Morro de São Paulo is a tropical island paradise off the coast of Bahia. Kick back on the stunning beaches and soak up the laid back atmosphere.
Where is Morro de São Paulo located
Morro de São Paulo is a small beach town on the island of Tinharé 63km south west of Salvador in the state of Bahia
How to get to Morro de São Paulo
There are no cars or roads on the island, to get there you can fly or take a transfer from Salvador.
Plane: There is a small air strip that services flights from Salvador. The journey only takes 25 minutes and is the most expensive option.
For land transfer from Bahia. You have 2 options:
Catamaran: Faster and more expensive. This will take you directly to Morro de Sao Paulo and takes about 2h 30min.
Slow Transfer: Slow transfer will use multiple forms of transport to get you to Morro de São Paulo. It’s cheaper and much slower as you take a local ferry, bus and a speed boat to get to the island. The entire journey will take around 4h 30min.
We used a company called Cassi Turismo that we booked through an agent in Salvador, there are loads of agents around the Paulinho area in Salvador. The tour departs from Tourist Terminal Náutico da Bahia. The company can also pick you up from your hotel or airport. The price also includes transfer back to your hotel/airport or in our case the bus terminal.
Getting Around
There are no cars in Morro de São Paulo so the only way to get around is on foot and there are also some golf carts that act like taxis that can give you a ride or take your luggage. The town isn’t very big and easily accessible anyways.
When is the best time to visit Morro de São Paulo
Morro de São Paulo is close to the equator so it has hot temperatures all year round and has a dry and rainy season because of that.
Dry Season (May–August): The peak tourist season, with drier weather and sunny days
Rainy Season (November–March): Low season with rainy days but the weather is still hot so you can still enjoy the island. Just bring along a rain jacket.
Where to stay
Morro de São Paulo has a few different areas to stay and where you stay depends on the experience you are looking for
Morro de São Paulo town: Here you will be close to all the restaurants, shops and Praia No.1. Stay here if you want the convenience of being close to the action and don’t mind the crowds
Praia No.2: The second beach is right next to the town. This is the most popular beach and has loads of bars that have live music and lots of activity. Stay here if you want to be close to the action or a beach party type of vibe.
Praia No. 3: Just a little further south from beach 2. Praia No.3 is quieter and more relaxed the only downside it’s a longer walk to get to town.
Beyond Praia 3: There a loads of resorts beyond Praia No.3 that stretch all the way across the island. The further you get away from Morro de São Paulo the more quieter and more chill the vibe will be.
Things to do in Morro de São Paulo
Beaches!
There are 3 main beaches to visit that are very creatively named beach 1, beach 2 and beach 3!
Praia No.1: This beach has beautiful sand and views of the cliffs across the bay. There isn’t many sun lounges here maybe because it backs up on some of the building in town. This beach normally isn’t very busy.
Praia No.2: The most popular beach it has a long sandy beach with beautiful turquoise wates. The beach is lined with sun lounges and bars playing music. This beach has pleanty of action going on there is volleyball courts where you can see the locals playing futevolei and also a free beach gym!
Prais No.3: Doesn’t have all the sun lounges and music and no crowds as well. Come here for a more relaxed experience.
Morro de São Paulo Lighthouse
Hike up to Morro de São Paulo Lighthouse where you can check out the lighthouse that towers over the town and get access to some epic views!
There are 2 viewpoints that give you amazing views of the island. There is also a zipline that takes you down to Praia No.1
Fortaleza do Tapirandu
The Tapirandú Fortress was built in the 17th century to protect All Saints Bay. You can explore the fortress and enjoy panoramic views.
Where to Eat & Drink
Porto 23 beach bar e restaurante: This place is right beside Praia No.1 with open air seating and mazing views looking back over Praia No.1. The chicken parmigiana here was really good.
Caranguejo Vermelho: This is a nice little no frills restaurant that in the evening has tables on the sand. Awesome spot to relax and enjoy dinner with the sand between your toes and the sound of the waves behind you. The Carne seca here was really nice!
Our Experience
Morro de São Paulo is the ultimate Bahias beach getaway you come here to unwind and enjoy the sun, sand and water. We think 3 nights here is a good amount of time to spend here enough time to see everything ang lie around and unwind.
Next Stop:
- Porto Seguro: Bahia’s Beach Paradise
- Chapada Diamantina National Park
- More places to visit in Brazil
Also check out our YouTube video below 👇
