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 When the first cacao seedling arrived in Ilheus, in the middle of the
18th century, the life in the region changed and has never been the same. However, it was really in the last century that the cacao
plantantions began to produce riches and made Ilhéus a cultural and economic pole that it is today.
Land of the great rural landowners, cacao farmers, Ilhéus is without any doubts,
the principal city of the Costa do Cacau (Cacao Coast), a route that should be taken by the those who want to know the cultural and scenic
differences of the Baiana Coast.
It is just impossible to separate the development of the city from the growth of
the cacao cultivation. Ilhéus was the place where all the large cacao farmers of the region met to discuss business and, as a consequence, the
organization of the society occuring due to this success. The part of the city, for example, was only built to drain off the production, which
opened the doors of the city for the foreigners who arrived by the thousands looking for better life conditions.
The peak of the economical growth due to the cacao is exactly the period
described by Jorge Amado, the most famous son of the city, in his many romances. As a mather of fact, many times, the city is the principal
character. Even those who hardly know about the author's book are able to recognize during a short walk through Ilhéus, the places that are
part of the local imagination, like the Bar Vesúvio and the Cabaré Bataclã.
Thousands of tourists are attracted to the city just to see the places where the
facts that are narrated in Jorge Amado's books. Jorge Amado is one of the most read and translated authors in the world. The importance of the
author for the city is so big that there exists the "Jorge Amado Block", besides the Cultural Foundation which is seated in an old
residence on the seaside.
Cacao, homemade chocolate and Jorge Amado are already reasons, more than enough,
to make Ilhéus a good choice as a touristic route in the Coast of Bahia. There are beaches as well. To the south, there are 16 km of a seaside
road, with magnificant scenery and infrastructure to attend tourists. To the north, Ilhéus has 46 km of beaches, which are less fashionable
and longer but beautiful just the same.
Basic Information
DDD: 73
Population: 242.445
Time Zone: 3 GMT
Local Holidays:
- 01/07 - Lavagem da Catedral (Washing of the Cathedral)
- 06/28 - Aniversário da Cidade (Anniversary of the City)
- 09/13 - Travessia Ilhéus - Pontal (Ilhéus-Pontal Crossing)
- 13/12 - Abertura do Verão (Beginning of Summer) |
Presentation
