Cycling trip: Itaparica – Salinas da Margarida

In Adventure, Bahia, Brazil, Cycling tour On  02/03/2017  No comments

• 1st day: Bom Despacho – Salinas da Margarida 61 km
• 2nd day: Salinas da Margarida – Barra do Paraguaçu 36.58 km gpx

Since I really enjoyed the experience of the Mangue Seco – Praia do Forte trip organized by Lúcia Saraiva from Amigos de Bike, I decided to take another cycle tour with them, this time it was Itaparica and Salinas da Margarida. We woke up very early to catch the first ferry to Itaparica. We arrived in Bom Despacho and had a break for a breakfast with orange juice and hot sandwich. Right after, we faced the road.

We went by the shoulder of the road BA01, I found it comfortable to pedal. Every time there was a little hill, I was left behind. Everyone passed me and they went ahead. Lucia selected a gentleman from the group to accompany me, not leave me alone behind. Unfortunately, it is dangerous for a woman to be alone on the bike in these areas… As soon as we cross the Funil Bridge back to the mainland, we stop to eat lambretas, a typical dish of the region. I loved the Bahia’s mussel.

Later, our next stop would be Mutá, at a local brewery. On the ferry we met 3 other cyclists who were going there. They told us they were members of the brewery and invited us to visit the place. Of course we accept the invitation. The place is very nice, big tables, a bar made with container. And the beer, very tasty, it was worth the stop. The BA534 road – which leads to Salinas – had no shoulders. Even so, I thought the cars respected a lot, they went out to the other lane to past us. I liked to see that it is improving the culture of respecting cyclists. After 61km, we arrived in Salinas. We spent the afternoon by the coat, ate moqueca and recharged our energies for the next day.

On Sunday, we went to the entrance of the Paraguaçu river. This time the path was by trails in the middle of shrimp farms. I had never seen shrimp farms before, it was interesting to see where the shrimp I eat in Salvador comes from. On our way back to Salinas, we stopped for lunch at the edge of the bay. On arrival back at the inn the van was already waiting for us to take us back to the ferry. In short, it was an incredible weekend knowing the region where I live.