Praia do Forte

1st – 5th April 2008

Now the adventure can begin… What adventure was that then?! Praia do Forte is a quaint fishing village, 70kms north of Salvador, home to Projecto Tamar and a number of expensive Eco Resorts catering for the middle aged, fatter wallet!

Our Hostel had spacious rooms surrounding an airy courtyard, giving us a nice start to our trip. The village was geared towards upper class tourists and was very expensive to eat out in. Luckily, we were able to make good use of the local ingredients and hostel kitchen to cook up a feast of our own. Fresh limes and mint were available at the local supermarket and Ady decided to try his Mojito making skills at the Hostel… so much for the detox!

There were several other people staying at the hostel, (Hi Angelo, Martha, Jo and Ian!) although it was very quiet overall. We heard many stories about our next destination, Salvador, and that we would be lucky to escape the city alive. Ian had been mugged, and Angelo had countless horror stories to tell. The guide book also warns people to be extra vigilant in Salvador… we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it!

The beaches were nice, if a little small – and the water although warm, was full of seaweed – we did find a couple of good spots for swimming over the few days we were there.

We visited Projecto Tamar one afternoon, and saw the good work that they do to help the endangered species of Sea Turtles along the Brazilian coastline. Praia do Forte is the headquarters of the project.

After several uneventful evenings, it wasn’t until the night before our departure that we managed to find some nightlife… It was Friday night and the locals decided to come out and play! We ended up visiting a local bar where there was a live band playing… cocktails flowed and we partied until the early hours. Photos of this night and the rest of PdF are here.


Saturday morning, and Sam has a hangover… what a day for a bus journey!