Create Your Itinerary

There are so many things to do here in Salvador and Bahia.  No matter what your travel desires are the possibilities are endless.

First we'll start with some of the many things to do in Salvador followed by things to do in the state of Bahia.

Panoramic City Tour

Incredible to witness for first time visitors! The panoramic beauty of the city visited during this tour is unforgettable! On the way, you will be able to know and to appreciate the beauties of our “other city”, called Cidade Baixa (low city), where the Itapagipe Peninsula stretches out into the sea, providing panoramic views.

Visit the Historic Pelourinho

Tour the Historic Center of the City (Pelourinho)

(Check out areas including but not limited to: Elevador Lacerda, Mercardo Modelo, Pelourinho, Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Rosario dos Pretos (Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks)and witness some capoeira)

Itaparica

Take a Boat Ride to the Nearby Island of Itaparica.  Itaparica Island is Brazil´s largest island in the sea (there are bigger islands surrounded by fresh water in the Amazon estuary).  Enjoy a holiday in the sun on beaches that seem not to have an end. This is a place that Brazilians themselves choose for their holidays. The sea breeze comforts, and it is never cold. Itaparica Island offers a peace and calm in a lush green landscape.

  
 Witness Lively and Vibrant Culture

Witness a Candomble sea ritual in Rio Vermelho at the mystic Yemanjá House and check out the live music after that across the street.  Then head down to the Jazz festival at the Museum of Modern Art.  Everyone loves this concert.  The scene is awesome.  It is also called Solar do Unhão, place of the most beautiful sunset of Salvador. It is an old style house located at the Baía de Todos os Santos.  Inside there is a small museum (Museu de Arte Moderna) with local art pieces.

Orisha Statues at Dique do Tororo Park

Check out the park Dique do Tororo with the Orisha statues.  Optional boat tour (very nice).  Here you'll have the opportunity to examine the Orixás sculptures created by the Bahian artist Tati Moreno up close and personal.

Enchanted Lagoon at Abaeté Park

                

Abaeté Park, a protected state park around the lagoon with same name. The lagoon is famous because of its dark water in contrast with the very white sand dunes. There is a entertainment area with a lot of bars with live music.

Boat Ride to Visit the Islands of All Saints Bay

Take a day trip schooner boat trip to the different islands in All Saint’s Bay.  Covering no less than 1,052 km2 the bay holds 56 islands.  All Saints Bay in the state of Bahia, amazes visitors because of the large number of tropical islands with enchanting beaches and lush vegetation.

Morro de Sao Paulo

Morro de Sao Paulo – Must see island, plenty of restaurants, hostels and bars. It has four beaches with translucent water.  Including the beautiful and exotic Boipeba, which does not allow any vehicles on the island.  The boat stops off of the shore and visitors wade up to the island.  Unspoiled beauty!  You may want to make this a day trip or arrange to stay for a weekend here.

Olodum Performance in the Historic Pelourinho

Check out Olodum's live show at night, 'center stage' in Pelourinho! These special Olodum performances in ‘Pelo’ are definitely a must-see event for all music lovers to witness while visiting Salvador Bahia!  This is the same Afro Brazilian drum band that performed with Michael Jackson in the video They Don’t Care About Us.  The group was first launched during carnival as part of the Bloco-Afro movement.

Duration: Approx. 4hrs

Folklore Ballet of Bahia Show and Dinner

                  

If interested, witness a marvelous show put on by the Folkloric Ballet of Bahia, at the Miguel Santana Theater, and a traditional delicious buffet dinner with typical regional dishes.  This incredible dance show incorporates capoeira as well as a show telling the story of the Orishas.

To complete this unforgettable night, we stroll through the Pelorinho. Thousands of street bars make the setting unbelievable.

Duration: Approx. 5hrs - 6pm.

Praia do Forte

·         Head up the coast to the town north of Salvador called Praia do Forte (Beach Fort) for an incredible weekend getaway.  What makes Praia do Forte so special is that it is so unspoiled by urban growth.  It has purposely remained small and also maintained the local flora and fauna including a marshland, a large section of the Atlantic rain forest and numerous wildlife.

       Visitors to Praia do Forte arrive by the beautiful and well kept Coconut Highway. There are over 7 miles (12km) of beaches, with several swimming pools formed by natural reefs along the coast. Coconut trees dominate the region enhancing the beauty of the area.

      There is a sea turtle sanctuary that is open to the public. Every year four species of turtles come to this very beach to lay their eggs from May to June.  Whale watching is also very popular as humpback whales also come here to mate from July to November.

Projeto Baleia Jubarte (Humpback Whale Project) Praia do Forte houses the national headquarters of the project. They conduct many studies and surveys of humpback whales, known for their gentle nature and stunts. Praia do forte is the venue for them to mate, due to its warm and calm waters.

The whales season in Praia do Forte begins in July and runs through November. There are daily boat trips to observe the whales.

There are so many activities to do here I will just list a few:

* Sapiranga Ecological Reserve. Atlantic rainforest area just a couple of km from Praia do Forte. It covers 600 hectares of secondary Atlantic forest, located in the area of environmental protection of the northern coast. Besides the beauty of its flora and fauna, the reserve features the Pojuca river's delightful waterfall bath.

   

* Horse riding. Available on the beach and for trips to Sapiranga reserve.

* Bicycle hire. Several good trails are available.

* Surfing and paragliding.

*HIDDEN GEM* Castelo Garcia D'avila, Praia do Forte A wonderful 500 year old ruined castle, one of the first Portuguese colonial settlements in Brazil. It has been very well excavated and has a little museum. It also has fantastic views of the coast and offers great photographic opportunities.

Itacaré

Itacaré is a small town in the cocoa zone of the state of Bahia, south of Salvador, with beautiful beaches, good vibes and generous nature.  The ambiance in Itacaré is unique. Surf culture is present everywhere. (Itacaré is the #1 surf spot in Brazil) The Bahians are friendly and like to party. At night there’s an air of magic in the little bars in town.

With many people from all over the world who came to live in Itacaré, the atmosphere is cosmopolitan, relaxed, typically Bahian, and definitely different from any other place in Brazil.


EXCURSIONS / ACTIVITIES
 Here you will find an outstanding ecological reserve of 200 Hectares with preserved Atlantic Rain Forest, waterfalls, trials for Horseback Riding, Birding, Walking Path and two of the most beautiful privates beaches. These beaches are in the TOP 10 List from the Nicest Beaches of Brazil! 

Relax the whole day on the beach or discover the incredible things that Nature offers in Itacaré. You will be surprised how many different activity you have to choose from. If you choose, they can bring you by canoe to a waterfall, take a swim in the natural pool underneath the waterfall and toast with a glass of champagne to the Sunset of Itacaré.

For more info abou ITACARÉclick here

Chapada Diamantina

·         If interested you will catch a weekend flight into the interior of the state to visit a region called Chapada Diamantina (Diamond Plateau).  As the name suggest this region was named after the diamonds found there by early settlers.

The National Park of the Chapada Diamantina is one of the most fascinating natural parks of Brazil. The main attractions of Chapada Diamantina are of stunning beauty, consisting of ancient, majestic, awe-inspiring mountains and landscape. People walk the highlands, explore caves, mountain bike old miners’ tracks, and swim in natural pools and waterfalls.

Some attractions: Trek to Sossego Waterfall – tracing the Ribeirão River to one of the most impressive waterfalls in the region with great swimming opportunities along the way, including the exhilarating Riberão de Meio, a natural waterslide. Poço Encantado – is an underground lake, which is clear blue and stunningly beautiful, considered by locals the 8^th wonder of the world. Igatú – a ghost town, miners abandoned this once prosperous town when the diamond veins dried up. Trek to Vale do Capão – perhaps the most beautiful valley in the whole Chapada Diamantina National Park. Trek to Smoke Waterfall – is the tallest free-fall waterfall in Brazil, with a sheer drop of 422 meters. The path to the falls offers tremendous views of the mountains and valleys and, depending on the time of the year, many spices of bromeliads, orchids and other flowering plants are to be seen along the way.

For More Info on Chapada Click Here











Cachoeira

·        Take a trip to the town of Cachoeira (2 hrs from Salvador).  This beautiful, historic town is also the center of one of a centuries old Afro Brasilian religion called Candomble.  We will also visit the neighboring twin city named Sao Felix that rests on the other side of the Paraguacu River.
 For more info about Cahoeira click here

      If you come in August you can witness a fascinating festival called Festa da Boa Morte. Festa de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte falls on the Friday closest to 15 August and lasts three days.

       This is one of the most fascinating Candomblé festivals and it's worth a special trip to see it. Organized by the Irmandade da Boa Morte (Sisterhood of the Good Death)—a secret, black, religious society—the festival is celebrated by the descendants of slaves, who praise their liberation with dance and prayer and a mix of themes from Candomblé and Catholicism.
For more on this festival check out the next post here.

Sisterhood of the Boa Morte (Good Death) is the oldest organization for women of African descent in the New World.

 Here in Sao Felix is the headquarters of arguably some of the best cigars in the world.  If interested we will visit the Dannemann factory where we can witness cigars being hand stuffed and rolled in the traditional manner.