Bahia is one of those destinations you don’t just visit, you feel it. With an explosive mix of history, music, nature, and flavor, this corner of northeastern Brazil has everything to make you fall in love. From the Afro-Brazilian culture in Salvador to the postcard-perfect landscapes of Cocoa Coast and the mystical mountains of Chapada Diamantina, each place offers a different experience. In this article you will discover the best of Bahia, the most iconic spots and everything that makes this state unforgettable.
Iconic places in Bahia
Salvador: gateway to Bahia’s rich cultural landscape
Salvador is the cultural doorway to Bahia. Founded in 1549 as Brazil’s first capital, it is today an important center of Afro-Brazilian heritage. Pelourinho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is filled with colonial architecture, cobblestone streets and historic landmarks tied to centuries of cultural exchange.
Throughout the year, religious and cultural layers shape local life: candomblé, capoeira, samba-reggae, Carnival blocos and much more. Our guides help you explore these layers with context, showing how African heritage shaped Salvador’s identity.
Afro-Brazilian experiences in Salvador: our AfroTours
To experience the best of Bahia, you need close contact with Salvador’s Afro heritage. Brazil Green Travel curates private AfroTours that connect history, music, cuisine and spirituality in meaningful ways.
You can also explore a broader overview of this heritage in our article on the African influence on Brazilian culture.
Pelourinho Afro walking tour
Explore the historic center with a specialist guide who explains architecture, slavery, resistance movements and contemporary Black culture.
Bahia cooking class with market visit
Visit a lively market to choose cilantro, limes, garlic, coconut milk and dendê oil. Learn to prepare moqueca in an earthenware pot and finish with a dessert scented with cinnamon and clove.
Percussion workshop
Bahia is the percussion heart of Brazil and its rhythmic soul is African. In this workshop, a local musician teaches rhythms using instruments such as surdo, caixa, timbau and berimbau.
Capoeira Angola workshop
Visit a traditional school and learn the philosophy, instruments and basic movements of this Afro-Brazilian martial art.
Afro-Bahia dance workshop
In this workshop, we’ll go to the venue where a professional instructor will guide us through both traditional and contemporary Afro-Bahian dances.
Each of these private experiences can enrich a tailor-made Bahia itinerary shaped for you by our travel designers.
The natural paradise of Praia do Forte
About an hour north of Salvador lies Praia do Forte, a former fishing village turned top-tier tourist destination. Its crystal-clear waters and white sandy beaches are protected by coral reefs, forming natural pools ideal for snorkeling and relaxation.
One of the main attractions is the Tamar Project, dedicated to sea turtle conservation.
You can also explore the Garcia D’Ávila Castle, a 16th‑century fortified manor often described as the only castle‑like structure in the Americas, with architecture inspired by medieval European designs; and the Sapiranga Ecological Reserve, a biodiversity sanctuary with trails through mangroves and dunes.
Adventure at new heights in Chapada Diamantina
If you’re looking for a different side of Bahia, far from the sea and full of untamed nature, Chapada Diamantina is your place. This national park impresses with deep valleys, crystal-clear caves, vegetation-covered plateaus, and the breathtaking Cachoeira da Fumaça, one of Brazil’s tallest waterfalls. It’s ideal for hiking, rappelling, and caving.
The town of Lençóis, a former diamond-mining town, with its colonial charm and relaxed vibe, is the perfect base for exploring the region.
To explore the Chapada Diamantina region, you can choose from several towns as a base to visit the nearby waterfalls and rock formations. We recommend Lençóis, Ibicoara, and Vale do Capão as the most strategic options. However, if you’re looking to truly go off the beaten path, Campo Redondo and Igatu offer unique and special alternatives for your journey.
Travelers with more time often combine several bases for a wider experience of the park.
The Cocoa Coast: chocolate, forest and Atlantic beaches
South of Salvador, the Cocoa Coast reveals another side of the best of Bahia. This region expanded during the cocoa boom, when cacao plantations transformed southern Bahia’s economy and today blends coastal villages, rivers and protected areas. Serra Grande, Taboquinhas and the Marau Peninsula are part of this stretch.
On our Cocoa Coast itineraries, you visit farms to follow cacao from tree to bar. One historic fazenda now combines cultivation with environmental projects.
Here you can enjoy small chocolate workshops, and explore the Itacaré–Serra Grande Environmental Protection Area, part of the Atlantic Forest UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with its rivers, trails, and rich biodiversity.
What makes Bahia famous?
Bahia is known for its African-influenced music, dance, cuisine and celebrations.
Bahia is also nature in its purest form. Its coastline stretches for more than one thousand kilometers and includes coral reefs, islands and beach villages shaped by tides and river mouths. Inland, the mountains of Chapada Diamantina offer contrasts with plateaus, valleys and waterfalls.
And the food? A spectacle. Acarajé, moquecas, vatapá, coconut sweets… each dish is a journey through the African, Indigenous, and Portuguese roots of this Brazilian region.
In Bahia, you don’t just visit a place, you dance it, taste it, live it. And it stays with you forever.
With Brazil Green Travel, you explore these flavors in markets, restaurants and cooking experiences guided by locals.
