Trips

Salvador Da Bahia

Welcome to Salvador! Today there is an important group meeting at 18:00hrs, please meet at the Hotel reception. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy Salvador. Border information: If you are starting in Salvador, enter Brazil at Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport (IATA code: SSA) In Salvador we stay in a comfortable hotel Hotel for the night: Pousada de Mangueira 09 Ladeira da Saúde Bairro da Saúde Salvador Bahia Brazil Activity Approximate Cost Watch a candomblé ceremony in Salvador Included in Kitty Visit the Forte Santo Antonioa da Barra, Brazil's oldest lighthouse, for panoramic views of the city. USD 10 Visit a Capoeira school, to watch the Brazilian martial art, combining elements of dance, acrobatics and music. Free About Salvador Da Bahia: Situated on a peninsular jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, Salvador da Bahia was the capital of Brazil when it was first colonised, but now it can only claim to be the capital of the state of Bahia. Bahia is strongly nfluenced by its links with Africa, both in its language, religion, food, dance and music, and this certainly dominates the atmosphere in Salvador. If time allows we will take in a night at the Bale Folclorico da Bahia or the Oludum drummers for a taste of local traditions. Apart from the historic interest of the town, there are some excellent beaches to visit nearby, but you should definitely try to get to a 'Candomble' evening while you are here. Candomble is a popular religious cult in the region, and the ceremonies offer a fascinating insight into the culture of this area. Salvador is also well known for its spectacular Carnival and other festivities, but the nightlife is good here at any time of the year.

Pirambu

Today we head north up the coast of Bahia, into the state of Sergipe. Along the way we will make a stop at the Projeto Tamar - a research station involved in the protection of Brazil's fives species of turtle, which spans 1000km and 9 of Brazil's states. The best time to visit is September to March when the spawning occurs. Afterwards we will continue our journey north to Aracaju, where we can chill out in one of the town's seafront eateries, listen to some traditional forro music and enjoy the fresh crabs that the town is known for. Approximate Driving time - 332km / 7hrs We will spend the night in a local Pousada Activity Approximate Cost Visit the Tamar Turtle Conservation Project Included in Kitty About Aracaju: Set in Segipe, the smallest of Brazil's states, Aracaju is a popular weekend getaway for Brazilians, though often overlooked by Tourists. The town boasts beautiful beaches, waterfront restaurants, lively festivals and a picturesque main square, complete with towering cathedral.

Olinda

We have a full day drive to the stunning colonial gem of Olinda, considered one of Brazil’s most important historic sites. Approximate Driving Time - 540km / 9hrs We will spend the next two nights in a local Pousada About Olinda: Olinda was one of the old capital cities of Brazil and has quite a few historic buildings dating mainly from around the mid-1600's, many of which have been restored. It is a culturally important city, and is home to many artists and musicians. A good spot to have a drink and take in Olinda is the Alto de Se, the highest square in the town, it has stunning views of the skyscrapers of Recife shimmering in the distance. 

Olinda

Explore the beautiful town of Olinda, once known as 'small Lisbon' and the richest town in Brazil. Enjoy wandering the cobblestone streets, check out some of the exquisite churches and definitely make time for lunch at Alto de Se to enjoy the views! Activity Approximate Cost Take part in a Capoeira class BRL 30 Visit the imposing 16th Century Igreja da Se, located at Alto da Se (Cathedral Heights) Free

Canoa Quebrada

Today we have a drive day to the seaside town of Canoa Quebrada. In Canoa Quebrada we will stay in a local Pousada Approximate Driving Time – 629km / 10hrs About Canoa Quebrada: Until the mid 1970’s Canoa Quebrada had been but a sleepy fishing village until it began to gain popularity with a group of hippies, who gave to Canoa an air of liberty and tolerance which can be felt until today. The village is now one of the best known and most visited beaches in Ceará with dunes and falesias with heights of up to 30 metres which have served as the stage for several movies of Brazilian cinema and television. Today, besides the eternally overwhelming landscape, the greatest attractions to enjoy are the buggy tours through the sand dunes along the beach and the red cliffs, and the refreshing dives in the calm bluegreen ocean. For the more adventurous there is the opportunity for kite surfing, cliff gliding, capoeira, or you can simply venture through the fishing villages on a long walk or discover the ecological trails that cut through Canoa Quebrada. When the sun begins to set, run to the top of the dunes and you will witness one of the most spectacular sites in the northeast.

Canoa Quebrada

Huge pinkish sand dunes dominate the area of Canoa Quebrada, it's a fantastic spot to kick back and relax after a week of overlanding, or for the more energetic; try your hand at kite surfing, take an evening horseback ride along the beach, head out on a beach buggy. There's a laid back small town to explore too. We will stay in a local pousada Activity Approximate Cost Take a 4hr Beach buggy trip to Ponta Grossa BRL 100-350 Take an evening horseback ride on the beach BRL 100

Jericoacoara

An all day drive brings us to the laid back beach town of Jericoacoara, or 'Jeri' as it's affectionately known. Access to Jericoacoara is only by 4x4 through unpaved tracks through the dunes, making it a wonderfully hard to reach place. Approximate Drive time - 440km / 8hrs About Jericoacoara: Jericoacoara is a stunning beach area, located close to the equator in the northeast of Brazil. It is a good example of an area embracing the concepts of responsible tourism. Development has been severely restricted and building is only allowed in the nearby fishing village. To get there, you have to drive off-piste across sand dunes for about 15 kms in a 4x4 and this limits the numbers of outsiders who visit the place. It is a remarkably beautiful place with vast fields of sand dunes, turquoise sea and loads to do. For lovers of the natural beauty there are numerous hikes and trails, which can be accessed on foot or by horse. Alternatively, you may prefer to play around on the dunes on sand buggies or sand boards or to go out on boat trips. It is also an excellent place for windsurfing and other watersports. The area has no big hotels, but has plenty of small restaurants and posadas.

Jericoacoara

Jericoacoara is a magical place to spend some time; wander the sandy lanes, enjoy the sunset with a caipirinha on the dunes whilst the locals practise their Capoeira, head out on a quad bike adventure to remote lagoons where you can take a dip, laze in a hammock and enjoy a seafood lunch. Jeri is also one of the prime spots for surfing, windsurfing and kite surfing! We will stay in a local Pousada Activity Approximate Cost Learn to kitesurf in Jericoacoara USD 160 Take out quad bikes to visit the area around Jericoacoara USD 65 Visit the beautiful Lagoa Paraiso USD 30 Enjoy the waves and rent a surf board BRL 25-60 Try a 90minute Capoeira class BRL 35 Treat yourself to a relaxing massage during your time away from the truck BRL 150

Parnaiba

Today we drive to the town of Parnaiba, the gateway to the Parnaiba delta and the Lencois Maranhenses National Park. We will stay the night in a local pousada. Approximate Drive Time - 250km / 3hrs

Lencois Maranhenses National Park

Today our adventure into the Lencois Maranhenses National Park begins; we head out in 4WD to the port (Porto dos Tatus), where we will take a speed boat to Tatoia, stopping off at some dunes and islands of the famous Parnaiba Delta. Seen from the sky, the meeting point of the Rio Parnaiba and the Atlantic Ocean looks like a giant puzzle, made up of 85 tiny islands. After visiting Tutoia we will spend the night in Atins in a small pousada on a sand bank. Activity Approximate Cost Take an overnight 4WD tour of the stunning Lençóis Maranhenses National Park Included in Kitty About Lencois Maranhenses National Park: Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, in Maranhão State, is one of Brazil's top natural attractions. It is an ecosystem formed of white sand dunes which cover 383,000 acres and look like bedsheets (lençóis in Portuguese) spread out on the Northeastern coast of Brazil. Fresh water lagoons that fill up with rainwater, mostly during the first six months of the year, make Lençóis Maranhenses unique. Mangroves, deserted beaches, buritis- a graceful kind of palm tree - and the Preguiças River help compose the park's diversity. Lençóis Maranhenses has been formed over thousands of years, as the sand from riverbeds is deposited at the mouth of the rivers and brought back to the continent by winds and sea currents. The sand dunes advance as far as 50 kilometres inland and stretch along 43 kilometres of coastline. They are mostly deserted beaches on which sand mixes with mangroves, creating picture perfect vistas.

Lencois Maranhenses National Park, Barreirinhas

Today we will head out in motor boats through the Preguica River, to the protected area of Pequeneos Lencois, along the way, we will visit a small fishing village, take a short walk to the lighthouse to enjoy views of the dunes and the Preguicas River. We will spend the night in a Pousada in Barreirinhas. Activity Approximate Cost Visit the stunning Lençóis Maranheses National Park Included in Kitty

Sao Luis

This morning we will head out in 4WD into the lagoons, enjoy a swim and explore the dunes before heading back to the Truck and continuing our journey to the beautiful UNESCO town of Sao Luis. We stay in a local guesthouse. Approximate Driving Time - 250km / 4 hrs About Sao Luis: São Luís is the capital of Maranhão, situated in the Bay of San Marcos on the northeastern coast of Brazil south of the Amazon Delta. The French founded the city in 1612 but the Potuguese captured it almost immediately in 1615 and then the Dutch took over for 4 years in 1641. The old city is steeped in an almost tangible history and has strong traditional folklore. There are excellent museums; the Catedral da Sé', built in 1726 by the Jesuits and a large French-built fortress now called the Palácio dos Leões. Today the city is almost more famous for its music and is the centre of reggae culture in Northeast Brazil. It has excellent nightlife, restaurants and numerous festivals throughout the year.