Iberostar Waves Bahia
Iberostar Waves Bahia is the all-inclusive almost no North American resort traveler considers, which is most of its appeal. It sits on the sand at Praia do Forte in Mata de Sao Joao, about 80 km north of Salvador on Bahia's Costa dos Coqueiros, and the signature feature is geological rather than architectural: reef formations offshore drain into natural tide pools at low tide, right in front of the hotel, full of small fish and sometimes turtles. Projeto Tamar's sea turtle station and the Instituto Baleia Jubarte are both headquartered in the village, so conservation is a short walk rather than a day trip. The resort is one of three hotels in the Iberostar Praia do Forte complex and is the family property of the group, with 632 rooms spread across three three-storey blocks and nine categories, every one of them air conditioned with a balcony.
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Praia do Forte's reef pools open up in front of the resort at low tide, so snorkeling with small fish and the occasional turtle takes no boat and no excursion fee
- +Projeto Tamar's sea turtle station and the Instituto Baleia Jubarte both have their bases in Praia do Forte village, a short hop from the hotel, and local operators run whale-watching trips with the institute's biologists aboard
- +632 rooms in three three-storey blocks across nine categories, all with air conditioning, ceiling fan, balcony, minibar, safe and wifi. The Double Spa category sits next to the spa and includes free wet-area access, one day for stays up to three nights and two days from four nights, plus 20 percent off your first treatment
- +Five restaurants rather than one buffet and a steakhouse: Meu Rei is the main buffet, Coqueiro does buffet lunch and a la carte dinner, Sakura is Asian with show cooking, Mare Nostrum does seafood and Mediterranean, and El Colonial is the dressier French room
- +Five bars, including La Perla in the main pool so you never have to get out of the water, the Abaete lobby bar running from 9am to 1am with a view down to the beach, and the Ballada disco from 11pm to 3am
- +The kids programme is split three ways by age: Baby Club from 0, Kids Club for 4 to 12 year olds with its own pool and small water park, and a Teens Club for 13 to 17. Two baby copas are open 24 hours with baby food, filtered water, a microwave and a fridge, which is a genuine rarity
- +A lot of included sport for a mid-tier resort: a tennis court, football field, multi-sport court, volleyball, water polo and aerobics, plus the Fit&Fun class programme with yoga, bootcamp, spinning and pilates run by instructors daily
- +The entertainment leans Brazilian rather than Las Vegas. Regional and national cooking sits alongside the international menus, the Star Friends team runs the daytime programme, and the theatre's live music and variety shows need no reservation
Cons
- −Getting here is the real cost. Most North American routings go through Sao Paulo or Miami into Salvador, then about 60 km north on the Estrada do Coco to Praia do Forte, so budget 12 to 15 hours door to door from the US northeast or Toronto
- −Iberostar takes its two Praia do Forte hotels offline in alternating low-season windows. Waves Bahia was closed 4 to 27 May 2026 and the neighbouring Iberostar Selection Praia do Forte 3 to 26 June 2026, with each hotel's page pointing guests at the other. If you are booking May or June, confirm which one is actually open before you buy flights
- −The rainfall runs opposite to the Caribbean. Salvador, the nearest long-record station 80 km south, averages about 285 mm in April, 302 mm in May, 238 mm in June and 194 mm in July, against roughly 63 mm in December and 77 mm in January. April through July is the wet stretch here, not the dry one
- −Waves is Iberostar's mid-tier line, below Selection and Grand, and the Selection property is literally next door in the same Praia do Forte complex. Rooms are comfortable and well equipped rather than luxurious, and the service is good rather than attentive
- −Several of the best things on site are not in the rate: the 18-hole golf course, Spa Sensations treatments, babysitting, stroller rental and the Star Prestige lounge upgrade all cost extra or need a reservation and a fee
- −The a la carte restaurants and the La Palma burger house both need advance reservations and your allowance scales with the number of nights booked, so a three or four night stay will not get you into all four a la cartes
- −Portuguese is the working language of the resort and the village. Staff handle English, but it is less universal than at Cancun or Punta Cana properties built around English-speaking guests, and signage and entertainment lean Brazilian
The day-to-day is solid rather than lavish, which is what the Waves line is. Five restaurants cover it: Meu Rei is the main buffet for all three meals, Coqueiro runs buffet lunch and a la carte dinner, and the three dressier a la cartes are Sakura for Asian with show cooking, Mare Nostrum for seafood and Mediterranean, and El Colonial for French. Those need reservations and the allowance depends on how many nights you booked. Five bars include La Perla in the main pool, the Abaete lobby bar until 1am and the Ballada disco from 11pm to 3am for over-18s. Pools are interconnected and lifeguarded, one with an infinity edge, with a separate kids pool and small water park. Spa Sensations has 14 treatment rooms, baths, steam and dry sauna and aromatherapy, and the 18-hole championship course belongs to the shared complex; both carry a fee. Families get the most structure of anyone here, with Baby, Kids and Teens clubs split by age, a playground, a mini disco, two 24-hour baby copas for preparing bottles and meals, cribs on request and babysitting for a charge.
This is the resort for travelers who have done Mexico and the Caribbean enough times to want a different continent, and for anyone using an all-inclusive as a comfortable base for Bahia. Praia do Forte itself is a calm, well-developed beach village of craft shops, restaurants and bars rather than a city, and the usual sensible precautions are all it asks of you; the Lagoa de Arua freshwater lagoon nearby rents kayaks, paddleboards and pedal boats. The two caveats are logistical rather than qualitative. Flights are long and usually connect through Sao Paulo or Miami, and the wet season here runs April to July with December and January the driest months, the reverse of what Caribbean regulars expect. Price-wise it does not undercut the Caribbean, because Brazil's all-inclusive market is smaller and less competitive, so the reason to come is the place, not the deal. If the finishes matter more than the price, the Iberostar Selection property in the same complex is the step up.
Common Questions
How do you get to Iberostar Waves Bahia, and how long does it take?
What makes the beach at Praia do Forte special?
When should I go, and could the hotel be closed?
What is included, and what costs extra?
Is it a good fit for families with babies, or with teenagers?
How is Iberostar Waves different from Iberostar Selection or Grand?
Restaurants (6)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | Meu Rei Buffet |
| Italian | Coqueiro |
| Teppanyaki / hibachi | Sakura Teppanyaki |
| French | El Colonial French Restaurant |
| Mediterranean & Spanish | Mare Nostrum Mediterranean Restaurant |
| Brazilian churrascaria | Bahian Restaurant |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.
What's nearby
Imbassaí14 min drive · 5.9 mi
Praia do Forte village20 min drive · 6.6 mi
Projeto TAMAR Praia do Forte20 min drive · 6.9 mi
Castelo Garcia d'Ávila20 min drive · 6.3 mi
Praia de Guarajuba30 min drive · 14 mi
More things to do (11)
- Mirante de Imbassaí · viewpoint10 min drive · 3.5 mi
- Reserva Sapiranga · nature14 min drive · 5.1 mi
- Instituto Baleia Jubarte visitor centre · museum20 min drive · 6.5 mi
- Papa-Gente natural pool snorkel (Praia do Forte) · excursion20 min drive · 6.6 mi
- Whale watching from Praia do Forte (July to October) · excursion20 min drive · 6.6 mi
- Itacimirim · beach25 min drive · 8.5 mi
- Praia de Santo Antônio (Vila do Diogo) · beach30 min drive · 12 mi
- Praia do Jacuípe · beach40 min drive · 19 mi
- Projeto TAMAR Arembepe · wildlife50 min drive · 25 mi
- Arembepe Hippie Village · town50 min drive · 25 mi
- Praia de Jauá · beach55 min drive · 30 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Room upgrades
Google Reviews★ 4.8 · 24,839 reviews
“Great views, attention and facilities, it's so easy to relax and enjoy when you're there!”
“This is our third time visiting in 10 years and we love this place. We booked surf lessons for my 5 year old and the teachers were amazing. They catered the lessons to his age, spoke to him in English, won him over in less than 2 minutes, and he had...”
“The place is great, very accommodating and the service is incredible. The staff is always ready to help. And after check out at 12 they let you stay for as long as you want in the pool and buffet. I would totally come back, it was a great experience....”
