Over 100 tropical islands are dotted along Bahia's 932 kilometer coastline. Fifty of them are scattered up and down the Bay of All Saints, adding more beauty to the already lovely peninsular setting for the city of Salvador. For tours outside the city, try Morro de Sao Paulo, on Tinhare Island, with its many coves and coconut plantations. Two communities, Belmonte and Canavieiras feature canals amid a myriad of mangroves. We have already mentioned Porto Seguro, known as the birthplace of Brazil.
Ambiance is the operative word here, both day and night.
For the nature lover, seek out the Abrolhos archipelago, where migrating sea birds congregate, and where from August to November, humpback whales carry out their mating rituals. Inland, a mountain range, Chapada Diamentina presents unusual rock formations, interspersed with caves, rivers, waterfalls and lakes. Laughter and playful shouts echoed up from the lighthouse beach, where a game of volleyball was in progress. Even the friendly bickering at the markets had a happy tone. In the past, low income residents of Salvador, as elsewhere in Brazil, often lived in hillside hovels, without such facilities as electricity, garbage collection or running water.