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All Saints Bay & Islands

Understand Salvador's All Saints Bay and choose the right island for a day trip, from Ilha dos Frades and Itaparica to Maria Guarda, Maré and Bom Jesus dos Passos.

Editorial team

Nossa Senhora do Loreto Church on Ilha dos Frades, in All Saints Bay.

The Baía de Todos-os-Santos is not simply the water behind Salvador's postcard view. It helped determine where the city was founded, shaped the port and the Recôncavo, and still links Salvador to islands whose rhythms range from polished day-trip beaches to working fishing communities. For visitors, the useful question is not 'which islands exist?' but 'which island fits the kind of day I want?'

Understanding All Saints Bay

The bay covers about 1,052 km² and contains 56 islands across 13 municipalities, according to Fundação Baía Viva. Since 1999 it has been protected as an environmental protection area. That scale matters: the islands are not one compact resort zone. They differ in size, access, infrastructure, communities and the kind of visit they reward.

Partial view of All Saints Bay with boats, Bahia Marina and the MAM area in Salvador. — Partial view of All Saints Bay, with Bahia Marina, the Museum of Modern Art of Bahia (MAM) and MAM Beach in the background. · Photo: Heráclito Rollemberg / Unsplash

Island	Best for	Access	What to expect
Ilha dos Frades	Classic island day, beaches, heritage	Organised boat trips, private boats; some local routes via Madre de Deus	Several very different localities, from visitor-oriented Ponta de Nossa Senhora to quieter Loreto and Paramana
Itaparica	A broader island-and-town day	Passenger and vehicle connections plus road travel on the island	The largest island in the bay; more spread out and better with time to explore
Ilha de Maria Guarda	Quiet island life, seafood and a low-key day trip	Local boats from Madre de Deus	A small fishing-community island with simple visitor infrastructure and a less packaged feel
Ilha de Maré	Local culture and a less packaged visit	Local boat connections	Simpler visitor infrastructure and strong fishing-community character
Bom Jesus dos Passos	Village atmosphere and a slower day	Local boat connections	Small, quiet and better for travellers willing to plan logistics carefully

Ilha dos Frades: one island, several experiences

Ilha dos Frades is the easiest island to misunderstand from a tour brochure. Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, Loreto and Paramana are not interchangeable names for the same beach day. They have different access patterns, levels of visitor infrastructure and reasons to go.

Locality	Best for	What to know
Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe	The classic first island day	The most visitor-oriented part of the island and a common stop for organised trips from Salvador
Loreto	Quiet scenery, swimming and heritage	Known for the seaside Capela de Nossa Senhora do Loreto and the island memory centre; visitor services are lighter, so confirm what is operating and bring what you need
Paramana	Local island life and an alternative gateway	An active arrival and departure point, especially for boats from the Madre de Deus side, with more everyday food options and tide-dependent natural pools nearby

Itaparica: think bigger than a beach stop

Itaparica is the largest island in the bay and is divided between the municipalities of Itaparica and Vera Cruz. It makes more sense to think of it as a collection of towns, beaches and routes than as one attraction. A quick organised stop can give you a taste; exploring it properly takes more time and a transport plan once you arrive.

Maria Guarda: a quieter route through Madre de Deus

Maria Guarda belongs to the municipality of Madre de Deus and is reached by local boat from its maritime terminal. It is a small fishing-community island rather than a polished resort stop, which is precisely the appeal for travellers looking for a calmer, more everyday view of the bay. The crossing is short, but schedules, return options and fares should be checked on the day.

Ilha de Maré and Bom Jesus dos Passos

These islands make more sense for travellers interested in the bay as a lived place, not only as a sightseeing circuit. Ilha de Maré has fishing communities, beaches and traditional crafts, while Bom Jesus dos Passos has a small-island village rhythm. Both require more attention to boat logistics and return times than the standard Frades excursion, and neither should be approached as if it were a resort built for visitors.

How to visit the islands

Organised bay tour — the lowest-friction option for a first trip. Routes often combine island stops, so confirm the exact beaches, time ashore and what is included before paying.
Private boat — more expensive, but useful if Loreto, Paramana or a specific part of Ilha dos Frades matters more than following a standard route.
Local or regular boats — useful for specific crossings from Madre de Deus, including Maria Guarda and access towards Paramana. Confirm the current departure point, return options and payment method locally.
Itaparica connections — passenger and vehicle services can fit different itineraries. Check the current terminal, timetable and onward transport before leaving Salvador.

Which island fits your day?

You want the simplest classic island day: Ilha dos Frades, usually Ponta de Nossa Senhora.
You want quiet beauty plus a small heritage stop: Loreto, with transport planned in advance.
You want a more local gateway and everyday island atmosphere: Paramana.
You want a larger island with several towns and beaches: Itaparica, ideally with more time.
You want a quiet, inexpensive-feeling island day and do not mind travelling overland to Madre de Deus first: Maria Guarda.
You want a less packaged experience and accept simpler logistics: Ilha de Maré or Bom Jesus dos Passos.

Travel responsibly

The bay is an environmental protection area and its islands are home to real communities. Take your rubbish back with you when facilities are limited, avoid damaging reefs, mangroves or vegetation, ask before photographing residents, and spend locally when you can. A fishing village is not an open-air hotel lobby just because a boat dropped you there.