Valença is the largest city in the region called “Dendê Coast” and that goes from Cairu to Valença itself.
Valencia, a natural path to the trendy Morro de São Paulo, is a river port and an important commercial center that supplies Cairu. Camamu and other cities in the region.
Valença is the main starting point to discover Morro de São Paulo. Many people leave their car near the city's pier and go by boat to the Tinharé Island.
Another option is to take the road to the Guaibim berth, 14 km from the Center, from where boats depart for Morro.
On Guaibim beach are the best inns in Valença. The best beaches, however, are Barra do Jiquiriçá and Ponta do Garcez.
Its streets and squares have buildings that date back to the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. Anyone who walks through the city and observes the old houses has the impression of having gone back in time.
The village began to develop late and was only promoted to a village in 1789, when it received the name Nova Valença.
It was the first city in Bahia to have an industry: the Fabric Factory Todos os Santos, inaugurated in 1844.
See the map of the Dende Coast
Its inhabitants, along with those from Cachoeira and Santo Amaro, engaged in the War of Independence in 1823, which earned the city the title of “A Decided”.
It was in Valença that Lord Cochrane, hired by the Brazilian government to fight the Portuguese fleet, docked his ships.
Watch the video about Valença in Bahia
The city was also in evidence during World War II, when German submarines sank two Brazilian ships in its vicinity.
The rescued survivors were brought to Valença, where they received medical care, a fact that once again earned it a special name, this time "A Hospitaleira", which prevails to this day, as the local population usually welcomes its visitors.
Currently, Valença's economy is based on the production of cloves, pepper, coconut and palm oil; in fishing; and profitable shrimp farming in captivity. Its shipyards, still handcrafted, conserve techniques from the XNUMXth century.
From one of them came a replica of the Nina nau, one of Christopher Columbus' vessels, used in Ridley Scott's 1492 film.
Tourism is being revitalized in the city, which has a good hotel park.
Sights in Valença in Bahia
Church of Nossa Senhora do Amparo
Those arriving by boat on the Rio Una can see the church on the top of the hill.
Your insides. covered with Portuguese tiles, it has XNUMXth century images and paintings and neoclassical altars in white and gilded woodcarving.
Nossa Senhora do Amparo is the patron saint of workers: A church in her honor began to be built soon after the installation of the fabric factory.
Mother Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The temple with neoclassical lines, which has precious images from the 1801th and XNUMXth centuries, had its construction completed in XNUMX.
City Council of Councilors
The 1849 mansion was used as a residence for Comendador Sena Madureira, one of the owners of the fabric factory Nossa Senhora do Amparo.
After his death, he was sold to the municipality. Successive renovations and restorations sought to preserve the lines of the building, which preserves the original floors, the garden with a fountain and an old bench with a tiled back.
The property has portraits and furniture donated by the Sena Madureira family.
Fórum
The XNUMXth-century building that was the residence of the Councilor of the Republic Zacarias de Góes and Vasconcelos, is today the seat of the Forum of Valença.
Municipal theater
The wealth generated by the textile and fishing industries at the beginning of the XNUMXth century demanded a cultural space compatible with this prosperity.
Thus, in 1910, the Municipal Theater was built, which integrates the set of historic buildings in Praça da República, which is still in operation today.
Fabric Factory Ruins
During the imperial period, the Fabric Factory Todos os Santos, on the banks of the Una River, was the most important textile mill in the country.
It was the first in Brazil to use hydraulic energy: the old water wheels that powered the machines were later replaced by hydroelectric turbines.
The factory used to employ 300 workers, a high number for the time, but due to the market crisis at the end of the XNUMXth century, it found itself on the verge of bankruptcy.
Incorporated by the Fabric Factory Nossa Senhora do Amparo, it works today under the name Valença Têxtil, at another address.
Rapids of Sarapuí
There are a total of seven rapids, a challenge for rafting practitioners. The largest of the waterfalls is the Cachoeira da Andorinha.
Guaibim
The village has 15 km of beaches.
In addition to all the cultural and historical wealth, the municipality of Valença also has the Guaibim beach, a tourist region known for the sea that is suitable for surfing due to the strong waves.
Bordered by coconut trees and remnants of native forests, the beach is 17 kilometers from the city center. Access can be done by car, via the BA-001.
Those who prefer can also take a bus on the edge of the city.
In the region of Guaibim, southbound, is the “Praia do Curral”. The region is suitable for bathers who seek greater tranquility, but the characteristics of the sea are the same.
Some have tourist infrastructure, such as Guaibizinho, Guaibim and Taquary, while others, practically untouched, are preferred by those who want to walk along long stretches of sand.
The town, which has a harbor, attracts both water sports practitioners and visitors who just want to ride a schooner. Guaibim hosts surfing championships.
Corral tip
On this beautiful deserted beach, a nesting site for sea turtles, located in an APA, the first head of cattle in the country landed in 1557.
The then existing corral gave rise to the name of the place. In the village of Guaibim, local guides provide “ecological transport” (trailer pulled by a tractor) to Ponta do Curral.
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