January 23rd, 2008
The Beaches of Ilhéus, Bahia in Brazil
The Beaches of Ilhéus, Bahia in Brazil
By Ina Woolcott
There are extremely stunning beaches and tranquil coastlines where you can go for long, leisurely walks, sunbathe and even go for a dip. If walking direction Itacaré, you will sometimes not encounter another person for hours, apart from now and again, the odd local fisher man. With many beautiful beaches to pick from it is best to experience as many as possible! The most popular being the sandy Praia do Norte (North Beach) and also the longest, 31 miles long. This beach is very wild and beautiful in some places and is fringed with tropical rainforests and coconut trees. The sea is green and ideal for surfing and fishing for flounder, mullet, snook and majorra.
Please read further to find out about beaches close by, and a little further distance away from Ilhéus. The distance in km after the beach indicates how far away the beaches are from Ilhéus itself.
Beaches central to Ilhéus
The beaches located in the centre of Ilhéus such as the Praia da Avenida, Praia do Cristo and, on the north side of town, Praia do Malhado and Praia do Marciano are not as attractive as they used to be due to the effects of the construction of the new harbour.
Praia de Avenida - this is central to Ilhéus - featuring a waterfront park with ball courts, cycling circuit and an open air theatre. It is advised not to swim on the right hand side of the Sao Sebastiao Cathedral. The water used to be far closer to the “boulevard”. Nowadays one must walk through some small sand dunes, grassy land or football fields before getting to the slightly polluted water.
Cristo Beach - this beach is central to Ilhéus, located at the foot of the Christ Statue near the old harbour at the mouth of the Rio Cachoeira River and close to the Santana River also. Where the sea and Pontal Bay meet is the perfect spot for sailing, jet skiing, canoeing, and hobby-cat as well as other water sports.
Praia do Malhado, 3km - located at the north side of the city in front of an oil refinery, swimming here is not advised. the beach has some barracas at the beach where you can drink, eat snacks and listen to music.
Praia do Marciano, 4km - a popular hangout for the locals and here you can go swimming, but there are reefs and at the most extreme rocks, so beware! There are a few barracas that play loud music, which doesn’t seem to bother the visitors who are generally fairly young.
Interesting reading:
Fighting on the Beaches, A Year of Capoeira in Brazil
Bahia Blues
Atlas OF The Amazon:
Related links:
Beaches of Pontal, Nova Brasilia, Morro de Pernambuco | Ilheus, Bahia, Brazil
Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil | Sightseeing, Attractions and Leisure Activities
