Praia do Forte

Praia do Forte is a small village with a beautiful coastline, that's 82 km north of Salvador. It's supposed to be a day trip from Salvador. The problem though, is the traffic is horrendous. It was a half hour bus ride to the Rodoviara bus station, a 15 minute wait for the Linha Verde bus to Praia do Forte and then another ride a little over two hours to the village. Even from the bus, which was a fair distance from the coastline, you could tell the view was stunning. Brilliant aquamarine water, the shore lined with palm trees, and a totally different landscape than all the mountains we have experienced most of the last seven months. Too bad we couldn't stop to take a closer look. So by the time we arrived, it was blazing hot and time for lunch.

Praia do Forte was once a rustic coastal village. That was before tourists started going there. Now completely marketed to tourists, the streets are lined with expensive hotels and restaurants, boutiques, and well landscaped trees and shrubs. Most restaurants were more expensive than near our apartment in Barra but we decided to treat ourselves.

Following the main street takes you to the beach and to the Tamar Project, another reason why Praia do Forte is so well frequented. The Tamar Project is one of the most successful conservation projects in Brazil-their mission to protect and restore the population of sea turtles native to the coastline. Today was not going to be a day when things go as planned. As soon as we finished eating and made our way to the entrance, it started to rain. Along with most of the crowd, we waited for a while for the rain to stop.

Most of what there is to see at the Tamar Project is outside. You can see the different types of turtles in the breeding program, you can feed turtles, and watch them be released into the ocean. Although it was still drizzling, we got tired of waiting and decided to go in. But the rain started up again, and most of what we did, we had to rush through. I think this would be a great place to take children. They have a lot of activities catered towards education and best of all, you get to touch a whole bunch of ocean critters like starfish and creatures that I don't really know the names of.

For all the hype, Praia do Forte lacks substance. It is not really a day trip. There isn't enough time to enjoy the beach, the Tamar Project and catch the last bus at 6pm to Salvador all in one day. It's a place you have to be willing to stay at for at least two days. The beach is lovely and is a great place to escape the crowds of Salvador and still have the luxuries of travel. Even the entrance for the Tamar Project is expensive for a single day but if you wanted to spend a few days there, it is only a few reais more. As a day trip, it was a disappointment. We spent more time on the bus getting to and from, than actually there!