can be rough ) or a short local bus ride to the more tranquil local passenger boat. Don't know about parking in Valenca, as we arrive by bus from Itaparica.
From Morro, you can also visit Boipeba by boat. (or boat from Valenca).
Before you reach Valenca, you could drive up Marau peninsula to Barra Grande, or take a boat from Camamu. The most deserted, less touristed beaches south of Salvador.

To get to Salvador from all those beaches in the south, you can drive all the way around the Bay of All Saints, stopping in Cachoeira/São Felix (picturesque Colonial river port ) and Santo Amaro. ( home of famous singer Caetano Veloso and family, and interesting large farmers market). Or you can drive over the bridge onto Itaparica island, to the village of Bom Despacho, and get the car ferry across the Bay to Salvador (45 minutes voyage plus loading/ unloading).

In Salvador, the choice to stay is historic center (Pelourinho/Santo Antonio, most tourist sights), urban beach 10 minutes away (Barra ), two beaches further out ( 10 more minutes, nice evening scene on praca, Rio Vermelho) or beach out by the airport (Itapua, 45 minutes from historic center). Hard to park in Pelourinho. Bad signage from Itapua to center. Salvador has horrible traffic jams often.
Take a look at Pousada Estrela do Mar in Barra (Irish owner on premises) or pousadas in Rio Vermelho.

Have no idea what dunes you're referring to near Rio or São Paulo. Notable dunes I know of are much further north. Try the white dunes in Abaete, near the SSA airport.

SambaChula Jan 28th, 2015 04:12 PM

We both seemed to be writing at the same time. ;-)

Basic hotel in Barra: now called Hit, formerly Barra Turismo, great location across from lively people watching beach, usually can find parking out front, view of beach cove with fishing boats from breakfast room, very nice staff but no English speakers. Similar rate/quality are Barra Grande, Barra Sol, Marazul
More upscale hotels/pousadas are mostly in Pelourinho

SambaChula Jan 28th, 2015 04:42 PM

Car ferry schedule :
http://www.bahiasol.com/comochegar/ferryboat.htm

SambaChula Jan 28th, 2015 04:44 PM

(Oooops) Ad this:
They're pretty big ferries, maybe 100 vehicles plus passengers.

nicolos1 Jan 29th, 2015 10:51 AM

Thanks Samba Chula,
I was able to book the Hit in Barra for our last 4 days. The Pousada Estrela do Mar was booked for our dates. I'm trying to decide if it is worth going to Morro do Sao Paulo from Itacare. I will try to read some Jorge Amado also. I enjoy reading novels and travel books about the areas I will visit. Thanks again.
Right now I only have 3 days after Itacare to book before Salvador.

SambaChula Jan 29th, 2015 04:32 PM

Are you driving? Or bussing?
It's going to be quiet wherever you choose. Morro is the most commercial ( of Boipeba and Barra Grande on Marau peninsula) of the destinations in that area. Lots of shops and restaurants, and a long walk out to Fourth Beach to get to a non-commercial stretch of sand, but pleasant.
I'm not sure I'd choose to spend quite so long in Itacare. Maybe do Barra Grande ( either driving up the peninsula or by boat from Camamu) and add the time there in a less touristy/more off the grid place that doesn't get so much press. If you go to Morro, and want to stay in the village, as opposed to nearer one of the beaches, try Pousada Portal do Morro (the guys with the wheelbarrows can show you) and say hi to Lida and her husband. But what isn't a restaurant there in Morro is a pousada, with some shops mixed in, from the entry arch up to the middle of Third Beach, so lots of choice.

Yes, Sean at Estrela doesn't have a lot of rooms.
The Hit is very basic, but clean, with reasonably sized rooms, good ac, substantial breakfast. Say hi to Carlos and Fernando on the desk. Go out the door/ down the stairs, turn right and walk up to the plaza/Praca to get the bus into Pelourinho, 10 minutes. (Don't drive) The bus says Praca do Se on the sign. There's a good quality crafts shop, Maua, probably the best in town save one in Pelourinho, opposite the Praca. The Macau bar with tables on the Praca is OK for a beer in the evening. Turn left out of the hotel and walk up to Farol de Barra for lots more restaurants. Or take the bus/drive in that direction to the Rio Vermelho neighborhood (10 minutes) for an evening on the Praca there, with some acaraje from the famous stand of Dina. The beach across the street from the hotel, Porto da Barra, is the liveliest. Lots of vendors ( food, clothes, hammocks, jewelry). Joao who sings about the camarao he sells is a famous character, even to being on YouTube..Rent chairs/umbrellas and buy drinks .from Paulista, at the foot of the double stairs, with grey dreadlocks and a smile from ear to ear. The tradition at that beach is for the chair guys to cool your feet off periodically with sea water from a watering can. The kids diving off the jetty at sunset are a classic Salvador photo. Hear as much local music at night as you can.
See Solar de Uniao and Bomfim in addition to Pelourinho. While you have the car, go up the coast, first along all the city beaches and then on the Linha Verde, with a stop in Abaete and Jacuipe, to Guarajuba and Praia do Forte. And maybe Into the interior to Cachoeira (2 hours) if you take the ferry into Salvador rather than drive around the bay.
Have a great time! (Maybe by the time you get back to Boston in April the present snow will finally have melted. :-)

nicolos1 Jan 30th, 2015 04:59 AM

Thanks Samba Chula for all your information. We will be taking
buses. You have been most helpful. Hopefully there will be no snow when we get back. Thanks again. Nick

SambaChula Jan 31st, 2015 07:45 PM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CDmAg2iutR0
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hiY2SEH55zk

Here is Joao selling his camarao ( shrimp) at the beach in Porto da Barra, Salvador, on what looks to be a popular high season day.

SambaChula Jan 31st, 2015 07:59 PM

If you can get this video, of the kids jumping off the jetty, to stop at exactly 36 seconds, you can see the Hit hotel, the tall white building behind the trees.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_VLskj1SQRQ

SambaChula Jan 31st, 2015 08:19 PM

This was taken from the roof of a nearby pousada. When the video shows the face of the lifelike figure/statue, the Hit hotel is the white building behind the figure.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z6WYbKYbHMw

SambaChula Jan 31st, 2015 08:33 PM

This is Morro do São Paulo, walking back through the town from Second Beach to the wharf where the boats and catamaran arrive.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p2rGNZhf0EU
You can find other video of the beaches, First, Second, Third, and the less built up Fourth.

SambaChula Feb 3rd, 2015 07:39 AM

Here's the catamaran (2 hours) schedule for your return to Salvador:
http://www.morrodesaopaulobrasil.com.br/catamara
It can be rough sometimes.
You can also travel to Valenca by boat and then the bus to Bom Despacho on Itaparica and the car ferry (schedule above) to Salvador (4 hours total)

A taxi from the ferry terminal or the catamaran terminal to Porto da Barra should be about R$20 or so. (The car ferry is a bit further.) There are also buses, but they may be confusing on first arrival. As you arrive in a Porto da Barra by taxi, you will go down a very steep street with the bay on the right, and into the plaza. The Hit is in the first block, on the left, with an awning over a long staircase up to the lobby.
The car ferry terminal is near the chaotic and interesting outdoor market, the Feira de São Joaquim. The catamaran terminal is directly behind the Metcado Modelo. Both in the Lower City.

nicolos1 Feb 4th, 2015 03:33 PM

Thanks again SambaChula. Everything you have sent looks terrific. We picked up our visas in Boston today at the Brazilian Consulate which puts us closer to our trip. Still trying to decide where to go for 3 days before our stay at the hit. Nick


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