We left Salvador and sailed across the Baia de Todos os Santos to Ihla Itaparica, where we anchored outside of the Yacht Club. The anchorage was well protected and we could watch the festivites of Carnaval from our boat, having had enough of the revelry back in the city. There was a tremendous downpour in the morning but when it cleared up we went ashore and had a nice lunch at the YC. The owner spoke English which made it our easiest ordering experience to date, not to mention a fantastic meal.

After lunch we walked through the small town of Itaparica with quaint old buildings and a nice beach. There is a small fort on the northern tip built by the Dutch back in the 1700s. From the look of things, it is still functioning in some capacity. We then took a taxi out to Mar Grande which is larger city serviced by a ferry from Salvador. It is a bustling city with mobs of tourists, so we did not spend much time there, but rather walked up the beach for a few kilometers past some spectacular weekend homes owned by wealthy Baihians.

The water was clear and very warm, so I was able to go for a swim for the first time since leaving Mozambique, as we have been in marinas or at sea since that time. It was quite a pleasant stop and we left the next morning for Maceo, about 260 miles north.