- ✓ Explore at your own pace in your own rental car
- ✓ Stay in charming, locally run pousadas
- ✓ Discover unspoiled beaches, away from the crowds
- ✓ Hike through the scenic Diamond Canyon
This itinerary combines colonial cities, some of the best beaches in the continent, and the spectacular landscape of Chapada Diamantina. With no internal flights and your own rental car, you’ll have the freedom to explore the charms of north-east Brazil at your own pace.
Days 1 & 2 – Discover historical Olinda
Upon your arrival you’ll be collected from the airport in Recife and driven the 30 minutes to Olinda.
Olinda feels like one big open-air museum, with colourful churches, museums and art galleries dotted around its cobbled streets. There’s a genuine, slightly European feel to the town, mixed with a lively Brazilian spirit. You’ll stay in a locally owned pousada close to the centre.
During your stay we’ll arrange for you to head out on foot with a local guide, learning about Olinda’s fascinating past and its love affair with Carnival, while visiting some of its most beautiful buildings. The evenings are yours to explore, with plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from and a relaxed atmosphere to soak up.
Day 3 - Drive from Olinda to Porto de Galinhas
Today you’ll be taken to the car rental office in Recife. An English-speaking local representative will give detailed directions and information about driving in Brazil, before you get on the road. You’ll have a modern compact car, but we can arrange something a little bigger if you’d prefer.
Over the next 8 days, you’ll experience some of the unspoiled, deserted beaches which North-East Brazil is famous for, as you get behind the wheel for a self-drive adventure along the ‘Linha Verde’ to Salvador. You’ll pass through tiny coastal villages, a colonial city, natural reserves and sweeping sand dunes, as you travel by car (and occasionally ferry) along this beautiful section of coastline, staying in charming, locally run pousadas along the way.
A self drive itinerary gives you the opportunity to travel at your own pace. If you’re still a bit nervous about the idea, read our self drive inspiration page, or speak to your travel specialist.
Once you get out of the city, Porto de Galinhas is only around 1.5 hours drive south. Porto de Galinhas (meaning ‘chicken harbour’) is perhaps a little more developed than the other stops on this trip, but it has a gorgeous tree-lined beach, some good restaurants and bars, and a relaxed holiday atmosphere. This is also where you can take your first dip in the ocean! It’s a perfect location to spend a night before continuing your journey south, and you’ll stay in a locally run pousada within walking distance of the centre.
Days 4 & 5 - Drive to São Miguel dos Milagres
The journey to your next stop should take around 3.5 hours, including hopping onto a car ferry to cross the Rio Manguaba (it’ll cost about £3). São Miguel dos Milagres is a serene, picturesque little town next to a stretch of unspoiled coastline. The waters here are warm and shallow, sheltered by the reefs offshore.
You’ll stay in a little pousada within walking distance of the beach, and of the few restaurants, bars and shops in the town. The next couple of days you’ll have free to relax by the pool or on the beach, but you can also organise dune buggies, snorkels and boat trips locally if you’re feeling more active. There’s not too much going on around here, but isn’t that sort of the point?
Day 6 - Drive to Penedo
Today’s drive is around 5 hours, but you can take it easy and find a nice spot for lunch along the way. Penedo is an attractive colonial city on the banks of the Sao Francisco River. It’s a convenient and pleasant stop-off point for the night, with plenty of baroque architecture and some good places to eat. You’ll stay in a hotel near the centre, with views over the river.
Days 7 & 8 – Drive to Mangue Seco
Today’s journey is an experience in itself, beginning with a ferry ride across the Sao Francisco River, before hitting the road again. It’s about a 4-hour drive which takes you through the Santa Isabel Nature Reserve, past lakes where you can stop for a dip, over Brazil’s longest bridge and into the state of Bahia. Finally, you’ll board another car ferry which will take you to the tiny, rustic village of Mangue Seco, situated at the tip of a sandy peninsula at the mouth of the Rio Real.
The remote location amongst the dunes has spared this place from major development, and there’s not much more here than a church, lighthouse, and a scattering of houses, restaurants and guesthouses. It’s full of relaxed Bahian charm though, and there are few better places in Brazil to spend a couple of days forgetting all your worries. You’ll be staying in a comfy pousada near the ocean, and if you get bored of sitting in the sun eating seafood then you can arrange quad bikes and watersports nearby. The area is also home to sea turtles.
Day 9 – Drive to Itacimirim
After taking the ferry back over the Rio Real, it’s a scenic 2.5-hour drive along the coast to Itacimirim.
Just 25 minutes drive from the bigger, more famous resort of Praia do Forte, Itacimirim is a peaceful haven where you can kick back, sink a few caipirinhas, and enjoy the final night of your self-drive adventure. You’ll stay in a friendly pousada, with a nice pool, a good restaurant, and easy access to the beach.
Day 10 – Drive to Salvador
It’s about a 1.5-hour drive from Itacimirim to Salvador. On arrival into Salvador, you’ll drop off your hire car and make your own way to your pousada in the atmospheric Pelourinho district. Back in the colonial days when the Portuguese ruled over Brazil, the arrival of African slaves brought African culture and traditions to Salvador de Bahia. The current combination of Indian, Portuguese and African influences really gives this city its unique identity. We believe the best place to experience this melting pot of cultures is in the historic Pelourinho district.
Day 11 – Walking tour of the Pelourinho
Today you will head out with a local guide to explore the historic Pelourinho district. This easy-paced walk is a great way to soak up the colour, music and energy of Salvador’s old town. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, Pelourinho blends colonial history with strong Afro-Brazilian roots. As you wander along the cobbled streets you will learn all about the history of the slave trade and how the African religions and cultures have mixed with the Portuguese heritage to create a unique Bahian community. From churches to lively squares you will get a real taste of the history and spirit which fills this atmospheric district.
If you want to see more of the area surrounding Salvador, we can extend this tour to explore beyond the district of Pelourinho. Ask your Travel Specialist for more details.
Day 12 - Take the bus to Chapada Diamantina
This morning, make your way to the bus terminal in time for your 6-hour journey inland to the Chapada Diamantina. If you love the great outdoors, you’ll love Chapada Diamantina National Park. We’ll reserve your seats on the bus to take you to this land of table mountains, mysterious caves, waterfalls and breath taking plateaus.
You’ll be staying in a comfortable local pousada that’s perched on a hilltop with views of the town below. There is a pool for you to cool off in, and as you swim you can sometimes see hummingbirds hovering above the pool water. Your guide will visit you at your hotel to discuss your pick-up times for your excursions during your stay.
Day 13 – Hiking in the Chapada Diamantina National Park
After breakfast you’ll be collected from your hotel for a full day of exploration in the national park. Today you head out on two half-day walks straight from Lençóis. First, follow the riverbeds of the Grizante and Lençóis to Cascata da Primavera, where a cave reveals layers of coloured sand built up over time. Along the way, take a refreshing dip in the Serrano River—nature’s own version of a massage. Later, you set off again, this time through the Sossego Canyon to its namesake waterfall, returning via the Ribeirão do Meio creek. Expect a mix of scrambling, cooling off in natural pools, and plenty of views along the way.
Day 14 – Discover caves and climb Pai Inacio Mountain
Today you explore the cave region, about 75 km from Lençóis. Your first stop is Lapa Doce, one of Brazil’s largest cave systems, filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Then continue to Pratinha Cave, where clear blue water flows through the rock—perfect for a refreshing swim. At Gruta Azul, watch as sunlight filters in and reflects off the water, creating shifting shades of blue. In the late afternoon, climb Morro do Pai Inácio, one of Chapada Diamantina’s most iconic viewpoints. Time it right, and you’ll catch the sunset stretching over the flat-topped mountains.
Days 15 & 16 - Return to Salvador & depart Brazil
After breakfast, you’ll catch the morning bus back to Salvador for one final night in Brazil. There’s time to pick up any last-minute souvenirs, wander through the colourful streets and enjoy one final feast of Brazilian food. The following day, your driver will take you to the airport in time for your flight home.
Accommodation
