Itacaré in 3, 5 or 7 Days: The Right Itinerary for the Time You Have

Itacaré can fool you: the village is small, but the beaches are many, and each one deserves half a day. Three days cover the town beaches and one excursion; five add the trail beaches and the river; seven bring in the Maraú peninsula and the days with no plan, which are the best ones. The itineraries below follow the logic of the town: what can be done on foot comes first, what needs a car or an agency goes in the middle, and the end of the afternoon is always at Concha or Pontal.

Three days: the walkable beaches and one excursion

Day 1. Arrive via Ilhéus, an hour and a half along the BA-001. Afternoon at Concha (beach), the village beach, and sunset along the orla. Dinner in Pituba.

Day 2. The trail of the four town beaches: Resende, Tiririca, Costa and Ribeira, one after another, on foot. Moqueca for lunch at Ribeira. If you still have energy, continue to Prainha on the 40-minute trail.

Day 3. An excursion with an agency: Jeribucaçu with the Cachoeira da Usina, or the trail of the four southern beaches, from Engenhoca to Itacarezinho. Back by afternoon.

Five days: the river and the beaches along the road

On top of the three days above, add:

Day 4. The Rio de Contas by boat or canoe to the Cachoeira do Cleandro, returning through the mangrove. In the afternoon, take the canoe to Pontal, the beach on the other side of the river.

Day 5. The other trail beaches you haven't seen yet: Engenhoca and Havaizinho, or Itacarezinho with the Cachoeira do Tijuípe along the way. A day by car or with an agency.

Seven days: Maraú, Taboquinhas and a day with nothing planned

Day 6. Day trip to the Maraú Peninsula: Taipu de Fora and the natural pools at low tide. It's the longest day of the week, eleven hours with an agency. Check the tide table: it's only worth it with a tide below half a meter.

Day 7. Rafting on the Rio de Contas, in Taboquinhas, if that's your thing; or the day with no plan, which in Itacaré means going back to the beach you liked best.

What changes with the season

From April to October the sea belongs to the surfers and the trails to those who like to walk; summer brings calm seas and a packed village. The natural pools, from Resende to Pontal, only appear at the new moon and the full moon. Read When to go before you lock in your dates.

Build your own

The guide has an itinerary builder that adjusts all of this to who is traveling: with or without a car, with or without trails, with kids, for however many days. The result comes with a link you can send on WhatsApp to whoever is going with you.

Practical info

• 3 days: Concha, the four town beaches on foot, one agency excursion
• 5 days: + Rio de Contas and Cleandro, Pontal, one more trail beach or Tijuípe
• 7 days: + Maraú Peninsula (Taipu de Fora) and rafting or a free day
• Without a car: days 1, 2 and 4 are on foot and by canoe; the others, with an agency or a fixed-price taxi
• With children: Ribeira and Concha instead of the trails; Tijuípe instead of Jeribucaçu