Bay of Wonders

Ilha de Maré - Bahia (42km de Salvador)
6 horas - 9hs
Roteiros
Ilha dos Frades - Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Ilha dos Frades - Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Praia de bandeira azul! Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Escadaria para o mirante! Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Escadaria para o mirante e a igrejinha. Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. O cais visto do mirante. Foto: Fábio Marconi
No cume da montanha, um mirante e uma Igreja. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Dentro da Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Dentro da igreja de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Foto: Fábio Marconi
A faixa de areia de Ponta de Nossa Senhora é toda organizada e sombreiros coloridos. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Caminhada para a Praia da Viração.  Foto: Fábio Marconi
Praia de Viração na Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Praia de Viração na Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Dois mirantes na Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Ilha dos Frades. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Ilha dos Frades - Igreja de Loreto. Foto: Fábio Marconi
Ilha dos Frades - dentro da igreja em Loreto. Foto: Fábio Marconi

Environmental education, water quality, safety and services. Our islands have this and much more!

The Bay of All Saints has 1,233 km and is the largest in Brazil and second largest in the world, only behind the Gulf of Bengal. You can’t miss a ride in this sea of islands and history. Go straight to Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe (Tip of Our Lady of Guadalupe) to get to know one of the five Blue Flag beaches of the country. Then head to Loreto and visit the places icon church and the Memory Center of Ilha dos Frades (Friars Island). Return to the boat and relax body and mind until you get to Maré Island.

The Blue Flag is ours!!

Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, among the five Blue Flag beaches of Brazil. Photo: Fábio Marconi

The starting point is at Bahia Marina, in a private boat. Gather good friends – most boats fit 9 people (check capacity with sailor) – then you decide the script. It is also possible to go to the Maritime Terminal of Salvador and take a collective tour, but in this way, it isn’t possible to choose where and when to stop, there will be other groups of tourists on the boat.

Our tip is to go straight to Ilha dos Frades, at Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. All requalified, it has just won the Blue Flag. It’s all beautiful, organized and super clean. The locals are proud and careful, making everything even more charming. If you want to know everything about the Blue Flag, check this link.

Ilha dos Frades – Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe seen from above, from the lookout! Photo: Fábio Marconi

The church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, built by the Portuguese in Ponta de Nossa Senhora in the 17th century which was abandoned and collapsing, was totally recovered in 2007 by the Baía Viva Foundation. At the top of the ridge where it is located, a lookout was installed, from where you can see one of the most beautiful views of the Bay of All Saints. At the back of the church there is a cemetery, a very common construction until the 19th century.

This little church was all reformed. The lookout has a breathtaking view of the beach! Photo: Fábio Marconi

It was necessary to rebuild, first, all the huge staircase that gives access to the church. Ponta de Nossa Senhora now has a new pier, public toilets, police station and medical assistance, as well as a nautical signaling system to avoid the approach of boats on the beach. The very popular Preta’s Restaurant, one of those hiding places in the All Saints Bay, is one more reason to visit!

Raimundo proudly displays the “best drink on the beach,” as he says. He owns Kabana Mundo’s, which organizes parties for private groups in his restaurant. Photo: Fábio Marconi

It’s important to know that visitors pay R$ 10.00 to enter the island, and the pier (the beach’s maritime terminal) is open from 9am to 4pm, but you can land directly on the beach at any other time too, in points that don’t have protection buoys for bathers.

The charming Loreto

The complete restoration of the 17th century Church of Loreto, for example, has enormous symbolic value in the building of the desired bridge linking culture to tourism. In the same direction – with the utilization and renovation of an old mansion that once was as a farmhouse – was installed the Center of Memory of Ilha dos Frades, which today is a mandatory stop for those who want to know more about the origin, fauna, flora, geographical formation, habits and popular events of the island.

The Church of Loreto is beautiful. Masses take place on Sundays and are frequented by locals. Photo: Fábio Marconi

At this place, the precarious condition of mooring discouraged the on-site visit. The use of the new pier for the landing allows access of all types of boat. The building material around the church was carefully chosen to integrate smoothly with the existing square. The place has also gotten a nursery with species of the Atlantic Forest, aiming at the reforestation of the island, besides a center for selection, recycling and compaction of garbage.

The pier, once precarious, can now receive all kinds of vessels. Photo: Fábio Marconi

A surprise on the way

Towards Preta’s Restaurant on the Maré Island, a sloop – a type of boat built entirely of wood and which, in the original and oldest ones, even the nails were made of wood – crossed our way. Elegant, carried only by the wind, left a trail of poetry in our sea.

Crossing the calm waters of the Bay and still seeing one of the few sloops that still exist, was an unforgettable experience. Photo: Fábio Marconi

How to get there?

Important: It’s better to schedule at least 72 hours in advance

Adval Viagens e Turismo
www.advalturismo.com.br
Phone #: (71) 3328-0332 / 3329 4834 / (71) 98802 1375
Adval Viagens e Turismo is a local receptive agency with proven professional competence in the national tourist market as well as the international receptive. It offers tours to Ilha dos Frades and Itaparica and throughout Salvador, showing its history and its natural beauties.

For special tours:

speedoats, yachts and catamarans
More intimate, romantic, family or small group tours
Our tour was with sailor Rafael.
Call him and he’ll organize everything and make the tour in the most appropriate way for your group.
Rafael’s Phone Number: (71) 99403-0560

Bahia Tours
www.bahiapasseios.com.br
Rentals of boats, yachts, schooners and catamarans.
Phone: (71) 99900-7741 / (71) 3179-1718

Charter Yachts
www.charternautico.com.br
Phone: (71) 99146-5870
The sailboat is private, it was designed for Charter. It features modern equipment and comfortable facilities. Rent a crewed sailboat with a commander, so you’ll only care about enjoying the view and the sailing.

For parties and gatherings

Schooners
Our suggestion here is for those who want to have a party or a celebration. The smallest schooners hold about 78 visitors. Which is already a lot of people!

Bahia Escuna
www.bahiaescuna.com
In this one you organize your party yourself – rental of schooners for tourism and nautical services in Salvador, Bahia.
Phone: (71) 99629-9715 / (71) 98852-3545

General information:
Centro Náutico da Bahia | Cidade Baixa, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil
Phone: (71) 3243-2207