Ilhéus - Culture

In literary terms Ilhéus, Jorge Amado's birthplace, is the best-known town in Brazil, scene of his most famous novel, Gabriela, Cravo e Canela, translated into English as "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon" – by far the most renowned Brazilian novel internationally. His books have been extensively translated and filmed.

In the downtown you will find buildings rich in history as well as sites that were narrated in the romances from Amado. You'll find that countless bars, restaurants and other enterprises here take their names from characters in Amado novels.

The town is just a short flight from Salvador. This once-prosperous farming community is evocative of colonial times and the days when cocoa was king.

Surrounded by the Atlantic forest habitat, Ilhéus sits on a small hill overlooking the prettiest beach in the state of Bahia. Much of it is modern but it's still an attractive place.

The streets of the colonial centre contain a number of charming buildings, as well as the Cathedral of Sao Sebastiao and the Municipal Theatre that is completely restored. The ruins of the "Bataclan's Cabaret" was the meeting place of old Cocoa Colonels.

The Igreja Matriz de São Jorge, on Praça Rui Barbosa, finished in 1556, has a religious art museum, while the domed roof and towers of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Lourdes dominate the shoreline nearest to the centre. Domes are rare in church architecture in Brazil, and this combination of dome and towers is unique.

At the Cocoa Farm one will not only feel how the old "Cocoa Colonels" lived, but know all about the cocoa plantation techniques of this golden fruit, as it is called, visit also the Cocoa Research Centre.

There are beaches to the north, past the port; the first is Isidro Ramos (bus from the centre or Avenida), followed by Praia do Marciano and Praia do Norte.

The Cocoa Coast encompasses the municipalities of Itacaré, Ilhéus, Una and Canavieiras all of which preserve veritable ecological sanctuaries. Dozens of kilometres of nearly deserted beaches with dense coconut groves share the coastline with a lush variety of vegetation from native coastal rainforest to vast mangroves and magnificent cacao plantations, some of which have been used as settings for films and soap operas.

In the Mico Leão de Una biological reserve, just 30 miles south of Ilhéus, the so-called lion monkeys and pumas live in safety under a dense canopy of trees. Toucans and parrots call out as they fly overhead. Countless species of animals, and over 400 varieties of trees live in the 7,022 hectares of Atlantic rain forest.

Comandatuba Island is 30 miles from Ilhéus and rich with history, containing a small peace of land separated from the rest of the continent, a marvellous spot for nautical activities preserved for thousands of years. Once a port for whalers and pirates, there are also many places where you can explore this lifestyle and period of history. But perhaps the main attraction is the miles of unspoiled and uncrowned beaches, as well as some of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world.