Bahia
Salvador- Brazil's first capital, formerly São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, Salvador is one of the oldest cities in the Americas. It is the third most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The metropolitan area of the city, with 3.5 million people. Salvador is well known for popular outdoor festivals, such as its annual street carnival, and rich cultural heritage, including African influenced cuisine, clothing, artwork, dance and music. It is also the location of popular urban beaches and water sports, including boating, swimming and diving.
South Bahia - Marau, Ilheus, Porto Seguro -- The region where Portuguese explorers first landed in Brazil in 1500, today it is known for its agricultural tradition of cocoa production, preservation of Atlantic rainforest and rich tourist attractions, including beaches, resorts and parks.
Praia do Forte - Located 100 kilometers north of Salvador, Praia do Forte began as a popular destination for European tourists and today is known as a location for turtle reproduction through the Tamar turtle preservation project.
Chapada Diamantina/Lençois - Mountain and high plateau region in central Bahia state popular for outdoor exploration. The colonial town of Lençois, in the heart of the Chapada region, offers rich tourist attractions, including arts and crafts, and a variety of restaurants.
Pernambuco
Recife/Olinda - Originally colonized by the Dutch in the colonial period, the city has a rich and colorful cultural tradition that includes popular Freivo style music and dance. It is also home to popular urban beaches and varied cuisine. Olinda, a region on a hillside overlooking Recife, still retains much colonial style architecture.
Maranhão
São Luis - Historical 17th century coastal city settled by the Portuguese and French, with rich colonial style architecture and a thriving regional cultural scene that features reggae music, forro and traditional dance festivals.
Alcantara - Historical town with colonial ruins where the royal family spent holidays, a short ferry trip from São Luis. Alcantara is also the location of Brazil's space launch area.
Lençois Maranhenses - Natural recreation area with kilometers of pure white sand dunes and warm tidal pools.
Ceará
Fortaleza - The coastal capital city of the state of Ceará is a popular tourist destination for beach activity and cultural life, including music, cuisine and arts and crafts.
Juazeiro do Norte - Located in the interior of Ceará state in the Carirí Valley, Juazeiro do Norte is a popular destination for religious pilgrimages to honor its founder Cícero Romão Batista, also known as Father Cícero.
Rio Grande do Norte
Natal - Capital of Rio Grande do Norte state was developed during the second world war with assistance from U.S. armed forces. It is a popular beach and vacation destination well known for large beach dune areas and local arts and crafts.
Paraíba - Located on the coast in the heart of the Northeast region, Paraiba is well known for popular beaches and cultural life. It is also home to regional industry and sugar cane production.
Piauí - Located in the Northern region of the Northeast, Piauí is a growing agricultural region, also known as the location of pre-historic cave drawings.
Teresina - Capital city of Piauí with growing cultural and culinary attractions.
Sergípe -
Located North of Bahia state, Sergipe is known for agricultural production, especially sugar cane, and abundant cultural and beach life in the capital city of Aracajú.
