Morro de São Paulo, Ilha dos Frades & Praia do Forte Day Trips Guide

Whether you have a single free day or two extra nights to add to your Salvador itinerary, Bahia's capital is the gateway to three distinct tropical escapes: the sheltered islands inside Baía de Todos-os-Santos, the car-free village beaches of Tinharé Island (Morro de São Paulo) to the south, and the coral reefs and sea turtle sanctuary of Praia do Forte along the Coconut Coast to the north.

1. Ilha dos Frades and Ilha de Itaparica (Easy Full-Day Bay Cruise)

Sitting in the middle of the 56-island archipelago of Baía de Todos-os-Santos, star-shaped Ilha dos Frades is the easiest and most rewarding single-day boat excursion from Salvador. Schooners and fast catamarans depart every morning around 08:30 to 09:00 from the Terminal Náutico da Bahia (directly behind Mercado Modelo), crossing the calm bay in 60 to 90 minutes to drop anchor at Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe.

Awarded the international Blue Flag eco-label for water purity and environmental management, this translucent turquoise cove has zero waves, warm 27°C water, and a stone staircase climbing to the seventeenth-century hilltop Church of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe for panoramic views over the bay. Most full-day boats then continue to Ponta de Areia on Ilha de Itaparica for a beachside seafood lunch before returning to Salvador as the sun sets behind Pelourinho.

2. Morro de São Paulo (Tinharé Island): Car-Free Beaches & 1630 Fortress

Located 60 kilometres south of Salvador at the northern tip of Ilha de Tinharé (in the municipality of Cairu), Morro de São Paulo is completely free of cars: upon stepping off the catamaran pier beneath the 1630 brick archway of Fortaleza do Tapirandu, porters wheel your luggage in wooden wheelbarrows along sandy lanes to four numbered beaches backed by coral reefs:

• Primeira to Quarta Praia: First Beach offers water sports below the 1855 lighthouse; Second Beach is the lively hub of beachfront restaurants; Third Beach launches snorkel boats to coral pools; and 4-kilometre-long Fourth Beach offers tranquil, shallow tide pools.
• How to Get There: Direct catamarans depart from the Terminal Náutico in Salvador (2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes), or you can book a semi-terrestrial transfer via Itaparica and Valença if you prefer calm water. Plan at least 1 or 2 overnight stays.

3. Praia do Forte, Projeto TAMAR & Castelo Garcia d'Ávila (1 hour north)

Fifty-five kilometres north of Salvador Airport along the palm-fringed Estrada do Coco (BA-099) lies the pedestrianised fishing village of Praia do Forte. Visit the national marine conservation centre of Fundação Projeto TAMAR (established in 1980 next to the 1909 lighthouse to protect sea turtles), snorkel in the low-tide coral pools of Papa-Gente, and tour the hilltop stone ruins of the Castelo da Torre de Garcia d'Ávila (1551); check the official Projeto TAMAR and Garcia d'Ávila portals for current visiting details.