Bahia is Brazil’s mother land. This is where the country began, where its people recognize their identity and regain their essence. It is where races, cultures, religions and histories merge with the hues of the exuberant nature on the coast and in the countryside.
This world called Bahia is comprised of 13 tourist areas that cater for the most varied motivations. But what renders this plural and diversified world absolutely unique and differentiated is its people.
There is no acarajé without the white lace-clad baiana women, no sounds of atabaque, berimbau or trio elétrico music trucks without its musicians, no beauty is more delightful than the smile of the Bahians. This happy, festive, creative, friendly and hospitable people have a very particular nature that we can call “bahianess”.
Experiencing Bahia is more than gettingg to know a fascinating land. It means interacting with the live, pulsating culture of a people that have no equal.
Bahia, one of Brazil’s largest states, offers a rich variety of landscapes and cultures.
Travel from mountains to beaches, from waterfalls to bustling cities, and from small, family-oriented towns to surfing paradises. The country’s longest coastline is a haven of sand, coconut trees, and wildlife.
Born from the mix of Indigenous, European, and African influences, the people of Bahia are culturally hospitable, welcoming, and festive. Their unique traits are expressed in culture, gastronomy, and religion.
There is an ancestral connection, a sense of belonging, as if one has already been to Bahia even without actually having set foot there. Caetano Veloso sings that its capital, Salvador, is the “Black Rome” because it is the largest Black city outside the African continent, home to many candomblé houses.
Beyond that, Bahia is the birthplace of culture, music, creativity, and a diverse, mestizo people, mostly Black, with unique characteristics revealed through its history, cultures, and religions.
Joy: musicality, rhythms, colors
Hospitality: Willingness to serve, a way of receiving love
Syncretism: faith, belief, hope, and mysticism
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About Setur-BA
The Department of Tourism (Setur) was created by Law No. 10.549, on December 28, 2006, with the purpose of planning, coordinating, and implementing policies to promote and foster tourism. Setur has been advancing in this field through participation in industry events, the creation of new tourism products—such as São João da Bahia—and initiatives to encourage emerging segments like Afro-ethnic and Religious Tourism.
With the vision that tourism is a key driver for generating employment and income for the people of Bahia, the Department invests in the training of professionals and entrepreneurs from related sectors and provides guidance to lodging facilities. To further develop tourism, Setur also works on attracting flights to connect multiple destinations to Bahia, as well as strengthening the state’s international connections.
To find out more, visit: https://www.ba.gov.br/turismo/
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