Northeast Brazil
Northeast Brazil, in a few days
Salvador, the canyons of the Chapada Diamantina, Olinda, Jericoacoara and the white dunes of the Lençóis Maranhenses, along three thousand kilometres of coastline: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.
- Day by day
- 1 Salvador de Bahia Days 1-3
- 2 Lençóis (Chapada Diamantina) Days 4-6
- 3 Olinda Days 7-9
- 4 Jericoacoara Days 10-11
- 5 Barreirinhas (Lençóis Maranhenses) Days 12-14
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
Day by day
Salvador de Bahia
The colonial heart of Salvador: pastel houses and baroque churches on sloping cobbles, a few steps from the Bay of All Saints.
- Morro de São Pauloa full day · from €22On the island of Tinharé, two hours by boat from Salvador, a car-free village that numbers its beaches from Primeira to Quinta.
- The Pelourinho in Salvador
Lençóis (Chapada Diamantina)
The mountain side of the Nordeste: a national park of sandstone plateaus, five hours by road from Salvador.
- Chapada Diamantinaa full day · from €60Five hours by road from Salvador, a national park of sandstone plateaus: the mountain counterpoint to the coast.
Olinda
Coloured houses on hills planted with mango trees, 16th-century convents and artists' studios open to the street.
- Porto de Galinhasabout 2h · from €10An hour south of Recife, a barrier of reefs that, at low tide, forms natural pools of warm water a few dozen metres from the shore.
- Olinda and historic Recife
Jericoacoara
A village without a paved street, between a national park of dunes and a sea under a constant trade wind.
- Jericoacoaraan evening · from €30A village without a paved street, wedged between a national park of dunes and a windswept sea, reached by 20 km of sand tracks.
Barreirinhas (Lençóis Maranhenses)
The gateway to 1,500 square kilometres of white dunes that fill with turquoise lagoons once the rains are over.
- Lençóis Maranhensesa full day · from €35A 1,500 square kilometre field of white dunes that fills with thousands of turquoise lagoons once the January to May rains are over.
Worth sorting before you go
Domestic flights and transfers · Two domestic flights, then 4x4 transfers across the sand to Jericoacoara and the Lençóis Maranhenses.
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Feijoada: black beans slow-cooked with pork, eaten on a Saturday.
- Pão de queijo: small cheese breads, chewy and served warm.
- Açaí: the Amazon berry, frozen into a bowl.
- Moqueca: fish stewed in coconut milk and dendê palm oil.
- Caipirinha: cachaça, lime and sugar, and nothing else.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Go out light: no jewellery on show and only the cash you need that evening.
- Use Uber rather than a street taxi, above all after dark.
- Do not walk into a favela without a guide.
- On the beach, keep an eye on your things. Nothing left on a towel stays there.
Words that help
English ↔ Portuguese
| English | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Hello | Olá |
| Thank you | Obrigado |
| Please | Por favor |
| Yes | Sim |
| No | Não |
| Excuse me | Com licença |
| Goodbye | Adeus |
| Do you speak English? | Fala inglês? |
| I don't understand | Não compreendo |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa? |
| Where are the toilets? | Onde fica a casa de banho? (BR: banheiro) |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favor |
| Help! | Socorro! |
| Cheers! | Saúde! |
The practical page
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/northeast-brazil
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.