5 Best Hotels in Lençois, Salvador and the Bahia Coast

Guests rave about the endless gourmet breakfasts at this beautiful restored colonial house a few minutes stroll from the center of town. Owner artist Alcino is on hand to provide insider information and personalized service. It's an intimate experience akin to staying at a friend's home: guests commune over daily changing delicacies such as passion-fruit mousse and manioc pizza, alongside an elaborate display of tropical fruits and homemade breads and jams, all served at a long communal table in a elegant interior courtyard, where hammocks await for post-breakfast snoozes. Rooms are simple and compact, decorated with traditional wooden furniture and antiques. Scattered between two floors of the house, of the 10 rooms, three have shared bathrooms. Those sensitive to noise should ask for one of the rooms on the first floor.

One of the first hotels to open after the creation of the national park, Canto das Águas remains one of the most comfortable places to stay in Lençóis, with spacious rooms overlooking the river and stone archways opening to a garden and large swimming pool that frames the main building. Most rooms come with balconies and are equipped with modern amenities like flat-screen TVs and wireless Internet. Alongside a pool bar that's open throughout the day, the hotel's acclaimed restaurant serves lunch, dinner, and a daily tea—opt for one of the tables on the veranda to soak up the view.

Overlooking Lençóis—west-facing accommodations have magnificent views of the forest-covered river valley—this distinctive hotel has a Portuguese-tile roof and stone facade. The stone-and-wood rooms and suites are the most luxurious choice in the region, and guests have access to a swimming pool, basic gym, and sauna. Many of the rooms accommodate up to three or four people, with private bungalows for families.

If you're seeking a home away from home, look no further than this simple pousada's clean, spacious, white-walled rooms, where the English-speaking owners will entertain you with tales of the history of the Chapada. The hearty breakfast will reveal the origin of the inn's name, Jelly House—dozens of homemade jams and jellys that include regional fruits such as umbú, seriguela, and cajú are featured with your morning fare. The owner, Zé Carlos, is a bird-watching enthusiast and has escorted tourists and biologists on tours of the Chapada.