The Tamar centre
Sea turtles.
Edwiges Lopes Tavares — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lunna Campos — CC BY 2.0 · Glauco Umbelino from Moro em Belo Horizonte, Brasil — CC BY 2.0 · Turismo Bahia — CC BY-SA 2.0
Praia do Forte is a former fishing village on the north coast of Bahia, north of Salvador, now one of the region's best-known ecotourism destinations, with quiet lanes, small shops and warm beaches. It is home to the national headquarters of the Tamar Project for sea-turtle conservation; turtles lay their eggs on the beaches here, and the visitor centre has tanks of turtles and fish and displays on their protection, ideal for families and children. There is also a humpback whale institute and the Sapiranga reserve with Atlantic forest and trails. About three kilometres away stand the ruins of the 16th-century Garcia d'Ávila castle, built by one of the largest landowners of colonial Brazil, which gave the village its name, Fort Beach. It makes a good day trip from Salvador.
Sea turtles.
16th-century ruins.
Lanes and shops.
Mata de São João, north coast of Bahia
Brazil's national sea-turtle conservation project, headquartered here, with a visitor centre of turtle tanks; tickets are R$50.