Day trips from Salvador
Four trips from Salvador — two islands, one village with turtles, and one town on a river.
- Easiest
- Itaparica
- Car-free
- Morro de São Paulo
- For families
- Praia do Forte, ninety minutes by coach
The Bay of All Saints holds fifty-six islands, so leaving Salvador usually means water, from the Nautical Terminal behind the Mercado Modelo. Three of these trips fit into a day and one wants a night — and that difference is the only thing to know in advance.
Itaparica — half a day to a full one
The largest island in the bay. Two ways over: a launch from the Nautical Terminal to Mar Grande in 40–45 minutes, or the ferry from São Joaquim to Bom Despacho, roughly hourly, €1.20–1.60 for a foot passenger — more at weekends and on holidays. On the island are villages with colonial churches, beaches with calm water and the Fonte da Bica spring. There is nothing organised, and that is the point.
Morro de São Paulo — 2 h 30 by catamaran, with a night
A car-free island with four beaches numbered in order and wheelbarrows instead of taxis. The catamaran from the Nautical Terminal leaves at 9, 10.30 and 2.30, takes two and a half hours and costs €26–29 one way; it is unpleasant in a swell. In a single day that is five hours of boat for three to four hours on the island. With two nights it becomes the best part of the trip.
Praia do Forte — 1 h 30 by coach
A fishing village with one sandy street and the visitor centre of the Tamar project, which has protected sea turtles along the Brazilian coast since 1980. The centre opens Tuesday to Sunday, 11 to 5, entry €9; it is closed on Mondays, so this trip does not go on a Monday. From November to March, on days when a nest has hatched, hatchlings are released into the sea at 5. The beaches are shallow and calm, with natural pools at low tide.
Cachoeira — 2 h inland
A colonial town on the Paraguaçu river, once the main port for tobacco and sugar, today the seat of the Irmandade da Boa Morte — a sisterhood dating from the time of slavery, whose festival falls in mid-August. Tourists are few and almost nothing is organised; you go with a guide who knows which festival falls when, or you do not go.
What not to do
- Morro de São Paulo in a day. Five hours of boat for three or four on a beach, over a sea that can be rough.
- The ferry at peak time. The operator publishes the queue live (the Filômetro); peaks are 7 to 10 and 4 to 7, and a foot passenger arrives at least twenty minutes before departure.
- Cachoeira without a guide. The town is beautiful and empty, but everything that makes it particular happens behind doors a foreigner does not open alone.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Which trip from Salvador is best for one day?
Itaparica, because the launch is 40–45 minutes and the island works without a plan. For families Praia do Forte is better — ninety minutes by coach, turtles and calm shallow beaches, just not on a Monday.
Can Morro de São Paulo be done in a day?
Technically: the 9 o'clock catamaran out, an afternoon one back, five hours of boat for three or four on the island, over a sea that can be rough. With two nights Morro becomes a reason for the trip rather than a line on a list.
Do the boats get cancelled?
Yes — when the Port Authority halts sailing for strong wind and swell, and the call is made the same morning. The catamaran then goes overland via Itaparica to Valença and a short launch, 3 h 20 instead of 2 h 30, or refunds. Which is why a boat trip does not go on the last day before a flight.
Ready for Salvador?
Where to next
Salvador in 2 days
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How well does Salvador suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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