Boipeba island

Boipeba Island is located on the Dendê Coast, one of the 3 large islands of the municipality of Cairu. The ride from Salvador, Bahia will include a ferry boat to the island of Itaparica, then van service to Graciosa and a speedboat to Boipeba. We will be staying at the beautiful Pousada Santa Clara (breakfast is included), a 3 minute walk to the beach. To get to Boipeba Island, we will travel through the lush mangrove canals.

Boipeba has been sheltered from commercial tourism and globalization. These communities grapple with issues of sustainable development. We will explore local village life, with its rich indigenous and Afro-Brazilian heritage, and enjoy miles of beautiful ocean beaches on foot, take canoes or kayaks into the mangrove, or take speedboats to snorkeling reefs out in the ocean.

We will also visit by speedboat Quilombo Boitaraca, a community founded by runaway African slaves. Quilombo Boitaraca residents have a strong cultural identity, preserved given its unique geographical position. The local community association has taken pride in Quilombo Boitaraca’s past, building a cultural center, which is a reflection of the dignity of the local population. Men in the community work with piaçava palm fronds and women weave decorative piaçava baskets and mats. A visit to Boitaraca can bring us closer to Brazil's past and help us to understand how a community can work together to move forward into the 21st century. While at Boipeba we will also program orixa song classes, 2 dance classes, meditation, much joy and a unique look into an area of Bahia new to Viver Brasil’s Dancing at the Source program.