One of the most famous specks of coastline in beautiful Bahia, the stylish beach town of Trancoso embodies delightfully contradictory qualities. It is both posey and insouciant, a celebrity mecca, home to some of Brazil’s finest luxury hotels but that still sustains the warm, languid vibe of the hippies and artists who put down roots here in the 1970s. The region’s history goes back much further than this though. Known as the “Discovery Coast” this was the first stretch of the Brazilian coastline sighted by Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral 500 years ago and the Jesuits founded the town we know today as Trancoso shortly afterward, making it one of the oldest villages in Brazil.

The exquisitely understated church that crowns the quadrado (village square) dates from this period. The history of the indigenous pataxó people, who live in this region is, of course, many centuries older still. Join one of the numerous festivals that mix catholic rituals with local traditions, for a colourful way to tap into history. Our collection of luxury pousadas and VIP villas combined with boat trips to hidden coves, sporting and cultural activities, and dining at Bahia’s best restaurants means you’ll have nothing to think about but basking on the endless stretch of golden sand, swimming in the clearest turquoise waters, or galloping on a horse into the sunset in the Brazilian tropics.