Este post também está disponível em:
Português 
English
Serra Grande is a district of the Bahia municipality of Uruçuca in the Cacao Coast, located 43 km from Ilhéus and 30 km from Itacaré.
A small and quiet village that lies in the heart of the most ecological road of the southern coast of Bahia, with white sandy beaches full of coconut trees.
One of the most visited tourist spots in southern Bahia is in Serra Grande, in the city of Uruçuca, 420 kilometers from Salvador, between the trendy beaches of Ilhéus and Itacaré.
Serra Grande is a quiet town that is located on the BA-001 park road, 420 kilometers from Salvador, between Itacaré and Ilhéus and about 30 km from each city.
Between the sea and the green coastline that runs along the entire southern coast of Bahia is Serra Grande. In an area composed of immense coconut trees, waterfalls and extensive beaches of warm waters, practically deserted, the small village appears to offer much more than the stunning viewpoint.
Serra Grande preserves 20 km of pristine beaches amid clear, warm waters, which share the landscape with the still remaining cocoa farms.
There are several villages: the Vila Alta, at the top of the hill, where the main shops and cultural activities are located, and the Vilas Praianas, in Pé de Serra and Praia do Sargi, where hotels, inns and houses for the season are located.
Serra Grande offers options for fun and adventure in a region considered a Natural Heritage of Humanity.
There, the summer has blue skies and strong sunshine, with temperatures exceeding 30ºC.
Serra Grande is between the popular beaches of Ilhéus and Itacaré.
The city of Serra Grande is built on top of a green hill overlooking the Atlantic Forest – much of it still virgin – and the clear blue sea.
From the highest place in town known as the “Mirante da Serra”, you can let your mind travel far away enjoying a beautiful sunset and a cold drink on the spot.
The 22 km stretch of white sand and coconut trees is there for you to enjoy, without any disturbance. Spend a day in front of the relaxing sea, surfing or simply strolling along what seems like an endless beach.
Half the fun of being in Serra Grande is actually going there!
The road leading into town is known as the “vein of the Atlantic Forest” due to the fact that it is located in the wild and protected Ecopark.
Regardless of which direction you are coming from, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a ride through an untouched forest.
The more adventurous can enjoy the view from another angle, in an unforgettable flight: from the top of the mountain it is possible to paraglide.
Another option is to visit Praia do Pé de Serra. The name tells you where it is. Soon after, there is Sargi Beach, where tourists also find fine sand, good waves and restaurants.
Videos about Serra Grande in Bahia
Serra Grande na Bahia - Dicas de Viagem
Serra Grande - Guia de Turismo03:07
Serra Grande - Reportagem05:07
“Upon arriving here in this wonderful and beautiful place by nature, with lots of forest, very green, I promised that one day I would still live here and that promise was fulfilled”.
To get to one of the beautiful beaches, the visitor needs to face a trail of approximately 20 minutes. The effort is worth it and it feels like a private beach.
After the beach, there is the option of a freshwater bath to cool off.
The village of Serra Grande is crossed by the Pancadinha River, an inexhaustible source of leisure.
Still in Serra Grande, but on a farm, about three kilometers from the village, is another wonder in the middle of the Atlantic Forest: the Cachoeira do Tijuípe.
It is four meters high and 15 meters wide.
With the help of a rope, visitors can resist the current and reach the waterfall to take a natural massage.
A little further up, the Tijuípe River is calmer and crystal clear. The sunlight penetrates the water and reveals the golden hue at the bottom.
Tourist Spots of Serra Grande
Pontos Turísticos de Serra Grande na Bahia
1. Serra Grande offers much more than beautiful beaches
It has rivers, waterfalls and a large reserve of Atlantic Forest.
Considered the second largest Brazilian forest, today only 5% of its original extension remains. It is not for nothing that the APA Itacaré Serra Grande region is considered a Biosphere Reserve of the Atlantic Forest by UNESCO since of the original coverage, the municipality still preserves 31% of the remaining area covered by the Atlantic Forest.
There are more than 22,000 hectares of forest, 93 of mangrove and 573 of restinga.
The southern region of Bahia, more specifically the strip between the Jequitinhonha and Contas rivers, preserves the most significant portion of Atlantic Forest in the Brazilian Northeast.
The forests of this region are characterized by tall trees with evergreen leaves and an abundance of epiphytes. Endangered species such as the yellow-breasted capuchin monkey and the collared sloth are found here.
The Atlantic Forest is considered by the world scientific community to be one of the richest ecosystems in terms of diversity of animal and plant species on the planet and the second most threatened with extinction. For this reason, in 1991 UNESCO elevated the Atlantic Forest to the category of Biosphere Reserve, being today one of the three highest conservation priorities on the planet.
2. PARKS AND RESERVES
The main conservation units in the region are the APA of Itacaré Serra Grande and the State Park of Serra do Conduru.
The Environmental Protection Area – APA Itacaré Serra Grande – besides being a Biosphere Reserve, is also considered a World Heritage Site. Its limits are demarcated to the north by the mouth of the Rio de Contas, to the south by the Riacho do Sargi and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, with an area of approximately 62,000 hectares and rich fauna and flora.
The Serra do Conduru State Park (PESC) has an area of approximately 9,000 hectares and is home to important stretches of Atlantic Forest still preserved. A survey conducted by botanists from CEPLAC and the New York Botanical Garden identified 456 different species of trees in one hectare, a world record.
3. PRIVATE NATURAL HERITAGE RESERVE (RPPN)
Among the private initiatives that collaborate for the environmental preservation of the region, the RPPN’s stand out: one of the largest in Brazil, the Capitão Reserve is located in Itacaré, 13 km from the municipality’s headquarters, on the Itacaré-Taboquinhas road.
The area has 973 hectares and is almost entirely covered by forest, 310 hectares are within the Serra do Conduru State Park area and 660 hectares have been recognized as a Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN).
Very close to this we find the RPPN Pedra do Sabiá with 117 hectares forming a set of 1,300 hectares in private reserves that are inside the Environmental Protection Area (APA) Itacaré – Serra Grande.
There, research and surveys of trees, birds, anuran amphibians (frogs, toads and pererecas), mammals, snakes and lizards have been carried out, and one of the most important was developed on the behavior of the yellow-breasted capuchin monkey (Cebus xanthosternos), one of the 25 most endangered monkeys in the world.
These reserves are strong attractions since the visitor can get in touch with the forms of local production, including the “cabruca” system of planting cocoa that was responsible for the preservation of the Atlantic Forest in this region.
3. WALKING THROUGH THE FOREST AND RIVERS
In Itacaré and Serra Grande nature is the main spectacle. There are waterfalls among mangroves, trails where you can watch birds, squirrels and small foxes or dive into the waters of rivers and natural pools.
The Rio de Contas, whose source is in the Chapada Diamantina, runs about 620 km to the sea of Itacaré and enchants those who venture out by canoe or boat.
The stories told and sung by the river people are full of legends and myths of the river waters, which makes the tour even more magical and worthy of postcard photos that no one will ever forget.
See Rafting in Taboquinhas
4. Serra do Conduru State Park
The Serra do Conduru State Park (PESC) is an integral protection Conservation Unit, which was created on February 21, 1997 by Decree No. 6227 of the Government of the State of Bahia, as a compensatory measure for the construction of Highway BA-001, Ilhéus/Itacaré stretch.
Parque Estadual da Serra do Conduru na Bahia
The PESC – holder of one of the greatest biodiversities on the planet and with a high degree of endemism – has an area of 9,275 hectares covering areas of the municipalities of Ilhéus, Uruçuca and Itacaré.
The name of the Park is a tribute to the Conduru – (Brosimum Rubescens) – a tree of noble and highly valued wood that is found in the Ombrophilous forests of southern Bahia.
As the region has an undulating relief with some strong elevations – which resemble a mountain range – the Conservation Unit was named Serra do Conduru State Park.
Its beautiful landscapes, the rich biodiversity of fauna and flora, the streams and waterfalls of crystal clear waters, make the PESC a symbol of environmental conservation for the entire region.
This rich natural heritage gives the Park strategic importance for the development of tourism in the region, especially those related to nature tourism.
Access
Unpaved road, Rodovia Serra Grande/Uruçuca (BA-653), currently in good condition. In rainy periods access is only possible by vehicles with 4×4 traction.
Tourism and Travel Guide of Serra Grande in Bahia
