Beaches & Culture in Bahia: Salvador to Morro de São Paulo - 5 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Salvador, African Heritage & Bahia Culture Tour

Welcome to Salvador, the capital of Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia and the heart of the country's Afro-Brazilian culture. Upon arrival, you'll transfer to your hotel to relax before heading out in the afternoon for a cultural heritage tour. Meet your guide in the Pelourinho area, and start with a visit to the Afro-Brazilian Museum for an introduction to the region's West African origins. Continue to the Bahian Gastronomy Museum to learn about the area's multicultural flavors and recipes, then taste them yourself at lunch in one of the city's best seafood restaurants. 

Art and literature are the next stop on your tour, as you discover three cultural icons who documented daily life in Salvador and Bahia in the 1950s. Wander through the Rio Vermelho neighborhood to find the home of novelist Jorge Amado, now a museum showcasing his life and work. Then make your way to Porto de Barra Beach and the 17th-century São Diogo Fort for interactive audio-visual exhibitions celebrating the colorful works of artist Carybé and the black-and-white photographs of Perre Verger. As evening falls, feel free to find a local spot for dinner. 

Day 2: Market & Cooking Tour, Percussion Workshop, Night Out in Rio Vermelho

Today you'll learn more about Bahia's African heritage through food and music. Start at Salvador's São Joaquim Market, a bustling and chaotic hub for the area's sugar cane, tobacco, and produce exports. Here you'll find colorful fruit and vegetables alongside spare parts for domestic appliances, sacred herbs, and Candomblé religious artifacts.

After a cooking demonstration and lunch at the market, you'll learn that Bahia is the percussive heart of Brazil. With an African rhythmic soul, the area attracts many international musicians, with past visitors including Paul Simon, Wayne Shorter, and Michael Jackson. Guided by a local professional percussionist, try Bahia's rhythms and capoeira percussion instruments for yourself in an interactive workshop suitable for all ages.

The pulse of music continues by night as locals head to Rio Vermelho, which is affectionately called Bairro Boemio or the bohemian quarter. At the start of the evening, your local guide will pick you up at your hotel, where the first stop will be for a drink and acarajé (a mixture of fried beans, onions, and shrimp). You'll then visit an informal boteco to meet for drinks and petiscos (snacks). Your guide will direct you to the neighborhood's best restaurants, bars, and botecos for an unforgettable evening of Bahian street food and live music. 

Day 3: Transfer to Morro de São Paulo, Tinharé Island Boat Tour 

It will be an early wake-up call to depart from your Salvador hotel to travel approximately four hours south, catching a catamaran to Morro de São Paulo. One of five villages on Tinharé Island, it's an ideal base to soak up island life.

From Morro de São Paulo, you'll set off on a full-day tour to visit Tinharé's secluded beaches. The first stops will be Garapuá, Moreré, and Cueira to dip into their natural pools. Enjoy a seafood lunch at Boca da Barra beach, then set sail toward Cairu. Here you'll stop to explore a remarkable example of Brazil's Baroque architecture at the 15th-century  Santo Antonio Convent. On the way back, sample more local specialties at an oyster farm in Canavieira. before ending your evening at the fort of Morro de São Paulo, watching the sun dip into the ocean.

Day 5: Transfer to Salvador & Depart

After a final morning on the island, it's time to board a catamaran to take you to Salvador as you soak up the last of Bahia's incredible atmosphere. A driver will then transfer you to the airport for your departing flight. Safe travels!