Bahia, Brazil

Bahia, fourth largest state in Brazil and larger than France. Last week I returned from a 10-trip to what seems like a remarkably small portion of Bahia.

Hosted by Embratur, the Brazilian tourist office, and Sebrae who support micro and small businesses in Brazil develop sustainably, the trip was primarily linked to bird watching and our small group of tour operators did see some fabulous birds. Most notably the hummingbirds pictured.

We travelled to two locations and across different biomes. We had a taste of the Mata Atlantica, the Atlantic rainforest that runs up Brazil for hundreds of kilometres behind the coastal fringe. Mammalian and bird species are different here to other biomes in Brazil and we got to see Weid’s black-tufted-ear marmoset, Callithrix kuhlii, as well as jacamars, toucans, aracaris, owls and many other species of birds as well as some beautiful butterflies.

The small town we stayed in was also just into the caatinga, a biome unique to Brazil. This is scrub country, cacti of all sizes can be found, sometimes almost looking like they were from a display garden. Many other diverse flora are also present with some beautiful and delicate flowers. Some of the birds are quite special too. Notably hummingbirds with several range restricted or migrant species including the hook-billed hermit, broad-tipped hermit and the stunning ruby-topaz hummingbird; but also the endemics: Bahia spinetail, silvery-cheeked antshrike, Rio de Janeiro antbird and the rare, secretive slender antbird. We also had walks to explore for other endemic species linked to the caatinga such as caatinga antwren and the caatinga cacholote seen in beautiful light one evening. We also squeezed into thick prickly bush to see the white-browed antpitta. Noisy cactus parakeets flew overhead and add to the endemic species seen. Unique experiences in a very different land that is not immediately understood.

The second location really does hold huge potential for sustainable tourism, and you should consider a visit when contemplating a Brazil holiday. The Chapada Diamantina are the greatest mountains in Brazil and hold some absolutely stunning waterfalls among incredible table-top scenery.

Some 6h by road, there is also an airport, from the state capital, Salvador, a UNESCO World Heritage site itself; is Lençóis, isolated 12km from the main road. Lençóis is a country town, very colourful, safe and jam packed with character. Its narrow, cobbled streets and the main square draw you in and there is a real buzz of an evening as music resounds from different restaurants and bars, yet mass tourism thankfully has not found this place yet. With a good hotel and some nice pousadas or guesthouses, there is a good choice of accommodation. But you really need to get out of town to fully enjoy the area.

The town borders Chapada Diamantina National Park and Muritiba, a walking area close to town and a variety of trails head out from here. However, most will head to the tabletop of Murro do Pai Inacio for incredible views and perhaps start other trails from below the monolith. If you enjoy nature, photography, mountains and local cultures then Chapada Diamantina is a place not to miss.

There are hiking trails from around 3 hours up to 4 or 5-day treks that often overnight in local village houses, helping them with an income and giving you a real taste of life in an inspiring land. Unlike Europe, most trails are not marked and so a guide is necessary, and we’d need to know a little about your hiking experience if you decided to travel into this beautiful wilderness.

The critically endangered blonde titi monkey, Callicebus barbarabrownae, the only endemic primate of the caatinga, and the endangered golden-bellied capuchin monkey, Cebus xanthosternos, inhabit the forests close by as do the more common black-tufted marmoset, Callithrix pencillata. Whilst not seen on this trip other mammals to be found in the area include: southern tamandua, crab-eating fox, rock cavy and nine-banded armadillo. There are some striking and endemic birds here too, the hooded visobearer, a hummingbird that inhabits the mountain bush country, Diamantina tapaculo which is severely range restricted to the mountain chain, as is the Sincora antwren. One morning also yielded the Sao Francisco sparrow, Dubois’s seedeater and the impressive great xenops all endemics.

So how does it fit into a Brazil holiday? If you are to visit you probably enjoy the outdoors and so might be visiting the Pantanal for wildlife encounters or coming back from a cruise in the Amazon rainforest before flying in for some exploration or adventures. Onwards it makes a perfect combination with the coast for some whale watching or relaxation on one of the many palm-fringed beaches, Bahia has over 1000km of coastline. The Maraú peninsula, Itacaré and Ilhéus are all to the south of Salvador and there are options further north too. As an added bonus there are daily flights on TAP Portugal into Salvador that connect with the a morning flight out of London Heathrow.

Interested? Then get in touch and I will be happy to talk through options for a Brazil holiday with you.