Outrigger Canoe Expedition Maraú Peninsula

In Bahia, Paddling On  07/01/2021  No comments

In late November, I decided to face a canoe expedition on the Maraú Peninsula. It was a way of being outdoors after being locked up at home by the pandemic. As I volunteered for the Pfizer vaccine, I took the serological test and I was immunized, ready for new adventures. In my life, I have never been so many months without traveling. No business trips, no adventure trips…

The Outrigger Canoe Expedition Maraú Peninsula was organized by @mutahoevaaclube / @marbosi and started from Barra Grande Beach, in Maraú. It was 3 days of a lot of paddling, meeting interesting people, sportspeople from other places in Brazil, with a lively and convivial vibe.

The first day we paddled to the Tremembé waterfall, it was the longest day, more than 80km of paddling. As it was a relay, I added up the times I was in the canoe and realized I paddled some 40 kilometers. A challenge for me who spent more than a year without paddling and had only returned to the canoe in the previous month. It was beautiful to paddle at the waterfall. The strength of the water, the noise, the excitement. Magic.

On the second day, we left with a rough sea towards Taipu de fora. It was the most challenging day because I hadn’t eaten anything and had no water in the camel bag, the idea was to make the relay in 4 or 5 km. As the sea was very rough, we paddled all the way to Taipu (about 9km). There, the support boat was unable to land the people for the relay and we had to paddle back, without eating and without water … I learned the lesson of always going out with water. Eating, I can spend a long time rowing without eating, I am used to fasting, but water is very difficult for me. Even more with the rough sea, I was very thirsty. On the way back to Barra Grande, we rested and went on other routes closer and where the sea was calm. That day, I went on all shifts because some people gave up and there was always room for me in the canoe. I loved it.

The third day was the most relaxing one. We left a little late, we didn’t have to wake up early. We visited some islands, sand banks, tasted the local cachaça, paddled, danced and chated a lot. On the way back to Barra Grande, we had a closing party in a Hawaiian bar with a full moon, bonfire and dancing. I returned to Salvador renewed.

1st day: 84km* – Cachoeira do Tremembé
2nd day: 37km* – Taipu de Fora, Ilha Grande de Camamu, Campinho
3rd dat: 35km* – Ilha Grande de Camamu, Praia Coroa Vermelha
*The kilometers were measured on my GPS watch, some time I was in the canoe paddling, others I was in the support boat.

See full screen map

[Text, video and photos by Karla Brunet]

Drone images by @ninofrancoo