Itacare
Encyclopedia : I : IT : ITA : Itacare
Itacaré is a town located in the cocoa zone of the state of Bahia, south of Salvador, 70 km north of Ilhéus. It is in Itacaré that the river Rio de Contas, which comes from the Chapada Diamantina, meets with the ocean. It used to be a simple small village that had its main revenue coming from the cocoa business but now depends primarily on tourism. The Rio Contas meets the sea here, the river and port being original motivations for developing a settlement here. Itacare is on the edge of a national park, one of the last large expanses of Atlantic Rain forest left in Brasil.
The town has a series of beautiful small cove type beaches and other great beaches further along the coast.
Unfortunately access to one of the most beautiful beaches has been blocked by an expensive hotel/condominium development called Sao Jose Eco Resort. The beach is now only accessible by sea. The good news is that there are plenty more beaches visit!
A recent fight by locals against land owners who own land in front of the beaches outside the town, charging for access to the beaches has been won. This is great news. Though the owner of the land in front of Itacarezinho beach has churlishly stopped letting cars drive down his road and use his car park – despite making a large amount of money when he used to illegally charge for access!
Itacare is a real town where people live and work, not just a created for tourists type entity, and despite the development in the area, it remains a very rural and charming town. The small size of the town, and strength of local culture, means that it is place where tourists can come and participate in ‘real’ Bahian culture. The place goes up level for New Year and Carnival when the town is full of Brasilian tourists coming to party and celebrate.
Itacare is great town for those seeking to experience laid back Bahian culture and interested in;
Beaches, Surfing, Capoeira, River trips, Rafting, Good restaurants, Whale watching (seasonal), Walking and hiking, Forests and waterfalls, Peace and reconnecting with nature.
External links
- [Itacaré official website (in English)]
- [Itacaré] Information on Itacare including its history, and beaches
- [( Villas de São José - in English)]
- [Pousada Coqueiro Verde] (Which has photos of Itacare, a beach guide and a history section)
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