Itacaré is a small town in the south of Bahia - Brazil, a few kilometers from Ilhéus — the closest city with an airport — and it’s known as an international surfing destination.

I first visited Itacaré 21 years ago, and recently I kept hearing a lot about its beaches again. Even though I’ve been to Bahia three other times over the years, I hadn’t returned there. After going through some meaningful feelings, I felt it was time to go back. I searched for flights, found the cheapest one leaving in 15 days, and decided to buy it. The trip was set!

Just like the departure, the return date was also defined by the ticket price, so my trip ended up lasting 9 nights.

For me, nothing is more exciting than a beach trip — where I get to do what I love the most: spend my days in a bikini and light clothes. As usual, I started following some local Instagram accounts, picked a well-reviewed and well-located hostel, and packed my bag the day before traveling.

I was a little nervous because I couldn’t find clear information on how to get from Ilhéus airport to Itacaré without taking a transfer, which cost R$200 — and I didn’t want to pay that. But once I landed in Ilhéus, I went straight to the bus terminal and found a bus that does the route for R$31 in about 1h40. Everything worked out. I arrived in Itacaré around 8 p.m., walked from the terminal to my hostel, quickly changed my shirt, and went straight to a bar. It was Sunday and raining, but I still spent my first night at a place called Favela.

My 10 days in Itacaré were everything I expected: delightful. The town is small but full of restaurants, bars, and shops, and every night there’s a party to go to — sometimes even two. To my surprise, many of them were samba parties; I was expecting more forró, just out of personal taste. There are five beaches close to town, one accessible through a 40-minute trail, and others a bit further away that require taking a bus and hiking down from the road. All of them are wonderful, just as I imagined. Most are surf beaches, so you constantly see surfers coming and going, along with tourists taking surf lessons with the many local instructors.

During my stay, I chose to simply enjoy the town, the beaches, and the parties every day. There are other tours to do, but I didn’t even look into them. I made friends with people staying and working at my hostel, met others on the trails, beaches, restaurants, and parties, and ended up with new travel friends I connected with on Instagram.

It was all perfect, exactly what I expected and needed. Now I’m left with the memories of the beaches, the heat, the music — and also my recommendation that you, one day, experience Itacaré in your own way. If possible, do it like I did: spend a few days with no strict plans, no rush, in flip-flops, and open to the world.