Of the towns listed in the Northeast, 11 are in Bahia and represent the process of occupation of the Bahian territory until the end of the 19th century.
The listed towns of Cachoeira, Itaparica, Porto Seguro and Santa Cruz de Cabrália represent this period, when sugar cane, and later tobacco, was the main economic activity.
The interiorisation of the territory, which intensified at the end of the 17th century, is represented by Rio de Contas, Mucugê, Igatu (in the municipality of Andaraí), Lençóis and Monte Santo.
These towns preserve the memory of the period of diamond mining in Brazil, which was fundamental to the occupation of the interior, and reveal the importance of religiosity in the structuring of this territory.
See also 11 historic cities in the Northeast that you must visit.
Historic towns in Bahia
- Cachoeira
- Igatu
- Itaparica Island
- Lençóis in Chapada Diamantina
- Monte Santo
- Mucugê
- Porto Seguro
- Rio de Contas
- Salvador de Bahia
- Santa Cruz de Cabrália
- São Félix
1. Cachoeira
Although they were overshadowed by oil exploration and refining in the second half of the 20th century, some of the towns still have the splendour of the colonial era.
The best example of the Recôncavo’s Baroque style is the town of Cachoeira, with its beautiful mansions and churches.
The city of Cachoeira in Bahia, on the left bank of the Paraguaçu River, forms a single municipality with the city of São Félix, on the right bank.
The Conservation Area has 670 buildings and in addition to the Colonial Collection, the D. Pedro II Bridge, the Market, the Railway Station and the Hydroelectric Station are important cultural landmarks.
In 1756, Cachoeira’s sugar cane and tobacco wealth helped to rebuild Lisbon, which had been completely destroyed by an earthquake.
The city of Cachoeira in Bahia was a pioneer in the Brazilian emancipation movement, with patriotic battalions led by Rodrigo Antônio Falcão Brandão (Baron of Belém) and Maria Quitéria de Jesus (the female soldier), among other figures in national history.
See The City of Cachoeira is a National Monument.
2. Igatu
Iphan inscribed the town of Igatu in Bahia in 2000 as an architectural, urban and landscape ensemble in the town of Igatu – a district in the municipality of Andaraí – also known as Xique-Xique do Igatu, Cidade de Pedras and as the “Bahian Machu Picchu” – in reference to the historic Peruvian stone city.
The listing covers the ruins of stone dwellings located between the bridge over the Coisa Boa River and the left bank towards the old mining road, with approximately 200 buildings. Igatu is considered a living museum of the history of diamond mining in Brazil.
The town of Igatu, in the Chapada Diamantina, has seen the heyday and decline of diamond mining, leaving traces of its history in the architecture and lifestyle of today’s inhabitants. It borders the Chapada Diamantina National Park on the Piaba River, a tributary of the Paraguaçu River.
See Igatu’s tourist attractions, Poço Azul and Poço Encantado.
3. Itaparica Island
Itaparica Island is located in the Bay of All Saints and has been occupied since the early days of Portuguese colonisation. Because of its strategic location, it was the target of attacks by the Dutch, who occupied the area and built a fort to defend it.
In 1704, after the Dutch left, the Portuguese built the São Lourenço Fort on the same site.
The architectural, urban and landscape complex of Itaparica was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument by Iphan in 1980.
Despite the changes that have taken place over the years, Itaparica has retained its original characteristics and is characterised by the uniformity of its many single-storey buildings.
The townhouses are few and far between, with the Igreja Matriz do Santíssimo Sacramento standing out. Itaparica developed along the beaches and towards Fonte da Bica, a source of mineral water that supplies the island and is sold nationally.
Since 1919, the town has held the title of Hydromineral Resort.
Lençóis in the Chapada Diamantina – Located in the Serra do Sincorá, part of the Chapada Diamantina National Park, the architectural and landscape ensemble of Lençóis was declared a National Heritage Site in 1973.
There are 570 properties under the protection of the Iphan. Between 1845 and 1871, the city was the world’s largest producer of diamonds and the third most important city in Bahia.
As an important trading post, it even hosted a French vice-consulate to facilitate trade with that country. Its architectural heritage consists mainly of houses and townhouses from the second half of the 19th century.
The buildings use a variety of techniques, mainly adobe or stone, and freestanding wooden structures with rammed earth fences.
The discovery of diamond mines in South Africa in 1865 and the simultaneous shortage of stones in the region led to the abandonment of trade and mining.
See Tourist Guide to the Municipalities of Itaparica and Vera Cruz on Itaparica Island.
4. Monte Santo
The architectural, urban, natural and landscape ensemble of Monte Santo in Bahia, listed by IPHAN in 1983, represents one of the greatest landmarks of syncretic religious movements in the Northeast – one of the “sacred mountains” of Brazil.
The city is located at the foot of the mountains, at the foot of Monte Santo. Historical records indicate that Antônio Vicente Mendes Maciel, or Antônio Conselheiro – the religious leader and founder of Canudos – visited Monte Santo around 1892 and carried out repairs and improvements to the Via Sacra, accompanied by thousands of followers.
Five years later, Monte Santo became the main military base for the bloody Canudos War.
These episodes served to consolidate the occupation of Monte Santo and increase its mystery and fame.
See Monte Santo in Bahia – Sights and History.
5. Mucugê
Mucugê is one of the oldest towns in the Chapada Diamantina, the centre of gold and diamond mining, and has been a Brazilian Heritage Site since 1980.
The ensemble listed by IPHAN consists of single-storey houses and townhouses dating from the second half of the 19th century, as well as two churches.
In the protected area is the Santa Isabel Cemetery, known as the “Byzantine Cemetery”, where there is a group of mausoleums with facades that reproduce miniature churches and chapels.
Known as the first region in Bahia where diamonds of real value were found, it had more than 30,000 inhabitants between 1844 and 1848.
Rich in natural landscapes such as waterfalls, valleys and ravines, the town’s cultural heritage also includes the stories of the struggles for possession of the diamond fields, against the invasion of the Prestes Column and the colonels.
Mucugê is 900 metres above sea level and has a privileged landscape.
6. Porto Seguro
The architectural and landscape complex of the upper town of Porto Seguro was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument by IPHAN in 1968.
The entire municipality, and Monte Pascoal in particular, was declared a National Monument on 18 April 1973.
In 2000, a re-listing was carried out to bring the protected area into line with the terms of the decree, covering around 800 properties.
Monte Pascoal, 536 metres high and located in what is now the Monte Pascoal National and Historical Park, was the first point sighted on the Brazilian coast and the landing place of the Portuguese in 1500.
Also noteworthy is the Landmark of the Discovery, located in a square in the upper town. Today, it stands on a platform protected by a glass dome and has four access ramps, the design of which refers to the Maltese cross, a symbol of courage and Christian virtues.
The colonisation of the Porto Seguro region – where the Tupiniquim Indians lived – is intertwined with the history of Brazil itself.
Porto Seguro is one of the most important tourist destinations in Brazil.
7. Rio de Contas
The town of Rio de Contas, located in the Chapada Diamantina, was declared a National Heritage Site by IPHAN in 1980. The architectural complex of Rio de Contas includes squares and streets that still show the old layout, with public and religious monuments in stone, adobe houses and baroque churches.
The area has 287 listed buildings, including religious and public monuments in stone.
The houses have elements reminiscent of the decoration that later appeared in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, with façades that were traditionally white with blue frames.
Rio de Contas lies to the south of the Chapada Diamantina and developed as a gold mining centre, becoming a true regional capital.
During the 19th century, all traffic to the southwest of the São Francisco river basin was via the Camino Real, between Goiás and Mato Grosso.
8. Salvador de Bahia
The urban and architectural complex contained within the polygonal area of Salvador’s historic centre – declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1985 – is one of the most important examples of Portuguese overseas urbanism.
With its alleys and hillsides, it is home to one of the richest urban complexes in Brazil, set on an acropolis, with a distinction between administrative and residential functions (at the top) and port and commercial functions (on the seafront).
Between 1938 and 1945, several monuments in the historic centre were listed by Iphan to ensure the preservation of Largo do Pelourinho and its immediate surroundings.
Salvador’s public spaces – Praça Municipal, Terreiro de Jesus, Caminho de São Francisco, Largo do Pelourinho, Largo de Santo Antônio and Largo do Boqueirão – form one of the richest urban ensembles of Portuguese origin, due to the layout of its streets, hillsides and alleys.
See What to see in Salvador de Bahia.
9. Santa Cruz de Cabrália
The landscape of Santa Cruz de Cabrália, especially the islet of Coroa Vermelha, the seafront and the architectural and landscape complex of the upper town have been declared a Historic-Artistic Heritage by IPHAN.
The Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição and the Casa de Câmara e Cadeia, the old Casa de Câmara e Cadeia and the Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição with its collection are under protection.
Historical records of Santa Cruz Cabrália state that Pedro Álvares Cabral had a cross with the royal arms and currency of Portugal erected in this area on 1 May 1500. Until May 1534, the area belonged to the captaincy of Porto Seguro.
The monuments were listed between 1979 and 1981.
See Santa Cruz de Cabrália is a historic city of great importance.
11. São Félix
The urban and landscape ensemble of São Félix was declared a Historic-Artistic Heritage Site in 2010. Located in the Recôncavo Baiano, the city is bathed by the Paraguaçu River and has a historical, urban and landscape interaction with Cachoeira, on the other side of the river.
An iron bridge, built by the British and inaugurated by King Pedro II in 1859, links the two historic sites.
Throughout the 19th century, during the republic, São Félix became known as the “industrial city” because it was the largest exporter of cigars in the country, and as a result of its economic development it received the old Bahia Central Railway in 1881.
It also stood out during the struggles and social mobilisations for Bahia’s independence.
Praça Inácio Tosta is the home of the abolitionist poet Castro Alves (1847-1871), author of Espumas Flutuantes (Floating Foams), who was born in the neighbouring town of Cachoeira.
See also History of Brazil.
Guide to the Northeast, Bahia and Salvador
