I think instead I will tell you about the story of Itacare itself and Prinha or "The Tiny Beach" the best beach I have ever seen.
Itacare is one of Brazil's foremost surfing destinations which exists in the state of Bahia a mere two hours drive from Brazil's old capital Salvador and 2 hours flight from Sao Paulo, the latter being the route myself and Camila opted for. After an excellent week in Parathy we had booked a fairly expensive week in a top beach hotel in Itacare through the number one Brazilian toursim company CVC that prepare everthing for you. My style has been mostly doing things myself. Organising my own flights. Arriving in airports taking buses and trains into city centres. Walking around with a Lonely Planet book checking out hostels and cheap hotels. This was the opposite. Buses waiting to pick you up at the airport. Knowledage guides with deep dark choclete skin and flourescent yellow shirts and smiles that would rival any parents' when seeing their childs first steps. All laid out, well prepared and on hand.
What I really liked about Itacare and the CVC company was the variety of excursions or "passeios" on offer for visiting tourists. Our guides were the gregarious Adriano and Samuel. The night we arrived, after a 3 hour powercut which forced us to eat in the restaurent by candle light, they explanined to us for one and a half hours in person with no use of any brochures or laptops, simply colourful stories and loads of laughings all the types of "passeios" on offer. First was a one day canoeing trip by a local fisherman, 6 to a long canoe, along river banks infested with blue and red crabs to a deserted 20 metre waterfall and natural pool. Secondly, was a grade 3 rafting trip which lasted the entire day. Thirdly, was a full morning of -Arvorism- or Tree rappelling which involves walking through a maze of tasks 20 metres high on the tree tops of the local tropical forest that looks over the deep blue coastline. Next on offer was the peninsula jeep ride to the tip of Itacare which involved a 7.30am kick off and an inredibly bumpy 4 * 4 Land Rover ride, the stopping off at a bar of a man who has 34 children and sells coconuts, which ended up in some diving and snorkelling if you wanted it and a dip in a local lagoon lake which had water that was 28 degrees hot. The final two trips on offer was a trip to the famous islands of Morro De Sao Paulo and a visit to the famous "Prinhia" beach. For an amazing 415 reis or 140 euros for both of us. We went for the canoe ride, the jerky jeep ride, the rapelling and the secluded beach. For this unbelievable price, including wake up call, guide and transport, this was phenomenal value. While simple and involving a cheap bus, a lot of walking and our own paddling on canoes the cost alone would have been enough for the detailed history and descriptions we got from the guides about the local flora and fauana nevermind all the other stuff thrown in. This was very much an insider Brazilan trip. We met no other "gringos" or foreigners on our "passeios" and everything was delivered in Portugese or the local dialect Baihanese. While mapping it more difficult to understand it made it all the more authentic and special and I loads of new vocabulary to use back in Dublin with my Brazilian friends or the next time I come back.
For me the highlight was the 30 minute walk through a hilly "fazendo"or farm to the downwards sandslopes that lead you to the beautiful blue, brown and green of Prinhias ocean, sand and coconut and palm
trees. Prinha has been voted consistently by Veja, Brazilians leading political and social magazine as one of the top ten beaches in all Brazil which is saying something. It has never reached the lofty heights of Jericacacoa which is found in the north of the country and seems to be only rivalled by Fernando Del Noronha's famous islands beaches to the east. But for me, it bettered anything I saw in Brazil to date or anything I have seen on my travels anywhere else. Maybe it was the 30 minute hike to get to the beach or the jutting peninsulas on each side of the beach that added to my impression of the place but I think more than anything else it was the ununsual beautiful stand alone cococunt trees, beautifully flat sandy beach and the countless smiles on the super cool surfers who dotted the mains of the white horse waves that crashed with regular batches of 2 to 3 metres waves in the safe warm waters of the 1 kilometre beach that won me over. Im already looking forward to the day where I write about a beach that leaves a deeper impression on me than this one for it will have to be one hell of a beach to win my title for "Best Beach Visited- Ever".
Prinha has thankfully not falled subjugate to the trappings of the mass tousism industry. There is one kiosk that sells water, beer, pineapples, coconuts and soft drinks but there is no other. Unlike countless other beaches that have thousands of yellow umbrellas and yellow chairs dotted along Brazil's 7,200kms of coastline this one has refreshingly none. A few picnic tablets or provided for to sit down on, there is a set of tiolets with some showers to wash off the salt of the sea and the "maresis" salty windy, but that's it. After that you have to try find a cococut tree shade to plop down your towel, you stay in the water to cool off, you join the local guides and surfers on the beach for a game of football which is what I did first, or you take on the sun with it all its shimmering rays and penetrating glistening heat. Either options you can't loose.
I would highly recommend a visit to Prinha and to Itacare. Unlike a lot of surfer beaches I have been to this one has not yet been infested with all the trappings of tourism. It seems to be to be delicately balanced at the moment and could easily turn into a tourist trap like countless others in the near future. While you'll find
plenty of restaurents and bars serving Italian, Japanese and Brazilian dishes thankfully there is no Irish bar or golden arches yet. I would say go here sooner rather than later and keep away from it the week after the Carnival fisnishes as that is when the worlds carnival partiers from foreigners lands envelop the city for a solid week. From New Years to mid Feb is probably the best time to go and make sure to book well in advance as this time is high season holiday time for all of Brazil. Also, don't be afraid to give CVC a go. There cheap, reliable, action packed and great fun. And youll get by even if you dont have the local lingo. For a well organised, easy sit back adventure holidays these guys have it down to a tee.
PS: It was at the convergence of the river and the ocean that I asked the beautiful Camila Monthila De Morales for her hand. With a bended knee and a local coconut ring I found on the beach I closed many chapters of 34 years of colourful rich single life and set out on a set of new adventures which I hope will make me a better man, husband and Rambling Irish Vagabond for many decades to come. For that perfect moment Itacare will always remain one of the most special of special places for the Vagabond.
