Green Toad Bus

Arraial do Cabo Boat Trip, Buzios (2 nights), Vitoria/Vila Velha (1 night), Itaunas (2 nights), Arraial d'Ajuda (2 nights), Trancoso day trip, Itacare (3 nights), option of ending either in Morro de Sao Paulo OR Salvador.

Is it possible to go on just one section of the trip? Yes. For e.g. you may want to only go as far as Itacare. You can start and finish the tour wherever you want, please consult us for more information and prices.

Rio de Janeiro ? Arraial do Cabo ? Buzios
Described as the Caribbean of Brazil, you?ll be dazzled by pearl-white beaches, crystal clear waters and abundant sea-life. Plenty of swimming, snorkelling and sun-bathing with various lunch options on offer. Then it?s only a short drive to Buzios.

Buzios
Once a quiet fishing village until French movie star Brigitte Bardot turned up in the 1960s. It wasn?t long before Mick Jagger, Madonna and all of Rio?s ?beautiful people? followed and nowadays Buzios is considered one of the coolest, most sophisticated beach towns this side of the equator. Free time to explore the surrounding beaches, or you may want to check out some of the many chic, boutique shops. Buzios is the best place in Brazil to buy bikinis!

Buzios ? Vitoria
Today will be the longest travel day of the whole trip (7.5hrs). We spend one night in Vitoria, capital of Espirito Santo state. Founded in 1551 and built on the largest island of an archipelago of 33 islets joined by landfills and bridges, the city itself consists of colonial building, ports, beaches, tree-lined streets and a fine seafront promenade six kms long ? perfect for jogging, biking or walking. Tonight we?ll probably go to Vitoria?s most lively restaurant and bar area for a night on the town Brazilian-style? you?d be pushed to see any other gringos here!

Vitoria ? Itaúnas
This morning you?ll have some free time to enjoy a morning stroll around Vitoria. From Vitoria it?s a nice short drive of only 5 hours to Itaunas; a colourful little town located on the banks of the Itaúnas River. If you walk over the bridge to the other side of the river, you?ll find yourself inside a huge ecological reserve made up of sand-dunes up to 30m high, wild ocean beaches, mangroves, flooded forests and a huge variety of flora and fauna. They say the old town (which apparently existed sometime before the 1950s) was located 1km closer to the ocean, but is now completely covered by sand. Itaúnas also happens to be a huge centre for forro music, which is probably the most popular and easy-to-learn dances of Brazil. The National Festival of Forro is held here every July, attracting thousands of Brazilians!

Itaúnas
Free day to do as you please. Loads of options on offer, most of them inside the ecological reserve. We highly recommend horse-riding along the endless, wild beaches all the way to the border of Espirito Santo and Bahia ? where the mouth of the river divides the 2 states. Other cool activities include; bike-riding, hiking, sand-buggying, canoeing & kayaking down the river spotting wildlife along the way. Chances to see capivaras, otters, turtles, monkeys, sloths, lizards, lots of birds and perhaps a jaguatirica cat if very lucky!  One more night partying on the dunes under the star-filled skies of Itaúnas?..

Itaúnas ? Arraial d?Ajuda
Today we cross into Bahia ? land of palm trees, paradise and so much more! Where we?re headed to tonight is only a short distance away from the exact place where Brazil was first ?discovered? back in 1500, where the very first indigenous people were encountered and where Brazil?s fascinating history began? it all started here.

Day Trip to Tranosco, Arraial d?Ajuda
Today, for those keen, we will walk for 2 to 3 hours all the way along the beach to the quaint little town of Trancoso. The timing of this walk will depend on the tides, but we?ll try to arrive in time for lunch. Since the establishment of Trancoso in the 16th Century hardly anything has changed. The town has a beautiful ?Quadrado?, a long grassy square with a little whitewashed church at the far end overlooking the dramatic coastline below. Lining the quadrado are colourful little Portuguese houses. A photographer?s dream. When ready we?ll return by bus.

Arraial d?Ajuda ? Itacaré
Back on the road, we continue our travels north up the coast. It?s an easy 6 hour drive to Itacaré, with plenty of time to visit the Ilheus chocolate factory along the way. There are only a few places in the world where nature has been so generous, offering such diverse attractions in one single place. Coconut-fringed beaches, tropical rainforest, waterfalls, adventure sports and some of THE best surfing and caipoeira in the world! You won?t be disappointed in the nightlife here either? they are especially known for their reggae?

Itacaré
Today you will be taken on an included excursion to what is often known as the ?lost? or ?hidden? beach. To get to the stunning beach of Prainha we must hike through the rainforest for 40mins? passing by various cascades and streams. On the way back, if you?re feeling adventurous, you?ll have the option to go on a jungle canopy zip-line tour.

Later on, we will also be offering you a free capoeira lesson on the beach closest to the town centre. Your instructor, Jamaica, is not only known throughout Bahia, but all over the world as one of the most respected capoeiristas and teachers of this Afro-Brazilian martial arts, now embraced as a national sport and practiced by over 60 million Brazilians ? young and old.

For the rest of your time in Itacare there are loads of fun activities on offer. You could go whitewater rafting, parasailing, snorkelling or scuba-diving. There are also nature walks, canoe trips and of course many beautiful beaches to choose from?  If everyone?s keen we can organise a special boat trip up the river and waterways to a place where we?ll get off the boat and walk through the forest to one of the most beautiful waterfalls of this area. Perfect for taking a refreshing dip before returning to the boat for sunset. BBQ (fish in banana leaf), caiparinhas and beers will be served on-board!

Itacaré ? Morro de São Paulo / Salvador
This is the last day and final transfer, it?s a 2.5 hour drive up to the small town of Valença from where you can get a 40min boat over to the island of Morro de São Paulo. Then from Morro to Salvador it?s an easy catamaran boat trip direct, or a boat back to Valença and 2 hour bus to Bom Despacho where the ferry-boat takes you to Salvador. For more information, just ask us?..

Private transport by reliable, spacious & comfortable van/micro-bus for the whole trip (big windows AND air-con); Drop-offs / pickups for the best hostels & pousadas which can be pre-booked (optional);

• Pickups-drop-offs to hostels & guest-houses which we can pre-book if requested (packages available);
• English/Portuguese speaking Reps to give insider?s tips in each town;
• Informal Portuguese lessons offered on the road;
• Arraial do Cabo boat trip with snorkelling + unlimited soft-drinks & caipirinhas;
• Caipirinha cocktail making and tasting class;                 
• Day trip to the historic little town of Trancoso & surrounding beaches;
• Visit to chocolate factory in Ilheus;
• Beach capoeira class (for all levels) with the famous Mestre Jamaica;
• Guided rainforest trek to Prainha, Itacare - one of Brazil?s top beaches;
• Tips for best surf breaks/beaches throughout trip...feel free to bring your own board!

Surfing and kite-surfing lessons, hiking, river-tubing, horse-riding, white-water rafting, zip-lining, canoeing, dune-buggying, paragliding, scuba diving, nature/wildlife tours, waterfalls, Indian-village tour, dance class, Bahian cooking class, candomble tour, Salvador city tour and more

Because we know what you want!

Here are some of the things we know are important:

• Security; We drop you off and pick you up door to door using our own private, modern, safe and reliable vans (with windows that open AND air-con). And we work with the very best of Brazilian drivers. Your driver and tour leader know each destination inside out, and can tell you exactly what you need to know about each place. Relax and enjoy, you're in safe hands.
• Price; We know how expensive Brazil can be for backpackers. We'll show you where you'll get the very best value for your money. We often get group discounts and free entries, and you'll be shown all our favourite bars and restaurants - that won't break the bank - including the best 'prato feitos' in town! (cheap, tasty and filling Brazilian meals)
• Also, something very important to take into consideration... If you were to get public buses to all the places on our itinerary, you'd be spending just a little under R$350 total (you'd also be freezing to death from the minus 10 degrees air-con they put on!), PLUS all the taxi fares to get you to and from the bus terminals, which would mean spending more than R$400 just on transport alone. What we're offering you is a safe, comfortable and hassle-free door to door service, with an English/Portuguese speaking tour leader on-hand to make sure you get the most out of your trip AND a whole lot of extra activities thrown into the package (listed in 'what's included'). If you add up all these extras they're worth a LOT more than R$250! No doubt that if you tried to do this trip yourself, you'd be spending a whole lot more!
• Getting the most out of your time; If you don't have much time to spend in Brazil, we're here to show you how to make the most of your time! We save you the time you would normally take researching where is best to stay, eat, drink, and party as well as the best activities on offer in each place. You'll still have the freedom to make your own decisions, but we're here to help make those decisions so much easier, and so much quicker!
• Independence when it suits; Travelling by yourself is nice sometimes, but isn't it also nice to have the choice. If you feel like escaping and having a bit of 'me time' in each place, you can! that's the beauty of Cruz the Coast. We don't force you to all stay in the same accommodation and eat in the same places. We give you options in each place. We give you our recommendations which come from years of experience. And you can take it or leave it, no worries. We won't be offended if you go off and do your own thing. We respect your independence and individuality. But isn't it good to know that if you're ever feeling a bit lazy, or can't be bothered making a decision, you don?t have to. We can do it for you!
• Fun at your fingertips every night; Most people don't want to go out every night of the week. But then again, some do! We give you this option every night. And don't worry; you won't be stuck with the same bunch of people all the time! we'll be introducing you to our local friends in each place. Instant friends, both on-tour and off!
• Creature comforts; All the hostels and guest-houses that we recommend have private bathrooms with decent showers, cold beer, chill-out area, laundry service, wifi/internet, breakfast included and the majority also have communal kitchens, BBQs and swimming pools! We understand the needs of the independent traveller!
• Getting off the beaten track; If you were to make this trip yourself between Rio and Salvador you'd probably only stop in 1, 2 or 3 places maximum. Why! Simply because most of this coastline is still 'un-known'. People don't know where is best to stop, and how to go about it. And let's face it; unless you speak fluent Portuguese (and even then!), it's not easy to figure out how to get to an estancia just outside Santa Teresa, or the little out-of-the-way town of Itaunas, without wasting a lot of valuable time and money. Most travellers would probably take the bus direct from Rio to Porto Seguro, thereby missing out on all the coolest of places in-between. And we're not just talking about our night stops. We're also talking about all the little stops on our driving days, such as an incredible panoramic photo stop, a side-trip to a hidden waterfall, a delicious home cooked meal on the side of the road, a picnic with a view! The more we do these tours, the more we talk to the locals and discover more and more jewels to share!.. The jewels are never-ending, and always-appearing.
  
  ......

Let us show you a side of Brazil that you wouldn't have known about if you'd taken the bus!