This Idyllic Surf Town Is One of the Most Underrated Beach Escapes in Brazil

"I surfed for the first time 15 years ago, aware of the fanaticism it stirs in many but unprepared for how my own life, already nearing its statistical midpoint and oriented around more urban pursuits, would be altered by chasing a few seconds of hard-earned ecstasy on a wave. Surfing soon dominated my Internet searches, hijacked my REM cycles, inspired a move to California, and spurred a new approach to travel."

"My stay in the Brazilian town began in a giddy daze. At first, I chalked this up to the delirium of the journey: a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Rio de Janeiro, another two-hour hop to the harbor city of Ilhéus, and then an hour's drive to Itacaré, which sits on the coast in the state of Bahia. My new surroundings, no doubt, amplified the psychosomatic jolt."

Surfing initiated a profound personal transformation that redirected daily life, priorities, and travel patterns. The pursuit of short, intense moments on waves became an overriding compulsion, reshaping sleep, research, and relocation choices. Encounters with other surfers fueled a desire for remote, vibe-rich destinations and spontaneous trips. Arrival in Itacaré produced an immediate sensory overwhelm: a long journey ending at jungle-backed beaches, riotous Atlantic Forest greens, golden-white sand, and dramatic equatorial sunsets. Minimal development and wild coastal scenery amplified feelings of euphoria and dislocation, deepening the emerging surf-driven way of life.

Read at Travel + Leisure