Ilheus
Ilhéus, Jorge Amado's birthplace, is the best-known town in Brazil, scene of his most famous novel. In downtown you will find buildings rich in history, countless bars, restaurants and other enterprises here that take their names from characters in Amado novels. Surrounded by the Atlantic forest habitat, Ilhéus sits on a small hill overlooking the prettiest beach in the state of Bahia. Much of it is modern but it's still an attractive place. The streets of the colonial center contain a number of charming buildings, as well as the Cathedral of Sao Sebastiao and the restored Municipal Theatre. The 1556 Igreja Matriz de São Jorge has a religious art museum, while the domed roof and towers of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Lourdes dominate the shoreline nearest to the center. At the Cocoa Farm one will feel how the old "Cocoa Colonels" lived and know all about cocoa plantation techniques of this golden fruit from a visit to the Cocoa Research Centre. There are beaches to the north of the port. Ilhéus is part of the Cocoa Coast and preserves veritable ecological sanctuaries.