Ilhéus

Ilhéus is a coastal city at the mouth of the Cachoeira River in southeastern Bahia. The municipality stretches along several beaches and includes both the historic old town and modern residential neighborhoods inland.

The settlement was established in 1532 as a Portuguese colonial outpost and grew from the 19th century into one of Brazil's largest cacao exporters until the 1980s. Economic decline began when a plant disease devastated the region's plantations.

The city gained international recognition through the novels of Jorge Amado, who was born here and set many of his stories in Ilhéus. Visitors can walk through streets and buildings that appear in his tales of cacao plantations and coastal life.

The regional airport offers direct connections to Salvador, and the main highway BR-101 runs through the city. Most hotels and restaurants concentrate along the beachfront and downtown area.

The airport is named after writer Jorge Amado in honor of the city's most famous resident. Parts of the municipal territory border protected rainforest areas that shelter rare primate species.

Location: Bahia

Inception: 1534

Elevation above the sea: 71 m

Shares border with: Aurelino Leal, Coaraci, Uruçuca, Una, Buerarema, Itabuna, Itajuípe, Itapitanga

Website: http://ilheus.ba.gov.br

GPS coordinates: -14.78889,-39.04889

Latest update: December 15, 2025 00:20