YOU don’t come to a place like Boipeba Island — a place of alluring, empty beaches, where you can stroll along the turquoise water for miles without running into many people — without a little drama.
There are no cars on this outpost in the Brazilian province of Bahia. The only road is a sandy tractor path. The place is accessible only by boat. And apparently, ours had been expecting us an hour earlier.
So we stood, soaked and shivering, under the awning of a roadside bar. The vibrant colonial city of Salvador was two bus trips and a ferry ride behind us, and the nearest town was miles away. As the rain crashed around us, we were beginning to wonder whether the speedboat that was to pick us up for the final leg of our journey would show.
But soon enough, a man using a garbage bag to shield himself from the rain grabbed our bags and waved us toward the docks. My wife, Erin, and I hopped onto his boat and zipped off into the lush mangrove as the rain clouds yielded to a silvery blue horizon.
We eventually landed on a white sand beach, where a handful of huts served the day’s catch. A group of children played soccer on a sandbar in the distance. Any regrets I may have had about not joining the hordes at one of the more accessible beach destinations in northeastern Brazil melted away.
We had been skeptical about our choice. We had been lured more than once to supposedly cool ocean-side resorts that seemed, to us, more like packed theme parks.
This was different.
We walked down a path through the tropical foliage from the beach and entered Pousada Santa Clara, a tranquil inn run by American brothers Charles and Mark Levitan.
Guests stay in tiled cottages patterned with cheerful mosaics, bright shutters and soft hammocks swinging from private balconies. Ours was a duplex encircled by large banana trees with a view of the sea from upstairs.
At night, you can go to the elegant outdoor dining room where Mark serves Vietnamese chicken with green papaya salad and fresh crab and coconut stew.
Not bad for a place with a brochure rate of $45 a night.
We did share our room with a few small lizards, the occasional crazy-looking bug and even an unidentifiable small mammal that poked its head in the window one night. Think of it as luxury indoor camping. TV and air conditioning? Out of the question.
Not that you will miss them. The climate on Boipeba is balmy most of the year, with temperatures in the 80s and a steady ocean breeze.
Most tourists come here on day trips from nearby Morro de Sao Paulo island, which is jammed with backpackers and vacationing families. They have lunch on one of the two main beaches and leave. The rest of Boipeba is nearly deserted. That leaves miles of shoreline to explore on your own.
Walking along the beach, you might pass the occasional sunbather or surfer. Or you might go for miles, soaking in the stunning scenery and pausing for a dip in the warm ocean water, without passing anyone at all.
On the way back to the village, I met Guido, who has become a legend among travelers. Guido, an enterprising sort, lugged plastic furniture and a grill to one of the most scenic corners of Boipeba a couple of miles from the main village. He cooks fresh lobster for whomever happens upon him.
A giant lobster dinner, complete with rice, beans, drawn butter and coconut juice served in its shell, will cost about $7; it’s all served on a table he sets up right at the high tide line. Farther down the island, he and his wife have a shack of a restaurant with a more complete menu that includes fried fish.
Although I could have easily passed my time in Boipeba strolling the beaches and chilling out in the hammock outside our room, there are plenty of activities. Horseback riding, diving, sailing and hiking excursions can all be arranged. You can expect the small band of guides, or “guias,” who lead these adventures to find you.
At breakfast one morning, a young guy wearing a tank top that said “Adriaino: Guia Local” approached us and asked, with translation help from the innkeeper, whether we wanted to go to the tidal pools farther out in the ocean to snorkel. We had heard this was a trip not to be missed. and negotiated a rate of $18 for both of us.
Half an hour later, we were boarding a rickety fishing boat. Another couple from the inn hopped on with us, and we then began collecting all of our captain’s friends, including a 20-ish guy with bloodshot eyes whose tropical island attire included a wool knit hat.
By the time we headed out to the open sea, we had picked up a tattooed couple who smelled like a Grateful Dead concert, a guy wearing nothing but a Speedo with a pack of cigarettes tucked into it, his girlfriend, a yelping mutt with a puppy. There were four life preservers for the 12 of us.
Did I mention that Boipeba is extremely laid-back?
We never made it to the tidal pools. Rough seas forced the boat back to the island, where we all hopped out in front of a snack bar that happened to be owned by Adriaino’s friend. Adriaino promptly claimed a hammock in the back and went to sleep. We didn’t see him again until he came to collect his money.
It was a stunningly beautiful day and a nearby hiking path beckoned. We set out with our new friends to make the few-miles trek back. The trip took us to the top of a small mountain with gorgeous views. We ran into an old man carrying a few bags, who told us we had about an hour’s walk ahead of us but to leave three hours so we could stop to enjoy the wildflowers.
“God bless you,” our friend said to him in Portuguese.
“God bless you twice,” he replied.
That’s the way people are in Boipeba.
As we hiked back to the village, a tractor pulling a cart behind it came rumbling down the path and stopped right in front of us. The field workers aboard waved for us to hop on. So we did. We all grabbed on to the side rails and braced ourselves for what became a memorable — if bumpy — ride back into town.
They let us off near the town landmark, a weedy soccer field where intra-island matches routinely attract the entire community. The first day we were on the island, we pulled up a chair on the deck of one of the small bars surrounding the field and settled in to watch the game. Now the field was empty, save for a few small children who dribbled a ball into our path. After passing it back to them, we got a hearty thumbs up.
We strolled over to a beach cafe, ordered coconut juice and settled in for another fabulous sunset — and for a brief moment wondered why anyone would go to any other place.
Getting There:
From Los Angeles International Airport, connecting service (change of plane) to Salvador, Brazil, is available on American, Continental, Delta, Copa and Lan. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,286.
Getting to the island of Boipeba is trickier. For a price, innkeepers can arrange private transportation from Salvador by small plane or boat. The less-expensive route begins at the Sao Joaquim ferry terminal in Salvador, where you take the 25-minute catamaran ferry to Bom Despacho, Itaparica ($2.50). From there, hop on a bus to Valenca or Graciosa ($5), a two-hour trip. Boats leave Graciosa at 2 p.m. daily for the 2 1/2-hour trip to Boipeba ($5). Or your inn can arrange for a speedboat to get you there faster (from $125 for up to six people). If you land in Valenca, catch the bus to Torrinhas (11 a.m. or 2 p.m. every day but Sunday; $5), which connects to a boat waiting to take you on a one-hour ride to Boipeba.
Telephones:
To call the numbers below from the US, dial 011 (the international dialing code), 55 (country code for Brazil) and the local number.
Where to Stay:
In Salvador:
Pousada do Boqueirao, 48 Rua Direita do Santo Antonio; 71-3241-2262; www.pousadaboqueirao.com.br. Rates begin at $85 for two, including breakfast, except at peak times (Dec. 26-Jan. 4 and during Carnival).
Pousada Redfish, 1 Ladeira do Boqueirao; 71-3243-8473; www.hotelredfish.com. This 18-room hotel, a 10-minute walk from the main square, offers modern amenities — air conditioning, refrigerators and Internet access — and regional charm. Doubles from $112. Includes a full breakfast.
Vila Gale, 320 Rua Morro Escravo Miguel; 71-3263-8888; www.vilagale.com.br. This 200-room hotel with cookie-cutter rooms but ocean views is an easy walk to restaurants and bars. Doubles begin at $177.
In Boipeba:
Pousada Santa Clara, 75-3653-6085, www.santaclaraboipeba.com, is a short walk from the beach. Doubles begin at $40, depending on season and room size. Entrees in the restaurant: $12.
Pousada Vila Sereia, 75-3653-6045, www.ilhaboipeba.org.br/en/vilasereia.html. Best option if you want to stay on the beach. Doubles from $89.
Pousada Sossego, 75-3653-6009, www.ilhaboipeba.org.br/en/sossego.html. Threadbare rooms in the village at rock-bottom prices. Doubles from $28.
Where to Eat:
In Salvador:
Maria Mata Mouro, 8 Rua Inacio Accioli; 71-3321-3929, www.mariamatamouro.com.br. The dining room has dark wood panels and a handful of tables with crisp linens. The cost was about $32.
Sorriso da Dada, 5 Rua Frei Vicente; 71-3321-9642. Known for its authentic Bahian cuisine. Entrees $12-$41.
Villas Churrascaria, 2326 Avenida Otavio Mangabeira; 71-3240 2546. Unlimited amounts of quality food and condiments. Entrees $14-$40.
Trapiche Adelaide, 2 Praca dos Tupinambas; 71-3326-2211, www.trapicheadelaide.com.br. This elegant restaurant houses fine-art galleries and boutiques, dishes up a luscious bay view along with Italian and French cuisine with a regional twist. About $40 a person.
In Boipeba:
Guido’s is on one of the island’s prettiest beaches. Just keep walking until you get there. Guido pulls down one of the plastic tables and gets to work cooking fresh lobsters. Lunch for one: $7.
Mar e Coco is a place to sit on a beach chair and enjoy the catch of the day. One of many such places. Dishes for two: $18-$22.
Barraca Brilho do Sol is the best beach seafood joint in Boipeba. Dishes for two: $18-$22.
Panela de Barro in the heart of the village offers simple Bahian home cooking. Open for lunch and dinner. $8 per meal.
What to Do:
In Boipeba:
Grab one of the guys wearing “guia turista” shirts or have your hotel recommend a guide. Prices negotiable.
Take a daylong hike into the more remote parts of the island ($15), snorkel in the tide pools ($15), or journey to Morro de Sao Paulo ($50). Horseback riding can also be arranged, as well as sailboat cruises.
To Learn More:
Bahiatursa Information Office, 12 Rua Francisco Muniz Barreto, 71-3321-2463; www.bahia.com.br or www.braziltourism.org.
Association of Residents and Friends of Boipeba, Rua Comendador Madureira, www.amabo.org.br.
Brazilian Consulate, (323) 651-2664, www.brazilian-consulate.org.
