L'état du Bahia, Brésil - Show Me The Road

Bahia is a very diverse region. You can immerse yourself in the Afro culture of Salvador and its colorful streets, enjoy the coast and its beautiful beaches or even go hiking in the Chapada Diamantina and marvel at the beauty of nature. We reveal to you in this guide what we preferred in the state of Bahia.

Salvador :

The city of Salvador is the cradle of the Afro culture in Brazil. Its historic center, listed as a UNESCO heritage site, is of course very beautiful and charming. Perfect place to walk and why not come across some "blocos" who train in the streets. We enjoy the many stands in the city that offer Acarajé and Abaras, specialties of the region, which are simply delicious. It is also a city which has beautiful museums as well as a beaches where everyone meets on Sundays.

What are the best things to do in Salvador ?

Historical center : Salvador has a very beautiful historic center listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a perfect place to stroll through the cobbled streets with colorful houses, admire the churches, drink caipirinhas in one of the charming squares. It is also very likely that you will come across some Blocos, group of musicians who parade during Carnival,

Casa do Carnaval : it is a museum on the history of Carnival, you can also learn to dance and play some traditional percussion instruments on the upper floor, : Adult : 20 reals – Student : 10 reals, : 10:00-18:00 – Closed on Monday,

Lacerda elevator : very beautiful view over the below city, it is possible to take the elevator, it is a means of transport which has been put in full in order to facilitate the passage between the lower part and the upper part of the city of Salvador, : 0,15 Reals,

Mercado Modelo : craft arts' market of the Bahia region, there are also a few restaurants to eat, : Free, : 09:00-18:00,

Cidade da Musica de Bahia : it is a museum on the music's history of the area, music is very important in the culture of the state of Bahia, : Adult : 20 reals – Student : 10 reals, : 10:00-18:00 – Closed on Monday,

Punta do Humaita : fortress with a view of the ocean, from this place you can walk along the sea to the beach of Ribeira, very lively and nice on Sundays, a nice walk to do,

What are our good adresses in Salvador ?

Hart Hotel: AirBnB, comfy flat, clean and well equipped, at 5min by walk from the historical center, : 95 reals/flat,

Sorveiteria da Ribeira : oldest ice cream shop in the city, delicious ice cream with a multitude of flavors available, perfect after a walk on the beach,

Cantina da Lua : bar, restaurant on "Praça Quinze de Novembro", good atmosphere,

R’Canto do Pascoal : bar, popular, good vibe, ideal to drink a glass at the end of the day,

Our tips for Salvador

The city is very beautiful but we must not forget to remain vigilant. Personally we have not encountered any problems but we have heard a lot of stories of theft and aggression. We therefore recommend the basics: do not have your papers or valuables with you, at night you do not walk around and even during the day you prefer lively places.

(by Show Me The Road)

Chapada Diamantina :

If you love nature and hiking then the Chapada Diamantina is for you. This geological formation offers a multitude of beautiful hikes with many waterfalls, valleys and highlands that offer breathtaking views. It is a haven of peace where to relax in the middle of this magnificent nature.

What are the best things to do in the Chapada Diamantina ?

Lençois : very beautiful village with colorful houses, there are very beautiful hikes to do around such as the "Cochoeira do Sossego" or "Cachoiera da Primavera", it is also the perfect place to taste some specialties of the region with the many restaurants in the town,

Morro do Pai Inacio : very well known summit in the region, it offers an incredible view of the Chapada Diamantina reserve, many tours offer it for sunset, the bus can stop you at the bottom and the hike lasts about 45min, : 12 reals, : 09:00-17:00,

Cachoeira da Fumaça : 1 hour hike to an incredible view of the valley and the Fumaça waterfall. The hike is simple and does not require a guide, you register at the entrance where you are given some information, there is drinking water available at the entrance as well as toilets, you can also go for a walk in the village of Capão before taking a bus to Palmeiras or Lençois, : Free,

Valley do Pati : trek of several days in the valley do Pati, immersion of a few days in this magnificent valley, in the middle of nature with its high plateaus, waterfalls, breathtaking viewpoints, possibility of staying in the various refuges of the valley (to be reserved in high season) where you will enjoy the specialties of the region, : 150€/person 3 days hike with a guide, refuges to sleep and every included meal, : 3 days,

What are our good adresses in the Chapada Diamantina ?

Quilombola : nice restaurant with really good special dishes of the area, : 16:00-23:00

Valley do Pati : for our three days of hiking in the Vale do Pati we went through Nemo, who organizes and guides trekkings in the Valley do Pati. He is based in Palmeiras and works with different guides in the region. Everything is perfectly organized: transport, refuges for the two nights, absolutely wonderful guides and with the help of many young people from the village Nemo prepares you delicious picnics and snacks for your three days, we warmly recommend it to you : 150€ /person, : 3 days/ 2 nights

Our tips for the Chapada Diamantina

There are several hikes that are very good and easy to do without a guide: Primavera, Sossego, Fumaça and surely others.

If you go without a guide, we of course advise you to have a good hiking app with a GPS system, plenty of water and something to protect you from the rain and the sun.

If you are an expert in hiking, the Valley do Pati can be done without a guide and in total autonomy. If this is not the case, we highly recommend that you go through with Nemo you will not be disappointed about this sport, culinary and human adventure.

(by Show Me The Road)

Boipeba :

On the magnificent little island of Boipeba, you can enjoy the relaxed vibe of the village of Velha Boipeba, punctuated by the comings and goings of the mules. Yes, no cars on the island, so it's the mules that pull the carts of goods to deliver them everywhere in the village. There are very beautiful beaches like Cueira beach or Moréré beach. The village also offers all the necessary amenities: guesthouses, bars, restaurants, supermarkets. In addition to relaxing, you can treat your taste buds with regional specialties such as mocquecas or cacao pulp juice. As you will have understood, the island of Boipeba is a small haven of peace, the perfect place to relax.

What are the best things to do in Boipeba ?

Cueira beach : very beautiful beach, 20-30min walk from the village, we then advise you to return via Tassimirim beach,

Moréré beach : beautiful beach of the Barra's village, it is reached via a walk of at least 1 hour or you can take the tractor which acts as a bus on the island. There is also a very nice walk along the beaches between Moréré and Cueira, but this is only possible at low tide,

Cova da Onca : furthest beach from the village of Velha Boipeba, to get there it is with the tractor towards the village of São Sebastião,

Mirante do QuebraCu : small view point near the village of Velha Boipeba, offers a nice view on the surroundings, ideal at sunset,

What are our good adresses in Boipeba ?

Family GuestHouse: very pleasant guesthouse, with dorms and private rooms. Clean and comfy double room with balcony and shared kitchen, : 15€ /double room,

Restaurante Panela De Barro : excellent mocqueca, affordable prices and friendly service,

Our tips for Boipeba

Be careful to check the tide times for walks along the beaches.

To reach the island of Boipeba you can take the boat from Valença or from Graciosa (cheaper)

(by Show Me The Road)

Itacaré :

Itacaré is a very famous surf spot in Brazil. The city is touristy but very nice with many bars and restaurants. You can surf or relax on the different beaches: Concha in front of the village or the 3 small beaches of Resende, Tirica and Ribeira. And of course on the very beautiful beach of Prainha which we reach after a short 30min hike in the forest. If you feel like surfing, relaxing and partying, Itacaré is waiting for you!

What are the best things to do in Itacaré ?

Praia da Concha : popular beach in the village of Itacaré, there are many restaurants and beach bars, good atmosphere,

Praia do Resende : small beach, not much room at high tide, surf rental on site,

Praia da Tirica : as its neighbor, small beach, not much room at high tide, surf rental on site,

Praia da Ribeira : slightly larger beach, surf rental on site as well,

Prainha : very beautiful beach, wilder, very good spot for surfing, it is reached by a 30-40min walk through the forest, remember to take a flashlight for the way back if you return after sunset,

What are our good adresses in Itacaré ?

Bahia Bonita Flat: very cozy flat with kitchen and balcony, comfortable and clean, : 30€/flat,

Favela Coffee Shop : good vibe, really tasty caipirinhas,

Aloha Surf Shop : surf rental, lessons, the manager does the surfs himself, very friendly and he offers good prices,

Our tips for Itacaré

We recommend Prainha beach, but do not forget to take a flashlight if you come back a little late. There is not much to drink or eat on site so we advise you to bring plenty of water and something to eat if you spend the day there.

(by Show Me The Road)

Ilheus :

Ilheus is far from the tourist trails, we stop here only for an administrative procedure. This does not prevent us from enjoying the city. The center is friendly with many shops and restaurants.

What are the best things to do in Ilhéus ?

City center : take a walk, taste some salgados in the many stalls and shops that sell them, enjoy the good atmosphere of the main square at the start of the evening,

Mercado Central : if you like markets like us, there is the big central market to go and see, there you can find all the products and the usual excitement of a market,

Mercado de Artisano : regional craft market,

What are our good adresses in Ilhéus ?

Ilhéus Hotel: hotel in the center and close to all amenities, clean and standard room, : 20€ /double room,

Acarajé da irene : in the square different food stalls, the Irene's Acarajés are very good,

Our tips for Ilhéus

If you need to extend your stay, you can do so at the Ilhéus Federal Police. We recommend that you make an appointment, otherwise it is quite complicated or you have to be patient. Then just say that you want permission to leave the territory in 60 days. Please note that you must have already exceeded your authorized 90 days, you will then pay a tax of 100 reals per day exceeded.

(by Show Me The Road)

Porto Seguro :

Porto Seguro is our last stop in the Bahia region. We admit to have been disappointed with this city, from which we expected a greater culture. The historic center is cute but super touristy and very small. We still enjoyed the surroundings such as Muta beach or the village of Arraial Ayuda.

What are the best things to do in Porto Seguro ?

Historical center : historical center, cute but really small and touristy, : Free,

The beaches : there are beautiful beaches in the area, some very lively with bars and restaurants, others quieter: Mundai beach, Taperapuan beach, Muta beach, Mucugê beach

Craft market: indigenous art craft market,

Arraial Ajuda village : cute and colorful village, a little high up so offers a beautiful panorama, lots of bars, restaurants and shops, very touristy,

What are our good adresses in Porto Seguro ?

Alves Tapioca Recheadas : tapiocas' stall in the main street, the bests we had in five months in Brazil, : 15-25 reals/person, : at night

Night market : different stalls of food every night, : 15-30 reals/person, : at night

Our tips for Porto Seguro

Do not spend more than half a day on Porto Seguro, but rather take the time to discover the surroundings.

(by Show Me The Road)

Others places in the state of Bahia :

There are many other places we didn't have time to explore, but we would love to do it next time :

Ilha de Tinharé

Morro de São Paulo

The state of Bahia, Brazil

Salvador :

Chapada Diamantina :

Boipeba :

Itacaré :

Ilheus :

Porto Seguro :

Others places in the state of Bahia :

The Amazon

The North of Brazil

Minas Gerais

The South of Brazil

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