Accommodations and Food

In Barra Grande [1], there are many choices for lodgings. For a great location with access to the beach and the village, try Pousada Tubarão (tel. 73/3258-6006, pousadadotubarao [at] bol [dot] com [dot] br, R$75–150 d), which is simple and friendly. Its casual restaurant offers delicious fare such as grilled fish and shrimp and lobster risotto. An added bonus is the possibility of savoring them at a table in the tropical garden or on the sandy beach.

Around 100 meters (330 feet) from town, as you walk left along the beach from the pier, is the fairly primitive Pousada Camping Lagosta Azul (tel. 73/3258-6144, R$35–75, camping R$5–10 per night). Completely immersed in soft sand and tropical foliage, it offers nine basic rooms and a big sandy garden where you’re free to pitch a tent. Its restaurant does justice to its name by serving up lobster (lagosta) as well as other seafood.

For total luxury—and seclusion to boot—it’s hard to one-up the understated tropical chic of Kiaroa Eco-Luxury Resort (tel. 73/3258-6212, www.kiaroa.com.br [2], R$988 d per apartment), which is definitely worth the splurge. Prices include three gourmet meals a day and nonalcoholic drinks (that’s a lot of fresh fruit juice and coconut water). If you stay for five days, your transportation to and from Salvador [3] is provided via micro plane to the resort’s private airfield. The resort is on Praia de Bombaça, a gorgeously deserted stretch of beach between Barra Grande [1] and Taipus de Fora; you might feel a little isolated, but then again, with creature comforts ranging from saunas and whirlpools to a 24-hour gourmet kitchen, you won’t suffer too much.

Near the main square, A Tapera (tel. 75/3258-6119, 1–10 p.m. daily Sept.–Feb., 1–10 p.m. Wed.–Mon. Mar.–Oct., closed May) is a favorite for fish and a delicious squid moqueca. Scrumptious pizza and other freshly made Italian dishes are served at Pinocchio (Praça do Tamarindo, tel. 73/3258-6258, dinner), whose outdoor candlelit tables are spread beneath an enormous tamarind tree.

At Taipu de Fora beach, the Bar do Francês (open daily, 7 a.m.–midnight in summer, 7 a.m.–5 p.m. in winter) beckons with mats of woven palm fibers and pillows upon which you can curl up under the shade of a palm tree. Thus protected from the noonday sun, nibble at tasty appetizers and down cocktails to your heart’s content.