Bahian Delights

Culture, Cuisine, and Conservation in Salvador

Salvador is where Portuguese, African, and Indigenous influences melt into a unique fusion across gastronomy, religion, and culture. Spend four days discovering this UNESCO World Heritage Site through its food, its people, and its preservation by walking the 17th and 18th century streets of the Pelourinho (city center), eating some of the finest local cuisine, and, in the beautiful Praia do Forte, learn about the extraordinary whale research and conservation efforts at the Projeto Baleia Jubarte.

Day 1 - Disembark / Salvador, Brazil

Disembark this morning and enjoy a final day with your fellow travelers before checking into our hotel this afternoon. We will have the afternoon at leisure before reconvening with our local guide to embark on the first of many Bahian delights. Our dinner this evening will give us a modern take on the finest local Bahian ingredients with a multi-course tasting menu carefully crafted by the chefs at a restaurant in the Caminho das Arvores section of the city.

Day 2 - Salvador

The theme of the day is fusion. No other regional cuisine in Brazil is as distinctive as that of Bahia where Mediterranean, African, indigenous, and Asian influences form the basis of this truly unique cuisine. The challenge is to bring all of these together and what better way than with the assistance of leading local chef?

Following breakfast, we meet with our chef at a bustling local market, the source for all of the ingredients for the moqueca, Bahian cuisine’s signature dish. A subtle blend of the above ingredients, the moqueca is a seafood dish prepared in an earthenware wok-like dish and brought to the table directly from the stove, a delight for the eyes, nostril and palate. Dessert will also draw on the imported seasonings such as clove and cinnamon. After lunch, discover the complex and beautiful Angolan and Brazilian martial art of Capoeira, designated as Brazilian National Cultural Heritage.

Dinner this evening will be in an historic building overlooking Baía de Todos os Santos (Bay of All Saints), where a fusion of Brazilian and Mediterranean cuisine will be served.

Day 3 - Praia do Forte / Salvador

This morning we drive north to the Praia do Forte. Now a seaside tourist attraction known for its crystalline waters and beaches, its roots lie in Bahia’s fishing culture. We’ll visit the ruins of Castelo Garcia D'Ávila, one of the largest and earliest fazendas (plantations) in the country. From here, enjoy a panoramic view of the north coast. Lunch today will be the freshest catch of the day in the village of Praia do Forte.

This afternoon, we will visit the headquarters of the Projeto Baleia Jubarte (Humpback Whale Institute). Learn about the whales of the region from a local biologist and ongoing preservation efforts. Enjoy some free time down on the beach or in the village before driving back to the hotel. Tonight’s dinner will be at one of the finest restaurants in the city in the trendy and bohemian Rio Vermelho district. Bask in the sumptuous local art on the walls while you feast on some of the most imaginative dishes in the city, all made from locally sourced ingredients.

Day 4 - Salvador / Home

Our final day in Salvador explores a key, if mysterious and misunderstood, element of Salvador’s Afro-Brazilian identity. The tradition of Candomblé fuses the Yoruba, Bantu, and Fon religions of West African slaves and Roman Catholic colonists into the unique form that exists today. We will visit a traditional terreiro (house of worship) from the turn of the 20th century, when Brazilian independence from Portugal meant freedom of religion. Set outside of the city to avoid conflict with those of more conventional and Portuguese religious practices, the temple grounds are now an oasis in the metropolis that built up around it. It remains a place where the Candomblé tradition and social values are honored and practiced, as our local community guide will explain.

On our way back to the hotel we’ll enjoy a farewell lunch nearby before returning to freshen up, collect our belongings, check-out, and transfer to the Salvador airport for onward flights.

Costs & What's Included

Occupancy

Double Occupancy

Single Occupancy

Cost Includes:

Four hotel nights in Salvador, meals as indicated, group transfers from/to airports, all sightseeing with an English-speaking guide, service charges, and services of a Lindblad Staff Leader (for groups of 10 or more).

Not included:

All airfares; ask for details on flight recommendations and availability. Items of a personal nature. Gratuities to guides and drivers are not expected in Brazil; for exceptional service, guests may tip at their discretion.