Recommendations from family and friends made my first trip to Rio, Trancoso, and Salvador unforgettable.
The moment was a peaceful introduction to a place where the city and sea spill into each other.
Mytour guide, Edson Eddie Vander Campos Alves, was lively and informative.
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Through her passionate knowledge, the streets of Little Africa came alive.
Some of my favorite meals included:
Mesa do Ladois a gastrosensorial experience created by Michelin chef Claude Troisgros.
Oteque also features many organic wines, chosen by sommelier Leonardo Silveira.
Ismail Salahuddin
Shaded wooden tables surrounded by lush plants offer views of Rio in the distance.
To get there, I flew just under two hours from Rio to Porto Seguro airport.
Like its Rio sibling, the property came highly recommended by several friends for its sweeping location.
Tomas Rangel
For a more isolated location, consider Rio da Barra, about a 15-minute drive north of the Quadrado.
I ate alfresco in their garden restaurant, on grounds also home to a small boutique hotel.
The gastronomic experience is hosted in Leites six-suite guesthouse that overlooks the ocean and a mountainside bursting with plants.
Mariana Monteiro
This intimate celebration of Bahian food was my favorite part of visiting Trancoso.
Carnival celebrations in Rio and Salvador in 2025 will occur at the end of February.
Salvador has the largest population of African descendants outside of Africa.
Ismail Salahuddin
Nearly every revered tradition in Brazil today, from capoeira to Carnival, was created by formerly enslaved people.
During slavery, many descendants of enslaved women gained their freedom and financial independence by selling these snacks.
AtCasa de Tereza, you might try acarajes and another famous Bahian dish moqueca.
Courtesy of Hotel Fasano Trancoso
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Antonio Soto
Ismail Salahuddin
