Island romance
Perhaps one of the more romantic places in Bahia (as in, go here for your honeymoon!) is the island of Itaparica. About thirty minutes by boat across the Bay of All Saint’s from Salvador, it is larger than what I imagined from reading about it in books. I thought it would be a tiny sliver of land, tucked in amongst other larger islands. Upon arrival, though, I saw the treed landscape spreading out to my left and right. The beachfront stretches out for what seems like miles, dotted by green banks and red-roofed houses. Mar Grande itself is a small town, but it breathes like a mini-city: restaurants and cafes line the street adjacent to the town square; an ever-changing row of taxis stands at attention, awaiting passengers; and music floats onto the street from either a café or someone’s car stereo. I stayed in Itaparica (the town shares the same name as the island) for two months, and was lucky to do so because I felt I had a real taste of island life. I had the good fortune of interviewing of one of the older residents of Itaparica – she was a veritable walking library! A retired professor, Dona Casimela maintains a healthy memory bank of knowledge about how life used to be on Itaparica. As she described, it was a self-sustaining nexus – a place from which many passenger boats (instead of the single fleet that runs today) used to zip to and from Salvador. It was home to many factories and thriving businesses; money stayed on the island, moving from people’s pockets to the businesses and back again, in a healthy economic cycle. Nothing stays the same, however, especially economies. Given the nature of urbanization, people and money started moving off of the island. The factories closed, the passenger boat fleet shrank its numbers; attention shifted to Salvador - now the source of most people’s jobs, food, and activities.
A monkey on the island of Itaparica
What remains on the island, however, is small town living. There is a peace, calm and deep beauty there. What you cannot find in Salvador is tranquility, or under-populated beaches. On Itaparica, you can stay in beautiful B & B’s and truly relax now that there is no longer the din of the city surrounding you. What you do hear are birds whistling, monkeys chattering, and the occasional peacock emitting its strange meow. You can hear children playing, capoeira music drafting out from studio open windows, and festivities livening up the town center. In downtown Itaparica, you can sit in the square, eat homemade ice cream (flavors made from Amazon fruits, even) overlooking the sea; you can leisurely dine at one of the restaurants lining the square. Afterwards, you can stroll along the beachfront paths, watching the lights blink on the water’s surface. If it’s beach time you’re seeking, there’s no better place than Itaparica. You’ll be lucky enough to watch the fishermen pulling in their day’s catch and capoeiristas practicing their fluid moves. Maybe the economy has slowed down here, but the romance has not!
Tags: beachfront adeventures, Brazil, honeymoons on islands, island romance, Itaparica, relaxing honeymoon on the beach