Must-see attractions in Bahia

  • Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina

    Lençóis

    Spanning over 1520 sq km and containing within it innumerable species of plants and animals, deafening waterfalls and vast, rugged plains, Parque Nacional…

  • Historical part of the city Pelourinho, Salvador the capitol of State of Bahia.

    Pelourinho

    Salvador

    The centerpiece of the Cidade Alta is the Pelourinho, a Unesco-declared World Heritage site of colorful colonial buildings and magnificent churches. As…

  • Igreja NS do Bonfim

    Salvador

    This famous 18th-century church, located a few kilometers north of Comércio on the Itapagipe Peninsula, is the source of the fitas (colored ribbons) you…

  • Museu Náutico da Bahia

    Salvador

    This excellent nautical museum in Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra contains relics and displays from the days of Portuguese seafaring, plus exhibits on the…

  • Casa de Jorge Amado

    Bahia

    The Casa de Jorge Amado, where the eponymous writer lived with his parents while working on his first novel, has been restored and turned into a lovely…

  • Doidão

    Bahia

    Cachoeira has maintained a tradition of wood carving with a heavy African flavor. Stop in on the atelier (studio) of one of the best sculptors in town,…

  • Praia da Cueira

    Bahia

    Located about 1.5km outside of the village, Praia da Cueira has a nice stretch of palm-tree-lined beach facing the Atlantic that you'll likely find less…

  • Museu Afro-Brasileiro

    Salvador

    Holding one of Bahia’s most important collections, the Museu Afro-Brasileiro exhibits wood carvings, baskets, pottery and other artwork and crafts linking…

  • Vila Rosa

    Bahia

    Take a break from the beach and head into the forest to Vila Rosa, a beautifully restored cocoa farm. Guided tours take visitors around the plantation to…

  • Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra

    Salvador

    Built in 1698, Bahia’s oldest fort is more commonly called the Farol da Barra for the lighthouse (South America’s oldest) within its walls. In addition to…

  • Elevador Lacerda

    Salvador

    The beautifully restored, art deco Elevador Lacerda connects the Cidade Alta with Comércio via four elevators traveling 72m in 30 seconds. The Jesuits…

  • Solar do Unhão

    Salvador

    This well-preserved, 18th-century complex served as a transfer point for sugar shipments: legend says it's haunted by the ghosts of murdered slaves. Today…

  • Tamar Project Station

    Bahia

    The extremely worthwhile Tamar Project station, designed to protect endangered sea turtles, is located on the beach next to the church and lighthouse.

  • Mercado Modelo

    Salvador

    The original 1861 Customs House, where slaves were housed when they arrived in Salvador, was partly destroyed in a fire in 1986. After reconstruction, it…

  • Museu de Arte Moderna

    Salvador

    Museu de Arte Moderna has a changing display of avant-garde exhibits (and erratic opening times). The hillside sculpture garden is a pleasant place to…

  • Praça da Sé

    Salvador

    The history of Praça da Sé reveals intriguing details about Salvador's development. From 1552 to 1933, the square was the site of the grand Sé Primacial…

  • Largo do Pelourinho

    Salvador

    Picture-perfect Largo do Pelourinho is a sloping, triangle-shaped square, once the site of the pelourinho (whipping post) – one of several nearby…

  • Museu Hansen Bahia

    Bahia

    Karl Heinz Hansen (1915–76) was a German artist who emigrated to Brazil in 1949. He felt such an affinity with his new home that he had his surname…

  • Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado

    Salvador

    Literary types shouldn't miss a quick visit to the Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado, offering an overview of the life of one of Brazil’s best-known writers. A…

  • Parque Nacional Marinho de Abrolhos

    Bahia

    Charter a trip to this 913 sq km park, located about 65km from mainland Brazil, to experience the natural splendors of the Atlantic ocean. Flocks of busy…

  • Centro Dannemann

    Bahia

    In its boom times the area was known for tobacco production, the history of which is memorialized at this interpretive center where you can even buy a few…

  • Casa do Carnaval da Bahia

    Salvador

    The story of Salvador's world-famous Carnaval is told through wonderfully evocative archival video and photographs at this museum which opened in 2018…

  • Castelo do Garcia d’Ávila

    Bahia

    Dating from 1552, the Castelo was the first great Portuguese edifice in Brazil. Desperate to colonize, the king of Portugal granted lands to merchants,…

  • Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia

    Salvador

    Below the Museu Afro-Brasileiro (one admission ticket gets you into both), the Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia exhibits indigenous Brazilian pottery,…

  • Terreiro de Jesus

    Salvador

    A colorful intersection of vendors, tourists, capoeiristas and colorful locals, the Terreiro de Jesus is a historic site of religious celebrations, and is…

  • Escadas do Carmo

    Salvador

    Leading away from the Pelourinho, the steep Ladeira do Carmo provides access to the Escadas do Carmo, a wide set of steps that were the setting of O…

  • Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo

    Salvador

    The original church, founded in 1636, burnt to the ground; the present neoclassical structure dates from 1828. The nave has a French organ and a baroque…

  • Museu Carlos Costa Pinto

    Salvador

    This lovely two-story mansion houses some of Salvador’s finest decorative art, from the collection of the patrician couple Carlos de Aguiar Costa Pinto…

  • Igreja e Convento São Francisco

    Salvador

    One of Brazil’s most magnificent churches, the baroque Igreja e Convento São Francisco is filled with displays of wealth and splendor. An 80kg silver…

  • Memorial da Epopéia do Descobrimento

    Porto Seguro

    Down by the beach, just north of town, the Memorial da Epopéia do Descobrimento is a worthwhile stop. The park features a replica of the Portuguese ship…

  • Parque Klaus Peters

    Bahia

    Just outside of town you'll find the dramatic entrance for this charming coastal park – a long wooden bridge over a buzzing lagoon. Inside the park is a 3…

  • Museu de Porto Seguro

    Porto Seguro

    Housed in the former Câmara Municipal (Town Council), the Museu de Porto Seguro contains exhibits on Brazil’s early settlement, with rooms dedicated to…

  • Igreja Matriz NS do Rosário

    Bahia

    This church dates to between 1693 and 1754. It has beautiful azulejos (handmade tiles imported from Portugal) and a ceiling painted by Teófilo de Jesus…

  • Catedral de São Sebastião

    Bahia

    The Catedral de São Sebastião is the city’s towering icon – construction began in 1931 – and is a unique, eclectic mix of architectural styles. For an…

  • Mercado Cultural

    Lençóis

    For handicrafts made of local wood and stone, clay soaps, and semiprecious jewelry, stop by the beautiful old Mercado Cultural. Perched above the river on…

  • Igreja de São Jorge

    Bahia

    The Igreja de São Jorge is the city’s oldest church, dating from 1556, and one of the oldest in Brazil in general. After years of neglect it is now under…

  • Cidade Histórica

    Porto Seguro

    Motivation is required to climb the stairs to Porto Seguro's old town. Rewards include colorful historic buildings and sweeping views over the coastline…

  • Museu de Arte da Bahia

    Salvador

    Museu de Arte da Bahia showcases works from Bahian artists, with paintings by José Teófilo de Jesus (1758–1817) and drawings by Argentine artist Carybé…

  • Escola Olodum

    Salvador

    Stop into the headquarters of Olodum for information on percussion workshops and tours (only for small groups, not individual travelers), which include a…

  • Igreja NS do Rosário dos Pretos

    Salvador

    The king of Portugal gave the Irmanidade dos Homens Pretos (Brotherhood of Black Men) the land for the periwinkle-blue Igreja NS do Rosário dos Pretos in…

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