Cruz the Coast – Búzios to Salvador: Lifelong Friends at the Cost of Your ‘Traveller’ Freedom?

Itacaré sunset

We eventually left Rio and jumped on board a tour that took us north from Rio, making its way along the coast through numerous small towns and finally arriving in Salvador.

There are numerous pros and cons of taking a tour, and I suppose it really depends on what kind of traveller you are. I believe there are two types of travellers: Those who like decisions made for them, and those who like to make the decisions.

It may come as a surprise to many of you that I fit into the latter category.

One of the main advantages of tours is the friends you make along the way. We have done a fair few tours during our time away from Aus, and most of the best friends we have made travelling have come from tours. I guess it’s because you end up spending a lot more time with the same people and get to know them a whole lot better. And with Cruz the Coast this was no different. Our group was small (and the majority of us already knew each other) but often this makes it better. Our tour guide, Enzo was more a mate than guide, and it was like we had known Jen for years by the end of it. Hell she even got to meet the sleeping drunk!

Yes, that is a couple of whales - the best I could get under the rushed circumstances

The other main advantages of tours is that you often get to go to places that you had never heard of, let alone think of checking them out. Again, Cruz the Coast didn’t fail to deliver. From surprise whale watching off the coast of Arraial do Cabo, to caipirinha and forro lessons in Itaunas, to kayaking down Rio Itaunas, to a night of $4 caipivodka smoothies (where you could add more vodka as many times as you wanted) in Arraial d’Ajuda, we were treated to it all by the coastal states.

Kayaking along the Rio Itaunas

Enjoying a few too many caipivodkas

Itacaré was by far the highlight of the tour, a place where a lot of travellers plan to stay a few nights and leave a week later. It did help that we had perfect weather in Itacaré, but to be honest, it’s a place I could wait out a cyclone in. The beaches are idyllic, the food is cheap, the beer is cheaper, the nightlife is hectic and the days are beyond chilled. 

Attempting to cure the hangover along the way to Prainha Beach

A short hike takes you past small waterfalls and rock pools you can relax in to rid the hangover from the previous night, and brings you to a secluded beach which you can have almost completely to yourself.

Prainha beach all to ourselves

And I suppose this is where the disadvantages of tour comes in. When you fall in love with a place, you can’t change your plans and stay longer. Yes you can always come back to a place you love but 3 months in Brazil is too short a time to be back tracking. You also have a day to day itinerary to stick to, but it’s a little too regimented for our liking. You lose that freedom you gain when travelling on your own.

It goes without saying that we loved our time with the Cruz the Coast crew, they are one of the best tour companies we have been involved with, but at the end of the day I believe we, as travellers, are happier making our own way.

Tiririca Beach, Itacaré