Cycling in Brazil

The best Brazil cycling tours trade peloton speed for what sits beside the road: the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, cocoa plantations that have grown in this region since the 1700s, and the open savanna of the Cerrado. You ride to see a place and to connect with nature and culture.

The flagship ride is the Bahia Cocoa Route, a 7-day cycling tour between Ilhéus and Itacaré on the south coast of Bahia—two towns about 75 km apart by road. You pedal through working cacau (cocoa) farms, the country that made Ilhéus famous in Jorge Amado’s novels, and stretches of Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Forest). Groups stay small, from 8 riders, and a support vehicle follows the route. A shorter 5-day version and an 8-day Maraú Peninsula route round out the options.

Inland, cycling looks different. At Pousada Trijunção, in the Cerrado, the bikes are built for dirt, sand, and mud, which allows you to ride the roads of a 33,000-hectare private reserve that holds more than 270 bird species, alongside maned wolf sightings and night safaris.

So who is Brazil cycling for? Riders who want scenery and culture over distance, and travelers happy to mix saddle time with hiking, swimming, and wildlife. You don’t need to be a pro: a support vehicle and e-bike options on some routes keep the riding open to most fitness levels. As with all our trips, the package covers the experience (bikes, guides, support vehicle, the meals in the itinerary, and transfers from the base city) but not flights.