A LUXURY VACATION TO SALVADOR & BAHIA
Bahia is Brazil’s spiritual heartland: the first region colonised by the Portuguese, where vast sugarcane, coffee, and cocoa plantations once drove the country’s fortunes.
Salvador, its capital, is a UNESCO World Heritage city of baroque churches and brightly-painted façades, soundtracked by the rhythms of samba and capoeira. Beyond the city, Bahia stretches for 700 miles along the Atlantic, home to chic beach towns and eco-lodges; inland, Chapada Diamantina National Park offers vast plateaus, waterfalls, and caves.
For those inclined to dig deeper, we can open doors into Bahia’s rich cultural scene – from private percussion workshops with master drummers to visits with cacao producers and contemporary Bahian artists.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN SALVADOR & BAHIA
A strong African and Caribbean heritage run through every part of life in Bahia – in its food, its music, and its rituals.
Be sure to sample moqueca, the coconut-based fish stew served in nearly every kitchen. This is the birthplace of samba and capoeira, an acrobatic dance-cum-martial art, and both are ubiquitous.
South along the coast, Itacaré and Trancoso offer some of Brazil’s loveliest beaches – the former relaxed and surf-focused, the latter a picture-perfect clifftop village that has become the hideout of choice for the uber-hip. Inland, Chapada Diamantina’s table mountains, waterfalls, and hidden lagoons make it one of the country’s most striking national parks for trekking and exploration.
We’ve combed Bahia from cocoa country to the coast, curating a list of the rooms worth checking into, the guides who truly open doors, and a handful of beach houses that raise the bar for private escapes.
ELSEWHERE IN BRAZIL
Discover more of our favourite places in Brazil, from the surreal sand dunes of the northeast to the energetic streets of Rio.
Looking for more inspiration?
CONTACT US
Speak to our specialists about travelling to Bahia and beyond.
Conde Nast Traveler Specialists every year since 2017
