3 Best Hotels in The Marau Peninsula, Salvador and the Bahia Coast

While superbly located on the tip of hip Mutá Point, a five-minute stroll down the beach from Barra Grande’s bustling pier, Nirvana Beach Hotel's expansive 6-hectare (15-acre) grounds give guests the sense of being marooned in the tropical rain forest. Each of the five rooms has a private balcony and hammocks jutting out into the jungle, soft candy colors, high ceilings, and comfy beds. The gregarious hosts, Brazilian–English mother-daughter team Bonnie and Jessie, are on hand to organize speedboat trips and share the best places to catch the legendary sunsets, It’s a bit like staying in someone’s house, with guests breakfasting together on at a large communal table set in the piacava pavilion, where you can also enjoy a home-cooked lunch and relax over daily complimentary tea; you may even catch a jam session on the yoga deck when Jesse, a singer, is in the house.

Couples and families flock to the deliciously laid-back Dreamlands, where 10 simple, stylish Scandinavian-esque bungalows sit overlooking a great surf break on Taipu de Fora Beach, and the hotel's beach bar is one of the best. Rooms are cleverly positioned in a cascade so that no one misses out on the view of the turquoise surf. Rooms are clean, modern, and come with a plasma TV and minibar; adjoining bungalows are well suited to families. Norwegian owner Jan shakes up sophisticated cocktails at the beach bar, while his Brazilian wife Lyana organizes quad-biking trips and massages for guests. Make sure to ask Jan for his secret map to visit the giant Avatar-style bromelias in the forest.

Set on a secluded stretch of sand a 20-minute drive outside Barra Grande, this hotel caters as much to families with small kids as to a younger crowd who take advantage of the day passes and regular roster of DJs and events. Highlights include the sushi-serving beach restaurant and swimming pool overlooking the sea and surrounded by large loungers. Rooms are simple, spacious, and set in a row so each offers sea views and a private balcony; bungalows set back from the beach come with their own private garden. It's worth spending the day here even if you are not a guest of the hotel; there is a minimum consumption charge of R$50 per person.