Ituberá, Camamu, Barra Grande and Itacaré in Brazil

These two towns, which have yet to be overrun by seasonal visitors, are the first stops south on the bus route from Valença. Neither have good beaches but both have access to decent ones by boat.

is a tiny town sitting on a deep inlet; the most beautiful beach in the area,

, is two hours away by boat. Some 30 km further south,

is tucked away in a maze of mangroves. It is the jumping-off point for the peninsula of Maraú; the next stretch of the Bahian coast in line for beach resort development. The town has a handful of pretty colonial buildings, including the 17th- century church of

.

This long thin peninsula stretches north from the town of

, near Itacaré, towards the southern extremity of the island of Tinharé and is fringed with beautiful beaches along its entire length both on the ocean side and along the beautiful Baía de Camamu. The bay is lined with thick mangrove at its far southern end and sealed at

, with a plunging waterfall that cascades directly into the sea. The main centre of population is the little fishing village of

at the tip of the peninsula, fronted by a glorious beach and yachts bobbing at the end of a pier. The sandy streets are lined with a handful of

and shaded by

and palms. Few non-Brazilian tourists make it here.

The peninsula is 200 km south of Salvador, 150 km north of Ilhéus. There is a small airport at Barra Grande, served by scheduled air taxis from Morro de São Paulo and Salvador. Boats run from Camamu to Barra Grande. It's also possible to reach the peninsula by road from Itacaré.

Access is difficult to many of the Maraú beaches if you don't have a car (and only possible with a 4WD in wet weather), but some can be reached on foot or by taxi/

from Barra Grande. Tractors run from the village to the more remote beaches further south. There are excellent two- to five-day tours with

, leaving from Ilhéus or Itacaré. There are plenty of

in Barra ; the website www.barragrande.net has lots of useful information.

Itacaré is a pretty little surfer town at the far end of the Peninsula de Maraú surrounded by glorious forest-fringed beaches. Paulistanos decided it was cool at the turn of the millennium and a handful of beaches are now backed by some of Bahia's most exclusive (and increasingly over-sized) resorts, such as

. Those close to the town itself are more hippy, with an informal surfer-dude feel and a mix of cheaper restaurants and places to stay and more fashionable spots for those swooping in for the evening. Much of the old town remains a simple fishing village whose houses in thick

shades huddle together under a golden sun around a broad harbour on the banks of the Rio de Contas.

The

is a few minutes walk from town. There are at least four buses a day from Ilhéus (one hour). Porters are on hand with barrows to help with luggage. For information contact the

.

are concentrated on and around

, the first beach south of the town centre and the river. More deserted beaches lie along dirt roads to the south and north. To explore the area to the full you will need a car. If you speak some Portuguese, its worth taking the time to find your way to one of the smaller places. Itacaré is very busy with Brazilian tourists in high season but receives relatively few international visitors.