Ilha Itaparica | Lovely Island A Few Minutes From Salvador

Beautiful Island only 25 minutes from Salvador by boat, Ilha Itaparica.

Itaparica Island (Ilha Itaparica) is Brazil´s largest island in the sea (there are bigger islands surrounded by fresh water in the Amazon estuary).  It is one of two islands you should definitely visit when coming to Salvador, Bahia, Brasil.  The other one is Morro de Sao Paulo, covered in another post here.  Ilha Itaparica, located in the All Saint's Bay is not the only island in the bay.  Actually the bay is filled with interesting islands, however Itaparica is the largest.  If interested we can help arrange a schooner to take you on a tour of the islands in the bay including Ilha Itaparica.  Click this Bahia Tours link to arrange your trip.

Ilha Itaparica is one of the many magical places located  in Bahia, Brasil.  If you head out to the island during the daytime in the low season (April - October) you can pretty much get the entire beach to yourself.  Many Brasileiros (Brazilians) like to head to Ilha Itaparica on the weekends, especially during the high season.  There are some nice restaurants, pousadas, and even a cool night scene during high season.

There are plenty of boats that leave to go to Ilha Itaparica all day long, however many people just take the ferry boats that come back and forth between Itaparica and Salvador every hour.  You can even take your car.

I included some info about Ilha Itaparica as well as pictures and video footage from a family trip out there a few years back.  The history of the island is very interesting.  This was one of the first points of contact for the European explorers into the Western Hemisphere.

Ilha Itaparica | A Stone's Throw From the City

taken from wikipedia

Ilha Itaparica is a Brazilian island in All Saint's Bay (Portuguese: Baia de Todos de Santos), about 10 km from the city of Salvador, Bahia. It is known for hosting the Sul America Open tennis competition. In the island, there are two cities: Itaparica and Vera Cruz.

Itaparica can be reached in about one hour by ferry from Salvador. The smaller passenger-ferry departs from near the Mercado Modelo, while the larger car-ferry goes from about two km north to Bom Despacho.

It is the former home of the tennis tournament, the ATP Itaparica.
Ilha Itaparica has 40 km of beaches suitable for tourists and exuberant tropical vegetation.

 Here is some video footage of my family's last trip to Itaparica Island:

Meet the genuine Brazil on Itaparíca Island next to Salvador. Enjoy a holiday in the sun on beaches that seem not to have an end. This is a place that Brazilians themselves choose for their holidays. The sea breeze comforts, and it is never cold. Itaparica Island offers a peace and calm in a lush green landscape, and Salvador offers everything that you can expect from a city with 2.6 milliion inhabitants.

Ilha Itaparica and Salvador: Climate

Salvador da Bahia, the state capital, is situated at 13 degrees south of the equator. Traveling eastward across the Atlantic you will reach Angola. The climate is tropical, hot all year round.

BAHIA SPOTLIGHT: CHAPADA DIAMANTINA (DIAMOND PLATEAU)

Português: O rio da pratinha entrando na grande gruta... aguas cristalinas! Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brasil.  English: The little silver river entering the great grotto... crystalline water! Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil.

Chapada Diamantina

Chapada Diamantina is a region of Bahia state in the Northeast of Brazil.
The Chapada Diamantina has a dramatic landscape with high plains, table-top mesas, and steep cliffs or towers known as 'tepuy.' Before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 1800s, the only local inhabitants of the region were indigenous Indians from the Maracas and Cariris tribes.

 Chapada is a Brazilian word that means a region of steep cliffs, usually at the edge of a plateau. Diamantina
refers to the diamonds found there in the mid-19th century.

The Diamantina Tableland Region

Chapada Diamantina.

The geographical center of Bahia is the Diamantina Tableland region. In this mountainous region with a diversified topography, 90% of the rivers of the Paraguaçu, Jacuípe and Rio das Contas basins have their source here. There are thousands of kilometers of clear waters that spring from these mountains and descend in cascades and waterfalls to plateaus and plains, forming beautiful natural pools.

FESTA NOSSA SENHORA DA BOA MORTE FESTIVAL

Fest Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (Order of Our Lady of the Good Death)

The Festa Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte A.K.A. Boa Morte Festival is an incredible event to witness!  The Irmandade da Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte means Order of our Lady of the Good Death.  It is a Candomble sorority that has been going strong for nearly two hundred years.

Once every year the sisterhood of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte holds an event where the Virgin Mary is marched through the town while festivities celebrating this colorful event take place.  (read below for more info)

I have witnessed the Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte Festival and it was very impressive.  People from all over the world come to this small town called Cachoeira to witness this event.  Click this link if you would like to attend this wonderful event.

This article can be found @ Wikipedia here.

The Order of Our Lady of the Good Death (Irmandade da Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte) is a small but renowned Afro-Catholic religious group in the state of Bahia, Brazil.

Founded in the early 19th century as a Church-sponsored beneficent Sisterhood for female African slaves and former slaves, it became one of the oldest and most respected worship groups for Candomblé, the major African-based religion in Brazil. Presently reduced to about thirty members (from 200 or so at its height), most of them over fifty, it still attracts worshipers every year, especially at its August festival.

History of the Festa Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte A.K.A. Boa Morte Festival

The history of the Irmandade da Boa Morte ("Sisterhood of the Good Death"), a religious confraternity devoted to the Assumption of the Virgin, is part of the history of mass importation of blacks from the African coast to the cane-growing catchment area around the port of Salvador, Bahia, known as the Recôncavo Baiano. Iberian adventurers built several towns in this area, one of them being Cachoeira, which was the second most important economic center in Bahia for three centuries.

IEMANJA/YEMAYA FESTIVAL IN BAHIA, BRAZIL 2011

Here is some footage of the Procession for Yemaya recorded February 2nd, 2011 in Salvador, Bahia - Brasil.

Truly Magical Event. Pretty cool to witness.

If you are interested in visiting Bahia, Brazil to witness events like this live go here: www.bahiabraziltours.com

Yemaya is an orisha, originally of the Yoruba religion, who has become prominent in many Afro-American religions. Africans from what is now called Yorubaland brought Yemaya and a host of other deities/energy forces in nature with them when they were brought to the shores of the Americas as captives. She is the ocean, the essence of motherhood, and a protector of children.

BAHIA SPOTLIGHT: THE SMALL TOWN OF ITACARÉ

Itacaré

click here to see entire article

Gorgeous beaches, tropical forest, waterfalls, good waves for surfing, capoeira, adventure sports... Come to Itacaré!
Itacaré is a small town in the cocoa zone of the state of Bahia, south of Salvador, with beautiful beaches, good vibes and generous nature. The ambiance in Itacaré is unique. Surf culture is present everywhere. The Bahians are friendly and like to party. At night there’s an air of magic in the little bars in town.

With many people from all over the world who came to live in Itacaré, the atmosphere is cosmopolite, relaxed, typically Bahian and definitely different from any other place in Brazil.
The coast of Itacaré is a succession of beaches and hills covered with palms and tropical forest. The region is a perfect setting for Adventure Sports like white-water rafting, canyoning, biking, kayaking, paragliding...

ATLANTIC RAINFOREST

Besides more than 20 beaches, Itacaré has rivers, waterfalls and a great Atlantic Rainforest reserve. The harmony of forests with waterfalls and beaches is one of the most exotic and beautiful ever seen in Brazil.

The region in the south of Bahia, more specifically the band contained the Jequitinhonha and Contas Rivers, preserve the most significant parcel of Atlantic Rainforest in the northeast of Brazil. The forests of this region are characterized by tall trees with leaves that always remain green and the abundance of epiphytes. There you'll find species threatened with extinction like the yellow-breasted twig monkey and the ring-necked sloth.

The Atlantic Rainforest is considered by the worldwide scientific community one of the richest combined ecosystems in diversity of animals and plants species in the world and the second most threatened with extinction. Because of this fact, in 1991 UNESCO elevated the Atlantic Rainforest to the category of Biosphere Reserve, being today one of the three mayor conservation priorities in the world.

PARKS AND RESERVES

The principal conservations areas of the region are APA of Itacaré/Serra Grande and Serra do Conduru State Park.

The Area of Environmental Protection – APA of Itacaré/Serra Grande – is considered as a "Heritage of Humanity". Its limits are marked in the north by the mouth of the Contas River, in the south by Sargi Creek and in the east by the Atlantic Ocean; with an area of approximately 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of rich fauna and flora.

The Serra do Conduru State Park has an area of approximately 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres). It covers important sections of Atlantic Rainforest which are still preserved. A survey performed there by botanists from the New York Botanical Gardens identified 456 different vegetal species in a single hectare (2.47 acres), a world record.
 
WALKING THROUGH FORESTS AND AMONG RIVERS

Nature is the main tourist attraction of Itacaré.

WORLD TRAVELER: INTERVIEW WITH DJ ETC LIVE FROM BAHIA

An interview with DJ ETC live from Salvador, Bahia in Brazil. Listen to his parting take on the country and his advice for the Brothers and Sisters out there interested in widening their horizons and traveling abroad.

www.mooraboutbahia.com

www.bahiabraziltours.com

AFRO BRAZILIAN HERITAGE TOURISM IN BAHIA FREE PUBLICATION

I recommend this online book to anyone with interest in Brazil, in particular the state of Bahia. This is a great publication in English with beautiful pictures and descriptions of Bahia.  It is a great read, whether you make the trip to Bahia, Brasil or not you will have a thorough understanding of the beautiful culture of this mystical place.  Filled with great info and pictures on Salvador, Bahia and this Mecca of Afro Brazilian culture.

Open publication - Free publishing

This is a publication from the Secretary of Tourism for the State of Bahia in Brasil.

Visit us at Bahia Brasil Tours

Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bahiabraziltours 

PITUACU PARK: ATLANTIC RAINFOREST IN THE BIG CITY

Pituaçu Park brings together in one space the exuberance of coastal rainforest vegetation and the wonder of works of art by renown Bahian artists.

Pituaçu Park  is situated across from Pituaçu beach (as can be seen in the photo above).  It is next to the Atlantic Ocean and contains a 1,000-acre-plus reserve of Atlantic rainforest.

Click read more to see more pictures and video footage

LOCAL CULTURE: INDIGENOUS TRIBE IN BAHIA

This place was always called Bahia...One of the names for the tribes that still exist today is Baenã.  They don't look like the Indians you see on t.v. in the U.S. either.

check out this link for the complete article: http://pib.socioambiental.org/en/povo/pataxo-ha-ha-hae/print

Introdução

The indigenous peoples today known generically by the ethnonym Pataxó Hãhãhãe are made up of the Baenã, Pataxó Hãhãhãe, Kamakã, Tupinambá, Kariri-Sapuyá and Gueren ethnic groups. Inhabitants of the south of Bahia state, the contact history of these groups with non-indigenous populations has been shaped by land expropriations, forced relocations, the transmission of diseases and killings. The land reserved for them by the State in 1926 was invaded and largely converted into private farms. The slow and tortuous process of regaining these lands began in the 1980s only: a successful conclusion still appears to be some way off, with the reserve remaining under judicial consideration.

Direct contact

Follow the latest news and events concerning the Pataxó Hã-hã-hãe, and other groups, on the web a: http://indiosonline.org.br and http://webbrasilindigena.org

Location and population

The population inhabits the Caramuru-Paraguaçu Indigenous Reserve, 54,099 ha in size, in the south of
Bahia, in the municipalities of Itajú do Colônia, Camacã and Pau-Brasil. This area is currently being kept under judicial consideration. Some also live in the Fazenda Baiana Reserve, 304 ha in size, in Camamu municipality in the far south of Bahia.

In May 2005 the population living in the

MOORISH HISTORY AND ISLAM IN BRAZIL

One of the keys to researching Moorish history is the understanding that the terms "muslim" and "islam" when applied to Africans, especially in the Western Hemisphere, is a code word for Moor.  This is a result of the Spanish Inquisition, which never truly ended.

Muslim slaves in 18th century's Bahia, Brazil

Click Here To View Source
Cabral did not discovered Brazil; a half of the slaves brought to the Americas must well have been Muslims; the Quilombo of Palmares followed Muslim orientation; Portugal and Spain were Muslims by 800 years until just two years before Cabral having arrived at Brazil ...

This, not to mention that the Reformation had Muslim support ... In short: the history of Brazil and the Americas is undergoing an amazing revision that is still not entirely known even by the Latin American academy and deeply involves the Muslims. This and more is approached through a variety of media in: http://www.martinsbenperrusi.com/crbst_41.html

Original Article Here:
Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas
Muslims' love for education continued in slavery wherever possible. Gilberto Freyre, the Brazilian scholar is quoted as saying "in the slave sheds of Bahia in 1835 there were perhaps more persons who knew how to read and write than up above, in the Big Houses [of slave owners]".

What happened to these Muslims when slavery was officially over? Diouf does report narratives recorded as late as the 1940s about how Islam was practiced by some African-American descendants of slaves in the islands of the North Carolinas. Steven Barboza (1993) also mentions that in 1910 there were some 100,000 African Muslims in Brazil.

Wikipedia, Islam in Brazil
Islam in Brazil was first practiced by African slaves. The early Brazilian Muslims led the largest slave revolt in Brazil, which then had the largest slave population of the world. The next significant migration of Muslims was by Arabs from Syria and Lebanon. The number of Muslims in Brazil according to the 2000 Brazilian census was 27,239^[1], or 0.00016% of the total population. According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life's 2009 report, that number had grown to 191,000^[2], or 0.096% of the total population.

History

Capoeira or the Dance of War by Johann Moritz Rugendas, 1835

The history of Muslims in Brazil begins with the importation of African slave labor to the country. Brazil obtained 37% of all African slaves traded, and more than 3 million slaves were sent to this one country. Starting around 1550, the Portuguese began to trade African slaves to work the sugar plantations once the native Tupi people deteriorated. Scholars claim that Brazil received more enslaved Muslims than anywhere else in the Americas.^[3]

Malê Revolt

The Muslim uprising of 1835 in Bahia illustrates the condition and legacy of resistance among the community of Malês, as African Muslims were known in 19th century Bahia. The majority of the participants were Nago, the local designation for ethnic Yoruba. Many of the "Malês" had been soldiers and captives in the wars between Oyo, Ilorin and other Yoruba city-states in the early part of the 19th Century. Other participants included Hausa and Nupe clerics, along with Jeje or Dahomean soldiers who had converted to Islam or fought in alliance with Muslims.^[4]."

BASIC INFO ABOUT THE CAPITAL OF BAHIA, SALVADOR

posted on Salvador - eTrip Tips Wiki

Salvador  

From eTripTips Wiki

Salvador is the capital of the state of Bahia, Brazil. With a charming Old Town (a World Heritage Site), a vibrant musical scene and popular Carnival celebrations, it is considered one of the birthplaces of Brazilian culture.

History

Founded in 1549, Salvador was the capital in the heyday of the slave trade. The legacy remains today in its large black population, and the resulting culture in many ways outshines the rest of Brazil -- in music, many of the greatest names from the mid-20th century to the present hail from here, such as Dorival Caymmi, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso. In literature, the late Jorge Amado was also from the region. It's a vibrant, exciting city, and its people are quite friendly.

Orientation

Salvador is located on a peninsula which shields the large Baía de Todos os Santos ("Bay of All Saints") from the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the third largest in Brazil, sprawling for dozens of kilometers inland from the coast. Most visitors head for the coastal neighborhoods that cluster around where the bay meets the ocean.

A 100m cliff runs along the entire bayshore, dividing the city into Cidade Alta, up on the cliff, and the Cidade Baixa down by the bay. The former features Pelourinho, the old city center that packs historical sites, colonial architecture, museums, restaurants, bars, hostels, artesanal shops, and music/dance/capoeira academies into a convenient, if tourist-swarmed, set of winding cobblestone streets. The latter features a commercial center with lots of bus traffic coming in from all over Salvador.

Outside of this area, there are many beach districts that stretch from the tip of the peninsula northeast along the Atlantic coast. The Barra neighborhood at the tip of the peninsula is the main alternative jumping-off point to Pelourinho, and a little further to the northeast are the hip neighborhoods of Rio Vermelho and Amaralina, which feature a nightlife less geared to the foreign tourism industry. A decent bus ride beyond these is the neighborhood of Itapuã, which has an energetic beachside nightlife and relatively few foreign visitors. Northward from there are kilometers and kilometers of gorgeous beaches, all accessible by bus.

The bayshore coast north beyond Pelourinho features a more tranquil

THE ART OF CAPOEIRA IN BRAZIL

A lot of people were exposed to Capoeira, the Brazilian martial art, thru this guy right here, Eddy Gordo from the game Tekken (and also the movie Tekken).  The way that Capoeira in Brazil developed has made the martial art a worldwide cultural phenomenom.  You can now find Capoeira schools all over the world.

There is a great Brazilian movie called Besouro that was filmed right in the Mecca of Capoeira, the state of Bahia.  Bahia is where Capoeira was created and also where the culture is strongest.  Back to Besouro, check  it out.  It's like a Capoeira Kung Fu movie (complete with high-wire special effects made popular by Kung Fu flicks) where actual figures from Brazilian/Bahian history have there stories told in super hero fashion.  The main character is definitely larger than life in the movie.  If you are a fan or practitioner of Capoeira you have to check out this film. 

article found here:

Capoeira in Brazil

Capoeira (Portuguese pronunciation: [kapuˈejɾɐ]) is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance. It was created in Brazil by African slaves by mixing the many fighting styles from many of their tribes, sometime after the sixteenth century.^[1] It was developed in the region of Quilombo dos Palmares, located in the Brazilian state of Alagoas, which was the state of Pernambuco before dismemberment,^[2] and has had great influence on Afro-Brazilian generations, with strong presence in the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.^[2] Participants form a roda, or circle, and take turns either playing musical instruments (such as the Berimbau), singing, or ritually sparring in pairs in the center of the circle. The sparring is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, takedowns, and with extensive use of leg sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Less frequently used techniques include elbow strikes, slaps, punches, and body throws. Its origins and purpose are a matter of debate, with theories ranging from views of Capoeira as a uniquely Brazilian folk dance with improvised fighting movements to claims that it is a battle-ready fighting form directly descended from ancient African techniques.^[3]

Etymology

The word "capoeira" had a probable origin as a derisive term used by slave owners to refer to its practice as chicken fights (the word literally means "chicken coop" in Portuguese). Another claim is that the word "capoeira" derives from the Native-American language Tupi-Guarani words kaá ("leaf", "plant") and puéra (past aspect marker), meaning "formerly a forest."^{[citation needed]}

Afro-Brazilian art form

Capoeira in Brazil is a direct descendant of African fighting styles, and was incorporated with Brazilian dance form distilled from African slaves in Brazil which is in essence from various African and Brazilian influences.^[3]

CANDOMBLÉ

Candomblé

 

This was taken from Wikipedia.
Candomblé is an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion, practised chiefly in Brazil by the "povo de santo" (people of saint). It originated in the cities of Salvador, the capital of Bahia and Cachoeira, at the time one of the main commercial crossroads for the distribution of products and slave trade to other parts of Bahia state in Brazil. Although Candomblé is practiced primarily in Brazil, it is also practiced in other countries in the Americas, including Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Mexico, and in Europe in Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

The religion is based in the anima (soul) of Nature, and is also known as Animism. It was developed in Brazil with the knowledge of African Priests that were enslaved and brought to Brazil, together with their mythology, their culture and language, between 1549 and 1888.

The rituals involve the possession of the initiated by Orishas, offerings and sacrifices of the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdom, healing, dancing/trance and percussion. Candomblé draws inspiration from a variety of people of the African Diaspora, but it mainly features aspects of Yoruba orisha veneration.

Overview

In many parts of the Latin America, Orishás are now conflated with Roman Catholic saints. This religion, like many African religions, is an oral tradition and therefore has not been put into text throughout the years. Only recently have scholars and people of this religion begun to write down their practices. The name Batuque is also used, especially before the 19th century when Candomblé became more common. Both words are believed to derive from a Bantu-family language, mainly that of (Kongo Kingdom).

Candomblé may be called Macumba in some regions, notably Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, although

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COMPLETE INFO FOR THE BAHIA TOUR

 For everyone interested in going on a trip to Bahia, Brazil these links will give you a complete understanding of all aspects regarding this tour.  I believe I have covered everything.  If you have any further questions email me @
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Click Here to Reserve Your Tour!

Location: Salvador, Bahia-Brazil

Included in Tour

-Apartment/Hotel with breakfast and maid service. 

-City tours with transportation and bilingual guide.

 -Airport pick-up/drop-off. 

-Boat ride to the local island of Itaparica (schooner).

- Salvador Bahia Tour Bus see entire city

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