Pubblicato: 11.11.2026
🌅 Nordic start in Ilhéus
5:30 AM – and of course, I woke up before the alarm again. I guess I won’t be a late sleeper on this trip. 😂
The first view out of the window still left something to be desired: The weather showed its rather uncomfortable Nordic side at first. Did we accidentally shift into reverse to Hamburg overnight? 😅
Last night, it had swayed quite gently as well. But nothing would stop an early riser from heading to breakfast at 7 AM.
Ilhéus is the home of Brazilian cocoa. The city is located on the coast of the state of Bahia and is characterized by golden beaches, tropical rainforests, and a long cocoa history. Ilhéus is also known for the São Sebastião Cathedral, the Jorge Amado Cultural Center, and of course, the writer Jorge Amado, who passed away in 2001. Additionally, there are beaches like Batuba Beach and the region’s typical relaxed lifestyle.
However, today I was supposed to get to know another side of Ilhéus. 🌧️
🚌 When 38 people are supposed to come…
My external excursion was scheduled to start at 8:30 AM. Since free movement at the port is not allowed, I stood on Deck 5 promptly at 8 AM waiting for the bus to the port exit.
The port terminal itself looked more like an old, worn-out factory hall. Not exactly the best first impression. 😅
At the bus exit, we were at least greeted by Brazilian drums. A bit too loud for me personally, though. 😂
And then came the Brazilian weather greeting: Right on time for the actual excursion start, we were welcomed with liquid sunshine. 🌧️
The departure was supposed to be at 8:30 AM. By 9:10 AM, however, two out of the total of 38 guests were still missing.
And here comes the kicker: The two were waiting outside the agreed meeting point. 🤦♂️😂
Brazilian calmness aside – eventually, an excursion has to start.
🍫 Tracing the cocoa footsteps
Ilhéus was once one of the most important cocoa regions in Brazil. Cocoa was even the number one crop in the region at times.
Then came the so-called “witch's broom,” a fungus that infested cocoa plants and massively destroyed production. Today, the disease has at least been somewhat controlled.
And there’s something else that seems quite typical here:
Free-roaming horses. 😂🐎 Why not?
After departing from the terminal, our route initially followed the cocoa coast. On one side, the green of the Atlantic rainforest, and on the other, the blue of the Atlantic Ocean.
Theoretically, at least. 😉
🌴 Serra Grande – Postcard view with weather filter
Our first stop was the viewpoint at Serra Grande.
The stopping point itself is breathtaking and belongs to the classic postcard views of this region.
Normally, one can also see the skyline of Ilhéus from here.
Well. The weather god was not particularly favorable to us today. 🌧️😂
The view was still impressive – just in the version “rainforest with fog and limited visibility.”
Afterwards, we continued along the road to the Tijuipe Waterfall, our second stop.
Initially, about 1.5 to 2 hours were planned here. However, due to the rain, the stay was shortened to about 30 minutes – enough time to photograph the waterfall but definitely not enough to linger there longer.
🏖️ Pé da Serra – the unusual beach afternoon
After that, we headed to the third stop: the beach of Pé da Serra.
Here, originally, about 1.5 hours were planned. So actually the perfect opportunity for a relaxed afternoon at the beach:
some sunshine, a Caipi by the sea, or just diving into the waves of the Atlantic. 🌊🍹
Actually.
Because this plan also fell victim to the weather. 😂🌧️
At least there was a restaurant for a small snack. So we had a little nourishment.
As I still don’t quite trust fish and meat on land and with Rio de Janeiro’s big highlight of the trip coming up in two days, I played it safe:
Pepsi and fries. 😎🍟
However, our restaurant was a bit of a flop. Right where one could have actually engaged with local cocoa or something similar, there was no cocoa or anything comparable.
Our guide apologized several times – apparently, she hadn’t counted on this at all.
Too bad. Especially in the home of Brazilian cocoa, I expected a bit more. 🍫
🍫 Jorge Amado, chocolate, and back to the ship
Since Ilhéus is rather small and tranquil overall, we made a quick stop in the historic center at the birthplace of Jorge Amado on our return.
Next, we stopped at a cocoa and chocolate factory. Here, various liqueurs were sampled. A stop that, in my opinion, we could have skipped. BUT: I managed to get my magnet here 😎.
Then it was straight back to the port.
And then it was exciting again.
⏰ The tight schedule
At 4:15 PM, the last shuttle to the ship officially departed. I was already on the shuttle by 4 PM.
Tight schedule. 😅
Actually, that’s not my thing – I prefer to have a bit more cushion between me and the departure time.
But: It worked out well in the end. 😊
🥎 15:3 – the sporting low point of the day
Back on board, we went straight to Boccia at 5 PM.
And let’s just say: The performance today was… improvable. 😂
The winner scored 15 points.
I managed:
3 points. 😎
Sometimes you just have to let go. 😂
🍹 Indian evening and (actually) early evening
At 6 PM, we first went to the AIDA Bar for an Aperol Spritz.
Afterwards, I met with Sabrina and Verena for dinner at the East Restaurant at 6:30 PM.
Today, the theme was India. 🇮🇳
After that, we had a closing drink at the Time Out Bar.
I was actually already in the cabin by 8:30 PM. However, the Werewolf game at 9 PM was just too tempting. 😂
And indeed: I was the werewolf! 🐺
However, my team and I ended up eliminating the wrong person right at the beginning – a citizen with the side role of “tree.” He was sitting next to me and had decided to point in my direction for the 'case.' Accordingly, I was pretty quickly
