Things to Do in Banana Beach

Turtle-watching at dawn

From October through February, Banana Beach becomes a maternity ward for green sea turtles. Arrive before 5 AM when the sand still holds yesterday's heat. The only sound is the waves' rhythmic collapse. Watching these ancient creatures haul their armored bodies above the tide line feels like witnessing evolution in slow motion. Each female might take two hours to dig her nest. Her flippers throw arcs of damp sand that catch the first pink light.

Snorkeling the eastern reef

The reef starts practically at your towel's edge on Banana Beach's eastern end. Duck under and you'll enter a different timezone. Parrotfish crunch coral with sounds like someone breaking pottery. Schools of tiny blue fish move as one organism above the brain coral. The water's clarity here is almost unfair. You can watch your shadow ripple across the sandy bottom 30 feet down.

Beach-to-forest hike to Pico Papagaio

The trailhead hides behind the last beach shack, marked by a piece of driftwood carved with a parrot. Within minutes, Banana Beach's salt air gives way to the forest's green perfume. You'll smell damp earth, fermenting fruit, and something sweet that might be wild vanilla. The climb to Pico Papagaio's viewpoint takes about 90 minutes. Terrain shifts from coastal scrub to proper rainforest. Your footsteps muffled by leaf litter sound oddly loud.

Fishing with local rod-and-line crews

The fishermen who work Banana Beach use hand-carved boats painted in colors that seem too cheerful for their purpose. They'll often take visitors along for the evening run. You'll help haul in lines baited with octopus pieces while discussing football and weather patterns in broken Portuguese. The boat's wooden hull amplifies every wave into a drumbeat beneath your feet.

Sunset horse riding

Three local guides keep horses at Banana Beach's western end. Mixed breeds look like they've been swimming in caramel. The ride follows the tide line where wet sand makes perfect hoofprints. Then it cuts inland through coconut groves where fruit bats start their evening commute overhead. Your mount's pace tends to match your confidence level. They seem to sense nervous riders and slow accordingly.

Beachfront bungalows at the eastern end. Basic but positioned so you can roll out of bed directly onto sand

Eco-lodge set back in the forest canopy. You'll trade beach access for waking to bird calls instead of wave noise

Guesthouse above the fishing cooperative. Rooms are simple but the restaurant downstairs serves whatever the boats brought in that morning

Converted plantation house 10 minutes inland. Infinity pool faces the ocean and the evening breeze carries frangipani scent

Budget rooms in Santo Antonio with beach shuttle. Cheaper than staying on the sand and the town has better evening options

Camping permitted at the far western end. Bring everything including water since facilities are non-existent