Praia do Forte is a small resort village on the Coconut Coast of Bahia, about 70 kilometres north of Salvador. For much of the year it is a quiet fishing settlement, but it has become one of Bahia's most visited beach destinations thanks to its long stretch of calm, clear water, its well-preserved old village centre, and the turtle conservation project that put it on the map.
The Projeto TAMAR station here is one of the most important sea turtle research and conservation centres in Brazil. The organisation protects the nesting beaches of five species of sea turtle along this stretch of coast, and the on-site tank and interpretive displays draw visitors who come as much out of genuine interest as curiosity. Admission fees support the conservation work directly.
Getting here from Salvador is straightforward: the Expresso Linha Verde bus leaves from the Calçada station roughly every hour and takes about ninety minutes. The town's main strip has restaurants of varying quality — the standout is Kasato, a Japanese restaurant that puts an inventive Brazilian spin on its cooking.