Salvador, the first capital of Brazil, has maintained the evidence of its African heritage, introduced by the transatlantic slave trade from Africa to Brazil. During the Portuguese colonization, the Bay of All Saints was of fundamental importance as the main export site in the Southern Hemisphere, from which products such as Brazilian sugar and Bolivian silver were shipped to Europe. On this 4-hour tour you’ll learn about the transatlantic slave trade and its legacy by visiting key historical sites in the city of Salvador. The tour begins at the Fort and Barra Lighthouse at the port of arrival for enslaved Africans. Continue to the Tororó dike and see the monument dedicated to the legacy of African religious heritage and the worship of Orixas. The next sites you’ll visit are located in the Cidade Baixa (lower city), where you’ll take in important historic locations marking the presence of Africans in Bahia and Brazil. In the historic downtown area, you’ll visit the Afro Museum of Benin, where the collection highlights the African perspective in the formation of Brazilian identify and culture. You’ll also stop at the Church of the Rosary of the Blacks, the first Black Christian religious brotherhood in the New World. The tour concludes with a visit to the Casa do Benin Museum, one of the main African cultural centers in the state of Bahia.

This tour itinerary is tailored so you can contemplate the historic places and night-time ambiance of Salvador. What's more, meet the Bahian people and become acquainted with their heritage. This tour includes dinner in a traditional restaurant that offers typical cuisine - a mixture of remarkable and unforgettable delicacies and flavors. The celebrations and festivities in the streets are unique spectacles, but during this evening experience you will also attend a spectacular show of Bahian culture, which will allow you to gain a better understanding of what Bahia is all about! The music and the sound of drums, will enable you to feel the magic of the sacred dances of the African gods. Witness the legacy of a resistance struggle through Capoeira and Maculele, ancestral dances that symbolize the freedom of black people in Brazil, and the beautiful Roda de Samba, a trademark of Brazilian musicality.

After morning pick-up at your Salvador hotel, you will meet your guide and board your vehicle for the 135 mile (220 kilometer) trip to Mangue Seco. Mangue Seco is inaccessible by road, so crossing the Real River (which divides the Brazilian states of Sergipe and Bahia) is part of the adventure. On this 12-hour guided tour, you'll travel 135 miles (220 kilometers) from Bahia to explore beaches, sand dunes and a tranquil village.  A pearl nestled between the sea, rivers, dunes and palm trees; Mangue Seco is a tropical beauty that has been portrayed in soap operas and national films.  This tour allows you to experience one of the most beautiful landscapes of the north coast, known as the Green Line.  The idyllic beaches, with swirling sands orchestrated by the winds and the sea waves, create dunes of incomparable beauty. Its warm waters and its marine basins form natural medicinal spa centers. You will also have time for swimming, hiking, optional buggy rides (not included in the price, price to be negotiated on the day with the locals), or simply relax in a rustic tent and relish the local cuisine.  This family-friendly tour includes round-trip transportation from Salvador.

The Bahia Recôncavo is a region renowned for its history of struggle for the independence of Brazil. It reflects the colonial Portuguese heritage, together with the rich African legacy, reflected in the faces of its inhabitants and its religious and cultural traditions. The itinerary begins in Santo Amaro, a city whose economy was driven mainly by the sugar cane plantation and enslaved labor. Walk in the middle of the public fair and its secular houses. Then go through sugar cane, manioc and tobacco farms, towards the Quilombo Kaonge, where you will have a great opportunity to experience their daily lives and share their wisdom and tastes. Take time to talk with the griô (elder) of the community, then put your hands to practice and learn the process of making flour and oil palm oil, after lunch. In the afternoon, continue to the most important city of the Recôncavo region, Cachoeira-Ba, colonial city. Cross the Paraguaçu River on a bridge built by the English in 1830 towards the Danneman cigar factory and shortly after return to the hotel.

Discover the Baroque architecture of Pelourinho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The buildings date to the 18th century, and are an expression of the grandeur of European colonization. On this 4-hour tour you’ll experience an event known as Tuesday's blessings, meant to ensure the preservation of the musical identity of Bahia, the cradle of Brazilian musicality. After a Catholic Mass is celebrated with elements of African religions in the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Blacks, the streets of Pelourinho come alive with music and dance. Try a variety of dishes and delicacies of African-European heritage in bars, restaurants and street tents. Experience world-famous Bahian hospitality.

The Bahian Recôncavo is a region renowned for its history of struggles for the independence of Brazil. The architecture of its cities, especially of the city of Cachoeira, reflects the Portuguese colonial heritage, along with the African legacy which is present in the faces of its inhabitants, its intellectual, religious and cultural traditions in the daily life of its inhabitants.  The tour begins in Santo Amaro, a city whose economy was mainly driven by the sugar cane plantations and enslaved labor until 1888. This town is of great historical significance, particularly in the context of resistance against Portuguese colonization. You will stroll around the local public market and its ancient colonial houses, as well as visit the Samba Museum and the Parish Church. You will then drive by sugar cane, cassava and tobacco farms towards Cachoeira, the main city in the Recôncavo region. The city was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, located alongside the Paraguaçu River. It's a singular scenario in terms of architectural and cultural preservation. You will visit the churches of Carmo and Rosário, the City Hall and the former jail from the colonial era. You will also visit the House of the Religious Sisterhood of Our Lady of the Good Death. This Catholic sisterhood of African Matrix is a living legacy of matriarchal religious syncretism, which fills Recôncavo's people with pride, preserving the rich history of black resistance in Bahia and Brazil. The culmination of their religious and cultural festivities takes place during the month of August. Local businesses also reflect this cultural wealth, where customers can purchase beautiful carvings, embroidery and paintings produced in the region. You will cross the Paraguassu river using the bridge built by the British in 1830, giving access to the town of São Felix towards a farm strategically located in the hills surrounding the city, which will allow you an exquisite panoramic view of the region.  On this farm, lunch with typical local dishes will be served. Then, you will visit the renowned Danneman cigar factory, founded in the nineteenth century, where the tradition of producing handcrafted cigars is maintained. You will then return to the hotel.

Salvador, the first capital of the country which safeguards its history, not only in the streets, alleys, or on its citizens' faces and attires; this rich history is also preserved in various museums that narrate the trajectory of several peoples and their ancestral traditions, and how those overlapped and intertwined over the centuries. In this tour, you will visit the indigenous and Afro-Brazilian museums, aiming to acquire a better understanding of the legacy of several peoples in the formation of the Brazilian social fabric, as well as comprehend the process of European colonization and expansion. You will see works of art that are reminiscent of the enslavement of indigenous and African peoples, and historical records that represent the resilience their resilience, as well as their cultural and religious traditions. The tour will precede to the museum of sacred art in 19th century convent of Carmelite order, where you will appreciate Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical artwork. This museum collects works of sacred art that reflect the power of the Catholic faith in the new world. The 3rd collection in this itinerary is the Carlos Costa Pinto Museum, named after the private collector of works of art dating from the 16th century to the 19th century. The collection ranges from pieces of gold and silver, paintings, furniture in rosewood, among others. This special historical circuit has been developed to contemplate those customers who desire to appreciate the artwork produced in different historical cycles of colonial Brazil. You will have the privilege of embark upon an experience across time and space.