Hotels in Bahia, Brazil

I stayed in the Historical Centre and it was easy to get around there, also from there to the beach, by bus, or to the port for trips, by walking and taking the Lacerda elevator. From Praca da Se, there is a great view to the port. I ate in small shops, and also in a restaurant called Mama Bahia, close to the Medicine Faculty, in Pelorinho area. Good food, generous portions, traditional elements. I also discovered a nice coffee-shop and sweets called Delta Expresso, in front of the Lacerda Elevator, 100 m down the street, great service, very varied offer.

Absolutely amazing place! Not to miss if you are in Bahia. Something to bare in mind about catamarans. We booked our return trip to Morro de Sao Paulo with Ilha Bella. On our way to Morro it was a proper catamaran and the trip was pleasant. On the way back it was a small boat and the trip was extremely rough. Terrible experience, every second wave would toss the boat in the air and shower passengers sitting in front. Half of the passengers vomited and the rest were simply terrified.

Tudo muito caro e poucas coisas valem o preço que se paga. Há praias muito mais bonitas na Bahia e com um custo benefício bem melhor. Viajo o mundo todo e sem bem o valor das coisas, inclusives as caras. Considero uma praia mediana com serviços comuns. Há uma supervalorização de tudo que não justifica. Acho que tem um marketing e muita matéria paga paga para supervalorizar coisas comuns. Não penso em retornar; serviços e praias diferenciadas mais bonitas no nordeste. Acho que muita gente depois que está la faz questão de falar maravilhas pois já pagou, e quer justificar o dinheiro gasto. Ps: O melhor é estar de carro lá; eu estava.

Really interesting city with beautiful old architecture and lots of cultural interest. We loved learning about the old churches and the interesting mix of religions, and can recommend getting a local walking tour guide to show the main attractions and explain their significance. The Pelourinho is spectacular. We can highly recommend the Balé Folclorico de Bahia, for a wonderful introduction to the local dance and music. The local beaches are beautiful and extensive, and a trip to Project Tamar to see the sea turtles is very worthwhile.

Morro looks a place out of Brasil. Of course there is a bit of Bahia with a mix of foering people living there. What makes the place even more special. The people are nice and kind. Baianos are so opened! You also don´t need to speak portuguese cause they know english, spanish and also hebreu. Surprise! Remember... it is a Iland and the local people depende on turism so that is why everything is charged. Is the way how the earn money there. Understand that everything get time to get there so that is why is more expensive. Just go with the flow and enjoy the good vibes from it =)

A charming little town by the beach. We used to visit Praia do Forte, that town, however has become a bit of a tourist zoo, with music blasting constantly from every little shop, bar, restaurant, local homes, day and night. For that reason we switched to Imbassai which so far has managed to stay relatively quiet. Alas, we noticed that this is changing for worse as well. Local bars and restaurants start competing at who's music is louder. At the village's tiny main square just anybody can bring their powerful stereo equipment (and Bahianos love their music REALLY loud) and blast it off all day long. Any local car can roll into this small village with the stereo causing tremors! That is our main beef with Bahia in general- peace and quiet is in a very short supply there, if that's what you're after.

Salvador is Africa in Brazil. It is a city with many contrasts, the Baiano culture is what Brazil is all about. Lively, entertaining and very rhythmic. It is not a city to come to if you are looking for a modern place to stay. It is raw, with an edge to it, do not come to Salvador if you are looking for Gucci or Prada. You come to Salvador looking for the grass roots of life. In Salvador, Bahia, they live life for the moment. It is all about now, enjoy life now, have fun now, if you are looking for good customer service, forget it. You will wait an hour for the menu, another hour for the food and invariable they will get it wrong. If you loose your temper quickly, then Salvador is not the place for you. This is not London, New York or Sao Paulo, it is all about staying cool, relaxing, and chilling out. Admittedly, this can be difficult when you are waiting an hour for your first drink but if you like beer (cerveja), great, if you want something a little different, then expect to wait. Brazil likes to think of itself as a 1st world country, this is definitely not the case in Salvador. If you want coffee shops, go to Amsterdam, if you want Calvin Klein, go to New Year. If you are looking for a taste of what life is all about, come to Salvador and leave your Iphone at home.

We loved staying in Morere (Hotel Alizees) away from the main village - because it was so peaceful and just so beautiful. The nearby beaches were stunning, particularly Ponto dos Castelhanos and Praia do Bainema. A real highlight was hiring a local guide (Guia Viviu, with the help of staff at Hotel Alizees in Morere) who took us to beautiful beaches, nearby villages, through an ancient mangrove swamp and across a river by canoe. He also pointed out really interesting aspects of nature. Bahia Terra were great at making all the travel arrangements to and from the hotel, and arranging a lovely trip out to the off-shore natural swimming pool. Great for snorkelling. A tractor / bus or quad bike were great ways of getting about the island. Hotel Alizees is beautifully designed in a way which is very much in touch with the natural environment and has a lovely 'eco' feel about it. The gardens are a pleasure to walk through with wonderful views; clever planting gives a naturalistic feel. They are also very caringly maintained. The breakfasts were fantastic - and included a great selection of tropical fruit, freshly made tapioca pancakes and lovely breads. The evening meals were consistently good and we really liked the way vegetarians were accommodated on request. Without exception all the hotel staff were extremely helpful. A particular 'thank you' to Leo, Bruno and Ana Claudia for being so welcoming and contributing to making our stay so special. Hotel Alizees in Morere might especially appeal to people who like independent travel but value having help to make it a relaxing time. A local restaurant in Morere we loved was Todo Pasa Pizzeria. Fantastic food and great hosts. Very knowledgable about the island and things to do.

To get to Lençóis you can fly directly to the local airport (usually more expensive) or take a 6h bus from Salvador (Bahia capital)to Lençóis (cheaper). Lençóis is a small, safe and charming town, with a great atmosphere. People are friendly and prepared for tourism. It has a good options of cute little restaurants varying from local food to fusion / contemporary gourmet food where you can relax after a tour during the day. Prices are the average for tourists cities. My favourite restaurants were Cozinha Aberta and Lampião, but I also deeply recommend Sabor da Serra and Cafe do Mato. To go out and listen do live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday the best option are Cafe Bakana, Refúgio and Fuxico. You can visit the hole city by walking and visit waterfalls and rivers within a 15 min walking from the town. Rent a car and a guide or buy tours from tourism agencies are the best option to safely enjoy the astonishing nature around Lençóis. Don't do it by yourself if you don't know the area.

Beautiful, safe town in the heart of Bahia. Hired a car for two days to go to poço Azul (snorkling in the cave), poço Encantido, poco do diabo (could swim up to and under the waterfall), gruta lapa doce (caves), gruta do partinha and then morro do pai inacio for sunset - such a magnificent view! Hiring a car was much cheaper than doing those places as a tour. Food is on the expensive side but mini supermarkets mean it's possible to cook for yourself. Wish I had had more time there, could have easily spend a week and included a multi day trek.