Bahia

Brazil's African heritage comes alive in the staggeringly beautiful Northeastern state of Bahia. The heady blend of two seemingly disparate cultures – classic Portuguese architecture and African drumbeats, Catholic churches and Candomblé (Afro-Brazilian religion) – is unique and, for most travelers, truly intoxicating. Bahia’s centerpiece is Salvador, a sprawling colonial city with gilded churches, cobblestone streets, lively festivals, powerful percussion reverberating off old stone walls and capoeiristas (practitioners of capoeira) battling against the backdrops of 16th-century buildings. Beyond the city limits, Bahia awaits with more than 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.