Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BAHIA
T
he largest state in the Northeast, Bahia is known for its endless
stretches of stunning beach along the Atlantic coast. The idyllic
white-sand coast is dotted with laid-back resorts along its
length. Beyond the gorgeous beaches and plains, where most of
Bahia's population lives today, lies the
sertão
, an arid semi-desert
covered in
caatinga
, small trees used for cattle grazing.
When the Portuguese first
arrived in Bahia in 1500, the
entire 621-mile (1,000-km)
coastline was covered in a
swathe of lush green Atlantic
rainforest. Today, only a few
pockets of the rainforest remain
along the coast in isolated patches.
Inland from the coast, the Portuguese
successfully established the culti-
vation of sugar cane, and later cotton
and cocoa in the Recôncavo, a
narrow, flat, well-watered plain,
which they called the
agreste
.
Bahia played a key role in the
history of Brazil. Salvador, its capital,
was founded in 1549, and served for
over two centuries as the admini-
strative and political center of
colonial Brazil. The legacy of that
period is on display in Salvador's
colonial core, Pelourinho, a jewel of
colonial Baroque churches, cathe-
drals, and palaces.
Bahia was also the key point
of entry for the thousands
of slaves brought to Brazil
from ports in Africa. The
legacy of that trans-Atlantic
trade can be seen in Bahia's
cultural diversity. The state has
Brazil's highest percentage of
Afro-Brazilian residents. Bahia's
percussion-driven music, the fast
fight-dance known as
capoeira
, and
the spiritualist Yoruban Candomblé
religion all have their roots in Africa.
In addition to these legacies,
visitors to Bahia can experience one
of Brazil's longest and most beautiful
coastlines. Fine beach resorts such as
Praia do Forte and Costa do Sauípe
lie to the north of Salvador. To the
capital's south, there are small
villages such as Morro de São Paulo
and Itacaré. Inland, Bahia provides
unique hiking amid the mesas and
valleys of the Chapada Diamantina.
A view of the Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos, comprising an archipelago of five islands
A Baiana walking on a cobblestoned street, past a tree in full bloom in the colonial town of São Félix
