Things to do & places to visit in State of Bahia, Brazil

State of Bahia #5 destination in Brazil 2023. The average rating score is 4.34 based on 316.0k traveler reviews, of 976 attractions. Timezone: America/Bahia, current date and time: Monday, May 06, 2024, 23:52.

Top things to do (20)

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Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Chapada Diamantina National Park (2.439 reviews)
- Amazing trek with Pablo & Extreme Eco Adventure
National Parks

We booked our five day, four night trek through Vale do Pati with Extreme Eco Adventure. Our guide Pablo managed to make the trek a very relaxing experience! His calm demeanor and clear appreciation for the valley made for an unforgettable experience. Our trip was the perfect mix of long hiking days to see the key sights of the valley and taking time to slow down - including spending hours uninterrupted relaxing in and along a beautiful waterfall. We highly recommend Pablo as a guide, and can’t wait to go back for another trek! See more..
5.0 Taipus de Fora Beach (2.172 reviews)
- Beautiful natural swimming pools and some gorgeous pousadas
Beaches

Taipus de Fora is one of the best kept secrets in Brazil, a beautiful lomg beach known for its natural rock pools which form at low tide. It's situated on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Peninsula de Maraú in Bahia, Brazil around 20 minutes drive south from the main town of Barra Grande. Most people come here to go snorkelling but the beach itself is beautiful- just miles and miles of soft golden sand. During the day the beach bars do a good trade and most people are day trippers but there a number of good pousadas to stay at if you want to wake up with the waves. Dreamland Bungalows and Pousada Encanto de Lua are both great and part of the Hidden Pousadas Brazil special collection. See more..
4.5 Basílica Do Senhor Do Bonfim (9.456 reviews)
- Beautiful Church and It was Open
Churches & Cathedrals

Our cruise arrived in Salvador on Feb. 26th and almost everything was closed as people recovered from celebrating Carnaval. We booked a local tour at the port and this was the first place that we went. When we arrived there was a mass being performed and there were several bus groups there, so we just got to go into the rear of the very crowded building but I am happy that we did get to see inside. This famous church in Salvador was built in 1754. In English, it is know as "Church of Our Lord of Bonfim". It is indeed a beautiful place inside and out. There were quite a few people outside of the church selling blessings and ribbons. The ribbons were to be placed on the fence around the front of the church (or on your wrist). When it falls off, your wish will come true. Must see. See more..
4.5 Mucuge Street (9.093 reviews)
- Original from Arraial
Spent More than 3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks

Rua Bróduei and Mucugê is an open air mall, restaurants and shops share space and come in all shapes and styles. Details in each look, colors, culture, picanha on the plate, seafood pan, cocoa, souvenirs. Variety for all tastes. The most expensive and sophisticated restaurants are on Rua Mucuge. See more..
4.5 Projeto Tamar (8.066 reviews)
- Biólogo for a day tour - Great
Monday: Aquariums

We did the Biólogo por um dia tour and had the whole place for us for 2hs as you start before they open and my family was the only one for the tour that day.This was a great time for my daughter that wants to do biology and greatly enjoyed the tour. We fed the turtles and heard everything you ever want to hear about them. Carol was great and connected with us during the tour. For $20 per person and $10 for kids it is a great deal. See more..
4.5 Praia Farol da Barra (7.760 reviews)
- Nice urban beach.
Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Beaches

With a decent size, it has the Lighthouse on one end, and the Cristo do Morro, on the other end. There are kiosks where chairs and parasols can be used for a fairly cheap fare, on top of ordering some drinks and light food. It's safe during day and night, and it's usually patrolled. But being alert and aware of surroundings and movement can also be helpful as to avoid pick-pocketers both in the street level or in the sand. See more..
4.5 Forte Beach (7.431 reviews)
- Nice Place
Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent More than 3 hours Beaches

Close enough to Salvador, still very safe and peaceful. Highly recommended to visit if you are traveling to Bahia state. See more..
4.5 Sao Francisco Church and Convent (6.296 reviews)
- Beautiful beautiful colonial church
Monday: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals

One of the most spectacular churches in the world, this famous church is richly adorned inside with gold, silver and precious stones and has ceiling art that has been compared to that of the Sistine Chapel. See more..
4.5 Quadrado (6.285 reviews)
- From Colorado USA every year
Spent < 1 hour Historic Walking Areas

We travel from Colorado to Trancoso every year, now considering to move here. A highlight every trip is chop, god food, awesome music, and great friends, at Piquiá Choperia e restaurante on the quadrado. A million thank you’s !!! See more..
4.5 Praia do Espelho (5.830 reviews)
- Probably the best beach in Trancoso region
Beaches

We have been to other beaches in the region but Praia do Espelho is probably the best. The water is clear, the view is very beautiful. On both sides you can see rock formations , mainly whem fhe tide is down. There a re some restaurants and hotels along it. Calá&Divino is nice. Its expensive, but very good. You must do a reservation though. Please follow us on instagram:@mapamunditravel See more..
4.5 Segunda Praia (5.498 reviews)
- great life music
Beaches

enjoy the second beach, eating a good food with a sounds plays by good performes. The restaurants also offer a variety of drinks and fresh juices. See more..
4.5 Eco Parque Arraial d'Ajuda (4.814 reviews) from $41.70
- Wow!
Amusement & Theme Parks

Yes totally wow! You schuld really visit this park when you visit Porto Seguro. Good for couples, big family's etc. The prices are good. They have a pool with waves. And lots more See more..
4.5 Quarta Praia (4.628 reviews)
- So beautiful and warm water!
Beaches

This beach takes a little walk, but its absolutely worthy. Differebtly from the other beachs in Morro de São Paulo, its quiet, with almost no one The water is very blue, really beautiful and its really, really warm. Its awesome. For more, please follow us on instagram: @mapamunditravel See more..
4.5 Pitinga Beach (4.615 reviews)
- The best beach with the best picolé seller (Jose Mota)
Beaches

This beach is excellent! There's a reef at the corner of the beach that is exposed during low tide and people can walk over it looking for small crabs and fish. If coming during the low tide you can rent a bike and ride to nearby beaches equally amazing, although with less infrastructure to receive tourists. While in here take a minute to have an ice-cream from Jose Mota (picolé do baianinho) he is the incarnation of the Brazilian spirit, 5 minutes of chat with him and you'll be completely revigorated, he is the best! See more..
4.5 Praia do Porto da Barra (4.015 reviews)
- Tiny but really nice urban beach
Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Beaches

Porto da Barra is one of the few points of land in Brazil that face west over the Atlantic Ocean (due to its unique geography near the entrance to the Bay of All Saints). Because of this, Porto da Barra Sundown Show features sunsets which are both spectacularly beautiful and endearing because of the way people (visitors and local residents alike) applaud, cheer, whistle and sing while the sun sets over the sea. Porto da Barra Sundown Show also features various styles of live music at world-famous Hot Dougie's Rendezvous on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The water at Porto da Barra Beach is quite calm and perfect for swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, ad and other water sports. Even on days when other beaches in Salvador are empty, there is typically a good crowd at Porto da Barra Beach. Porto da Barra also features Portuguese forts (recently renovated as multimedia museums) dating back to the 17th century and number of good restaurants, bars, shops including used book and record stores, and a State of Bahia agency which promotes the production and sale of quality hand-made artisan products, and others. See more..
4.5 Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova (3.653 reviews)
- Spectacular Arena
Monday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Arenas & Stadiums

This is a spectacular arena across from the park where the beautiful orixas are located. It is definitely a must see. See more..
4.5 Ilha dos Frades (3.526 reviews)
- amazing day off!
Spent More than 3 hours Beaches

a trip to Ilha dos Frades is an amazing option for a day off. tours from R$ 50 will take you all day long to amazing beaches close to Salvador. the boat has live music and board service, with fruits included for free in the price and they sell lots of cocktails and beers. don’t miss out the roskas with seasonal fruits, they’re delicious and costs R$ 15. make sure you’ll enjoy a lot this trip! See more..
4.5 Itacarezinho Beach (3.487 reviews)
- Most beautiful beach
Beaches

This place is stunning. It’s the most beautiful beach in Itacaré in my opinion. Not crowdy at all.. :-) See more..
4.5 Flamengo Beach (3.290 reviews)
- Pipa bar
Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Beaches

Beach in Salvador da Bahia. See more..
4.5 Recife de Fora (3.280 reviews)
- VERY worthwhile
Monday: 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM Reefs

A 45 min boat ride will get you to the coral reef, be sure to rent snorkel gear for 5R, Crocs (or take your own)for 5R and get the camera protector for 20R. The reef is only accessible during the morning, the tides cover it during the afternoon and evening. The volunteers at the reef will show you some of the wildlife and explain about the local fauna, and then you have about an hour to swim in a natural pool surrounded by coral and fish. The experience is beautiful and apt for all ages. I recommend it! See more..
4.5 Santo Antonio da Barra Fort and Nautic Museum of Bahia (3.013 reviews)
- Amazing place
Monday: Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums • Historic Sites

Housed in Fort Santo Antonio da Barra, a fine exemple of 16thcentury portuguese military architecture, that is the site of Santo Antônio Lighthouse, better known as the "Farol da Barra", the first beacon for shipping in the Americas, the Museu Náutico da Bahia (Maritime Museum of Bahia) contains a rich collection that reflects Brazil's seafaring history, particularly of colonial period. Housed in the Museum you will find a significant numbers of archeological treasures retrieved from the undersea site of the Portuguese Galleon "Santíssimo Sacramento", sank off the coast of the city of Salvador in 1668. Open Tue-Sun 9.00am-6pm (all days in January and July). See more..
4.5 Coroa Vermelha Beach (2.941 reviews)
- Praia Coroa Vermelho
Spent More than 3 hours Beaches

Coroa Vermelho is where the Portuguese arrived when they reached Brazil. The beach is very nice. There is a Patacho (indigenious) community. If you are in Porto Seguro or Arrail Ajuda visit Coroa Vermelho See more..
4.5 Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora D'Ajuda (2.820 reviews)
- Peaceful view!!
Churches & Cathedrals

Behind the church one can have a beautiful view of the beach and lots of coconut trees. There is also a wall where people make wishes. Next to the church there are a few shops (souvernirs, summer dresses, bathing suits, typical drinks etc) and a couple ice cream parlors. I recommend one called "uai uai". The ice cream there costs only R$2 (US$1) and it's delicious. You can even try a couple flavours before buying it. See more..
4.5 Gamboa Beach (2.796 reviews)
- Gamboa near Morro de Saou Paulo
Spent More than 3 hours Beaches

The best way to go to Gamboa is along the beach when water is low from the port of Morro de Sao Paulo. It takes about 40 Minutes and is one of the nicest beach walks on this planet. Trip back can be same way or by boat from Gamboa harbour. A "must" is the fallen rocks left end of the beach of Gamboa direction to Morrow. People love to put the light mud of these rocks on the skin. Great fun to also do it. See more..
4.5 Muta Beach (2.467 reviews)
- One of the best beaches in Porto Seguro
Beaches

The water is transparent, the sand is fine and easy to walk on. There are coral reefs about a mile in from the sand, so there are almost no waves, making this beach look very much like a gigantic natural pool. In the early mornings and late afternoons the tide goes down and you can walk all the way to reefs (take some sandals with you or even better -- crocks) without the water ever getting higher that your waist. There are places that offer live music (voice and guitar, not the usual axé in most places) and others that are quieter, with no music. Take your pick! To get there you can take a taxi or the bus (Bus to Cabralia to go there from downtown Porto Seguro and a bus called Brasileiro to get back to the city. It costs about 3 or 4 reais). Important tip: there is quite some traffic on the end of the days, when the restaurants close and everyone decides to leave at the same time, so plan ahead and leave a bit earlier or enjoy the sunset before you try to take the bus. See more..
4.5 Imbassai Beach (2.440 reviews)
- Great beach
Beaches

Cracking beach. Extremely quiet. Has a bar and a restaurant. The sand is very easy to walk in bare footed. No crabs (well, I never saw any). See more..
4.5 Praia de Taipe (2.299 reviews)
- Simply lovely
Beaches

The best beach around the area. Great views, waves for swimming and playing. Not so good for small kids. There is also a small river. You can bring your own, chair, umberella, drinks and food or stay in 1 of the 2 places where you have chairs and shade. Both are expensive and with small portions of food, unfortunately. Parking was $20,00 in a public access. Still a MUST to visit. See more..
4.5 Guarajuba Beach (2.135 reviews)
- take a day trip from Salvadore da Bahia
Spent 1-2 hours Beaches

we took a day trip from Salvadore da Bahia to see the entire surrounding area. It is beautiful, they take you to a place where you see huge Turtles , different neighborhoods, small villages which all have fantastic , clean Beaches, very few folks there, lots of Coconut Trees, this "Guarajuba Beach " is a long , wide Beach located in a cove, we only saw one person there and he was a Winter Residence ( just like in Florida ) from Switzerland.. In speaking with him, since he bought a house on the Beach he said, he just loves it here, and eats fresh Fish every day... enjoy the Beach as we did during our tour... See more..
4.5 MAM Museu de Arte Moderna (2.122 reviews)
- Must See it
Monday: Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums • Art Museums

This place is a must see in a visit to Salvador. The best sunset of the town, specially at saturdays, when there's a jazz jam session there. It is a museum, so you can visit the exibitions earlier, sit at the balcony and enjoy the view. See more..
4.5 Praia dos Coqueiros (1.973 reviews)
- my "local" beach
Beaches

this is a great beach where local go. I love that there are small spots were one can order fresh coconut juice, beer or caipirinhas at local prices and chat with "Clarisse", the friendly and happy lady who had a small stall by the beach. We feasted on grilled buffalo cheese being sold by another lady, bought ice cream from another vendor while going in and out of the water enjoying our own little place in the beach. See more..