South America's most picturesque setting

In the far south of Brazil's tropical Bahia state lies the fishing village of Trancoso, founded by Jesuits in 1586 under the name São João Batista dos Índios. Its grassy town square known as the Quadrado sits on a hilltop overlooking the ocean, and remains the center of town life.

This remarkably preserved colonial atmosphere is considered among the most beautiful settings of the America's. A tiny 16th-century church at the far end of the Quadrado is the 2nd oldest of Brazil. It was built by indigenous people using available materials such as clay, thatch, coral and whale-bone.

For centuries Trancoso lay in isolation at the heart of a pristine stretch of coastline where rainforest and Atlantic mangrove meet the ocean. Discovered by hippies arriving on foot in the 1970s and later by international artists and creatives who came attracted to beauty, nature and a free-spirited vibe, the village has gained touches of sophistication over recent years but remains totally rooted in its native essence.