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How to get to Salvador da Bahia, Brazil:
For tickets, in Sweden, we can recommend Brasilienspecialisten in Stockholm 08-242120, and Brasilienexperten in Halmstad 035-128875. Both have experience with trips to Brazil. Elsewhere, you will have to rely on your own wits or travel agent.
www.brasilienspecialisten.com
www.brasilienexperten.se
From Europe it is possible to travel directly to Salvador from Lisbon, Madrid or Paris. From Miami, USA
you can fly directly with the Brazilian Airline TAM.
From the international airport in Salvador:
From the airport in Salvador, you have two options:
You can take a cab from the airport to one of the ferry terminals.
We advise you to prepay at the desk at the Arrivals hall. (It should cost around R$ 70,00)
Make sure your cab is a "real" one. They are white cars with red and blue stripes.
The ride from the airport to the terminal will take about 45 minutes, depending on traffic.
Or
We can arrange for a transfer to bring you all the way home to our Sítio.
The transfer from the airport in Salvador, to our doorstep costs R$ 220 for a car, and 240 for a combi (minibus) on weekdays add R$20.
How to get to Island of Itaparica from Salvador:
There are three types of boats that service the island.
A passenger motor boat leaves Salvador from the Terminal Maritimo, across the street from the Mercado Modelo, every half hour.
The last one leaves Salvador at 7 pm. They are called lancha in Portuguese; it takes about forty-five minutes to cross the bay. It arrives at the town of Mar Grande - where you can get a taxi to our place, about 15 km away.
The auto and passenger ferry leaves Salvador every hour from the ferry Terminal São Joaquim. Brazilians refer to it as the ferryboat (pronounced fehee-boatchee).
It takes 60 minutes to cross the bay and it arrives at the ferry terminal at Bom Despacho.
it is the only transportation available at night.
Also leaving Salvador from the São Joaquim ferry terminal is a catamaran. Its schedule varies greatly depending on the time of year. It takes twenty-five minutes to cross the bay, and it is slightly more expensive than the other options.
None of these boats arrive directly at the town of Tairú. But there are taxis in both Mar Grande and Bom Despacho. A taxi ride will cost about 30 reais from either Mar Grande or Bom Despacho, but it is a good idea to establish a price with the driver beforehand. A cab from either terminal takes about twenty minutes to get to the Sítio Alma Tropical.
Car Rentals:
Automobiles may be rented in Salvador. There are no car rental agencies on the island.
To get to Sítio Alma Tropical from Mar Grande or Bom Despacho:
You will travel on the main road that crosses the island to the Tairú/Cacha Pregos exit.
After getting off the main road, you will pass through a tunnel and about 300 meters after that, on the left hand side of the road, there is a green gate which will take you through the Condominio Coqueiral da Costa. At the end of the road, right at the beachfront there is a two-story house (that’s where we live), ring the bell and you shall enter.
Money Matters:
There are several ATMs installed at the airport, they are to the right, at the end of the hallway. And they accept international bankcards. They also have a currency exchange office at the arrivals hall, to the right. In the island you will find ATMs machines in the town of Bom Despacho at the Blanco Bradesco at the ferry terminal and at the Bompreço Supermarket.
At the Banco do Brasil in Mar Grande and there is also one in front of the church in Bom Despacho. Many such ATMs can be found in Salvador, including one in front of the São Joaquim Ferryboat Terminal and another on the second floor of the Mercado Modelo, near the lancha terminal in Salvador
There is no currency exchange in Itaparica. U.S. dollars and travellers’ checks can be exchanged on the island at the Banco do Brasil in Mar Grande, but service is poor and lines are long.
Visa cards are usually accepted everywhere and are the most popular card accepted in the stores. MasterCard is accepted at some stores but not all stores, and American Express is more difficult to be accepted in the stores.
Electricity:
Electricity here is 110 V AC
Mail and such:
The post office in Vera Cruz is located in Mar Grande. There is no mail delivery. We need to go to Mar Grande in order to pick-up our mail. But if someone needs to send you a letter or a package (not a good idea, unless you are staying longer than two months on the island) your postal address while with us will be:
Your name + c/o Familia Eriksson
Caixa Postal 086
Vera Cruz- Ba
44470-000
Brazil
And if your luggage flies to Tokyo while you are waiting for it in Salvador, the address to leave at the baggage claim is:
Condominio Coqueiral da Costa
Lote 35/36 (casa da Praia)
Tairú - Ilha de Itaparica
Vera Cruz
We at the Sítio Alma Tropical are pleased to welcome you to an exciting country and to our estate on the beautiful island of Itaparica.
We hope and believe that you will enjoy your stay very much.
tairu@boibrasilien.com
