Praia da Ponta de Nossa Senhora, Beach on Isle of the Friars in Salvador, Brazil

Praia da Ponta de Nossa Senhora is a beach on the Isle of the Friars, stretching between two hills and lined with native forest along the water's edge. The shoreline offers a wide sandy area with thick woodland rising behind it and opens toward the open ocean.

In 2015 the beach was put forward for the international Blue Flag certificate, created in France in 1980, and an international jury approved it that October, making Salvador the third Brazilian city and the first in the North and Northeast to hold one. The certificate was withdrawn for reasons the organisation did not explain and the beach returned to pilot status until it was certified again in October 2016 for the 2016/2017 season. In 2024 the Centro Internacional de Formación en Gestión y Certificación de Playas ranked it fifth best beach in the world among 126 sites evaluated in thirteen countries.

Local restaurants prepare seafood using traditional Bahian recipes passed down through generations. You can experience how people from Salvador gather here to share meals and enjoy coastal life in their own way.

Access to the island is by pier, which operates daily with a small entrance charge. Bring water and sun protection, as the beach has limited shade and can be quite windy.

In 2024 the International Center for Beach Management and Certification ranked this beach fifth best in the world, judging 126 beaches across 13 countries including Brazil, Spain, Canada and New Zealand. In 2015 it was approved for the Blue Flag label, lost it for unexplained reasons, and regained it in October 2016 for the 2016/2017 season.