The last untouched bay area in Brazil

Camamu  is the third biggest bay in Brazil, right after Todos os Santos in Salvador and Guanabara in Rio de Janeiro and the only that is not attached to a metropolitan area or a big harbor.

The bay carries the name of a city founded in 1560 for the Portuguese from what used to be an Indian village catechized by the Jesuits, Camamu is one of the oldest cities in Brazil. The town has a rich colonial architectural heritage. Among the attractions  is one of the biggest churches in Bahia countryside, the Cathedral of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, a colonial building that is worth to visit.

The city follows the Portuguese-Brazilian tradition of being divided into two different cities: the upper city and the lower city. In the lower city is situated the port and in the upper city there is a belvedere with a magnificent bay view.

From Camamu’s harbor there are several options to cross the bay to Barra Grande and Marau.  At the other side of the bay there is a peninsula called Marau that probably is the most untouched area in the entire Brazilian seashore. There is only one unpaved highway crossing the cape, but for the good of  Marau preservation the highway is in truly bad conditions and driving to there is almost an impossible adventure. I drove.

The last time I have been in Marau was six years ago, I made a family trip to the peninsula to have a real good rest at the holyday season,  we spent Christmas and New Year in a small guest house called Pousada do Maraú , it  is simple but offers enough to stay and enjoy the local wonders.

For breakfast you can choose from a selection of natural juices of tropical fruits, including cocoa with its unusual flavor.  The guest house restaurant offers also excellent seafood fresh local dishes specially cooked for locals with the supervision of the owners themselves.

Marau peninsula has several wonderful beaches, Taipus de Fora  beach was elected for 4 Rodas Guide one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in Brazil. The beach is very close to a reef barrier preventing waves to come to the shore, the corals form small pools where you can swim with fishes, octopuses, turtles and other maritime creatures.

People in Bahia State is usually very friendly, they like to see people from other areas and they are curious, even if you don’t speak any Portuguese, communication is not hard, use some gesticulating or mimic, you will have a lot of fun.

One interesting point to visit is Marau lighthouse, the building is up to a small hill with a beautiful view from the ocean. Also interesting is the small unincorporated village of Barra Grande. The city has few restaurants and guest houses but during the holiday season gets packed with young beautiful people and crowded of nice parties.

Marau has also fresh water lagoons and a beautiful small waterfall.

Getting to Marau is not easy; the best option will be flying to Ilheus, south of Bahia State, and then take a 4WD shuttle to the guest house. Most of the guest house offers a shuttle services to the airport.  Like I said, drove straight to the guest house, took me 4 hours and a lot of car damages to ride less than 100 km.

Marau is an unforgettable experience.

See also Barra Grande.