Barra

By Steven Cassidy

Two sinewy lads spin, dodge around each other in mock combat. Percussion instruments chime together creating a two-beat rhythm. The dancers kick, spin, leap and gyrate. Locals encircle the performers as they watch this traditional Afro-Brazilian martial art, called Capoeira. Developed initially by African slaves in Brazil, Capoeira became a way for Brazilians to settle differences without resorting to violence. This semi-balletic art form is a traditional expression of Bahian culture and exemplifies the core of the city of Salvador, known for Afro-Brazilian culture and its energetic, violent and exotic history.

For a free show, you can catch a glimpse of youths practicing Capoeira on the sea wall of Barra. It’s the signature of this small beachside suburb closest to Salvador. A picturesque beach town, Barra sits right on All Saint’s Bay, the natural harbor for which Salvador became famous during the Portuguese colonial era.

Barra beaches have the prerequisite white sand but also feature plenty of surf and small tide pools to explore, and with the reflection of the sun, the sea looks a shimmering emerald green.  The beaches start about 500 feet (150 meters) away to the north at the Porto do Barra and then turns to the east where they run forever along the coast of Brazil. Barra’s beaches are friendly, laid-back  relaxation zones frequented by locals, while tourists tend to go farther down the coast.

But the attraction that draws all the tour buses is the Farol da Barra, the iconic lighthouse of the city of Salvador da Bahia. The lighthouse represents  the birth of Brazil and is where the country started. The lighthouse stands on the site of a colonial fort built in 1534 whose cannons were aimed at the bay and were primed to blast the Dutch, English and Spanish pirates and freebooters who frequently attacked the port.

The lighthouse area itself has commanding views of the bay with stone octagonal walls soaring forty feet into the air, each one topped by a turret. Before you enter the lighthouse, have a wander around its walled circumference to look at the wave-crashed inlets and the views along the bay.

The lighthouse features what is arguably the best museum in Salvador. It has exhibits concerning the history of Salvador and its inclusion on the trade routes from Africa and India. It is also full of interesting information: you can see how deep the water was in the bay from readings taken in the sixteenth century! Brittle old maps show the sweeping beaches, the island of Itaparica and the rocky escarpment upon which Pelourinho (the city center) was constructed. There were plenty of shipwrecks in these waters, and models of galleons, ship lenses and figureheads dot the museum. The massive courtyard has been turned into an open-air restaurant.

Climb the ancient battlements for a great view of restored cannons, the lighthouse tower, and the bay itself. With a little bit of imagination, you can picture a Dutch pirate fleet sailing into the bay, cannons blazing, black flags flying. Visualize it for a moment, then go back down the steps to rejoin your friends for an ice-cold Brazilian beer on one of Barra’s fine beaches.