'''Bahia''' is a state in Brazil's Northeast region.
Regions
All Saints' Bay (''Baia de Todos os Santos'')
Reconcavo (''Reconcavo'')
Coconut Coast (''Costa dos Coqueiros'')
Dende Coast (''Costa do Dende'')
Cocoa Coast (''Costa do Cacao'')
Discovery Coast (''Costa do Descobrimento'')
Whale Coast (''Costa das Baleias'')
Chapada Diamantina
Sao Francisco Lakes (''Lagos de Sao Francisco'')
Western Bahia (''Caminhos do Oeste'')
Sertao (''Sertao'')
Cities
Salvador - the state's capital
Bonito
Caravelas ? if your destination is '''Abrolhos''', then you will start here...
Ilheus
Itaparica
Porto Seguro
Vitoria da Conquista
Brotas - city featured in Amazing Race 9, it has lots of extreme sports, and a large forest
Other destinations
Abrolhos
The National Park of Chapada Diamantina - fantastic green filled canyons and mountains, and a waterfall so high that it doesn't hit the ground.
Understand
When the Portuguese first arrived in Brazil (April 22nd 1500) they landed on the soil today known as Bahia. In Portuguese (Brazil's Official Language) the word "bay" is translated "baia". Salvador, Bahia's capital, was founded by Portuguese explorers in 1549. The city lays on a peninsula located in between "All Saints Bay" and the Atlantic Ocean. Every time people talked about Salvador, they referred to it as, "the province with the bay in it". Later on, the province would be officially named "The Province of Bahia" (the province of the bay). The spelling of the word "bay" (baia) was changed in order to make the province's name unique. Salvador-Bahia became Brazil's first capital back when the country was one of Portugal's colonies, and remained like that for 214 years (until it was transferred to Rio, and finally to Brasilia).
Talk
Bahians, like all Brazilians, speak Portuguese. The accent, however, is completely different.
Today due to tourism expansion there are some people who speak English in touristic areas & hotels, but since foreign languages are not taught in the schooling system you would be wise to bring a small travel dictionary.
Get in
International Airports in Bahia:
Salvador (SSA), connecting flights to Lisbon, Frankfurt and Madrid. Direct service to Miami, starting Nov. 2.
Porto Seguro, connecting flights to Lisbon.
Get around
By bus
Coach services are comfortable and cheap. Very useful to get around the state. It is ill-advised to travel at night, highway robberies are all too common.
Bomfim
Aguia Branca
Itapemirim
Sao Geraldo
By plane
From Salvador airport there are connections throughout the state
Passaredo (Vitoria da Conquista, Barreiras, Brasilia and Ribeirao Preto).
Abaete (Bom Jesus da Lapa, Guanambi and Barreiras).
Aerostar (Morro de Sao Paulo)
See
Itineraries
The Bay of All Saints, beautiful seen from Salvador, can also be seen from a tourist boat that makes a trip through the bay, passing several Islands. The largest island is Itaparica. It can be reached in about 1 hour by ferry from Salvador. The smaller passenger-ferry departs from near the Mercado Modelo to , while the larger car-ferry goes from about 2km North of here to Bom Despacho
On the Coconut coast the sea turtle preservation project at Praia do Forte is a very impressive sight.
In October, whales can be seen alongside the whole coast, but the marine reserve on the Whale Coast is the pinnacle.
In the Chapada Diamantina, the Fumaca waterfall and the caves are very impressive
Do
Trekking through the Chapada Diamantina. With a guide, stay with locals while hiking through the park for several days.
Eat
Acaraje: dough of beans, baked in Dende oil
moqueca de pitu: fish stew, the Pitu fish is typical
vatapa
caruru
ximxim de galinha
bobo de camarao
"kimoqueca" is a restaurant chain serving moqueca throughout the state
"Carangueijo de Sergipe" is a chain serving mostly sea dishes. Present all over Bahia
Drink
Sleep
Budget
Albergues da Bahia. lbergues@albergues.com.br. ttp://www.albergues.com.br. Youth hostels in Bahia.
Mid-range
Bahia Beach house Rentals. Atelier do Sobrado Rua Guedes Cabral, 184 Rio Vermelho Salvador -Ba 41950-620. +55) 71 9619-2635. nfo@bahiabeach.net. ttp://www.bahiabeach.net. Beach houses for rent on the Bahia coast, from the Whalecoast to the Coconut coast.
Stay safe
It is ill-advised to travel at night through the state, by car or bus: highway robberies are all too common.
roads can be very bad outside the capital city
Get out
National Park Pau Brasil
National Park Marinho de Abrolhos
National Park Chapada Diamantina