Caraíva

Caraíva is a village in the south coast of Bahia.

Get in
Caraíva is a piece of paradise situated about 50km south of Porto Seguro, and can be accessed by one of two dirt roads from Porto Seguro/Trancoso. There is a local bus service or you can negotiate with a taxi to take you there for a fixed price, or you can walk along the beaches from Trancoso, about 38km. The town is separated from the road by a river and there are no cars in the village itself; you have to get rowed across in a kind of canoe, which costs a couple of reais (the price is fixed). There is no electricity, although most bars and guesthouses have generators. Its an extremely rustic place in terms of infrastructure, but the beaches are fabulous, and the people, tourists and locals alike, are really laid back, even by Brazilian standards. There's no point in being rushed or getting impatient, things happen by a different clock here. A great place for taking it nice and slow.

Get around
Only on foot. The 'streets' are of soft sand and tough going sometimes. Stick to the sides of the tracks where its not so soft and wear something on your feet, because the sand can get unbearably hot during the day, and "Bicho do Pe" a parasitic worm that burrows into the skin of your feet (not really harmful and easy to cure, but rather uncomfortable) is not entirely uncommon (but you shouldn't get paranoid about it).

See
The Pataxó Indian village a few km walk down the beach to the south. A good opportunity to see how 'modern' Indians live. You can rent a horse and guide or just walk and go north to Praia do Espelho, one of the most beautiful beaches on the south coast of Bahia a few km to the north of Caraíva. In the high season, there are organized schooner trips to nearby beaches, including Espelho. These leave from around the river mouth, on the beach. They may not operate in the low season.

Drink
There are a number of bars. Because of a total lack of police in the village, it is normal for people to openly smoke marijuana while sitting in the bars and on the beaches. In fact, many people go there for this reason.

Sleep
There are many guesthouses, at a variety of rates, and a camping ground. It would probably be a good idea to have a reservation if you're going for New Year, January or during the July school holidays (its a popular destination for teenagers on their school vacations). During the rest of the year its not necessary.

Stay healthy
Don't drink the tap water and make certain that any drink made with water or that contains ice, like juice or caipirinha, is made with bottled water.