Ilhéus Sights

  1. Beaches

    City beaches are dirty. Your best bet is to head south, but even then you'll find that area's beaches are best for a futebol game (broad and flat), and it takes kilometers for the water to lose the muddy color of the river outflow. Praia dos Milionários (7km) has some barracas and is popular with locals, as is the prettier Praia Cururupe (12km), where a small river curves into the sea.

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  2. Casa de Jorge Amado

    Nobody is more responsible for bringing Bahian culture to the rest of the world than Jorge Amado, Brazil's most famous romanticist author. Amado's tales have been translated into 49 languages and read the world over. The Casa de Jorge Amado, where the great writer lived with his parents while working on his first novel, has been restored and turned into a Casa de Cultura, complete with an interesting display about the man himself. Amado became a national treasure well before his death in 2001.

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  3. Catedral Basílica San Marino

    The Catedral Basílica San Marino is the city's icon and a unique, eclectic mix of architectural styles.

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  4. City Center

    The city center is located on a beach-lined point that reaches into the mouth of the Rio Cachoeira, and is sandwiched between two hills. On the southern side of the s-curving river mouth is the modern neighborhood of Pontal. The best thing to do in Ilhéus is explore the old streets. The center has several old, gargoyled buildings. Lively during the day, the center clears out after dark, making it unsafe to wander.

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  5. Igreja de São Jorge

    The Igreja de São Jorge is the city's oldest church, dating from 1534, and houses a small sacred-art museum.

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  6. Prefeitura

    The best thing to do in Ilhéus is explore the old streets. The center has several old, gargoyled buildings such as the Prefeitura.

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