Bahia

Brazil's African heritage defines the staggeringly beautiful Northeastern state of Bahia. Bahia’s centerpiece is Salvador, a sprawling colonial city with historic churches, cobblestone streets, lively festivals, powerful percussion reverberating off old stone walls and capoeiristas (practitioners of capoeira) moving against the backdrops of 16th-century buildings. Beyond the city limits, Bahia awaits with more than 550mi (900km) of coastline, World Heritage–listed sites, deserted beaches and paradisaical islands. In the south, idyllic coastal villages attract vacationers and divers, while inland, the spectacular Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina features waterfalls and quiet hiking paths waiting to be explored.