Where to go in Southern Bahia Beaches

Tucked into Bahia's sun-drenched coastline is this former fishing village and its considerable charms. Discovered by hippies in the 1970s, Trancoso clings stubbornly to its laid-back soul despite a jet-set of increasingly sophisticated visitors. The beating heart is the Quadrado, a football-pitch-sized rectangle of grass bordered by candy-coloured fishermen's cottages now housing boutiques and restaurants where tables spill onto the lawn. Locals kick footballs, while horses graze nonchalantly nearby and the 16th-century Church of São João Batista watches over the scene. Below the grassy bluff, nine kilometers of palm-fringed beaches stretch in both directions with wooden beach bars serving fresh coconuts and grilled lobster to a soundtrack of gentle waves. The roads might be unpaved and electricity occasionally unreliable, but that's precisely the point – it’s the simplicity of Trancoso that makes it so appealing.

The embodiment of the riches of the Bahian coast, Itacaré is vivacious and full of life where the streets are a constant party, while hushed, wave-lapped beaches wait to be discovered. The city itself is a vision of pastel-hued colonial houses and uniquely delicious restaurants, and by night, it’s ruled by an Afro-Brazilian energy that occupies every bar and street corner. Venture into the lush hills, covered in coconut palms and Atlantic Forest, to swim in secluded waterfalls and spot colourful birdlife. And then we have the beaches, which range from the lively to the entirely untouched, including some of the finest surf breaks in Brazil. You could spend your days exploring one beach after another or find a dreamy place to call your own.

Sublime in every sense of the word, Corumbau is a cloistered corner where days seem to move at the pace of a swaying palm, gentle and unhurried. At its centre is a quaint little village, where you can enjoy hearty Bahian dishes and chats with the locals – the true antithesis of Brazil’s teeming metropolises. But the real beauty of Corumbau lies in its beaches, which are gloriously untouched (you’ll mostly have them all to yourself) and sun-soaked for most of the year. Sail across the azure water to deserted sandbanks, your personal picnic spot revealed at low tide, snorkel or dive amongst vibrant coral reefs or simply bask in the blissful, sleepy atmosphere.