Walking along a trail that follows the banks of a river and discovering the beauties of the Atlantic Forest, side-by-side with plantations of palm and piassava palms characteristic of Bahia’s Southern Lowlands. Learning about the local culture by visiting monuments and communities. Trying the typical cuisine and waking up in the forest to the songs of the birds.

These experiences can be enjoyed for a three-day period on the travel tour of Dendê Coast, created by the Bahia Baixo Sul Sustainable Development Institute (IDES) – tied to the Bahia Southern Lowlands Environmental Protection Area Mosaic Integrated and Sustainable Development Program, sponsored by the Odebrecht Foundation – in partnership with the agency Ativa Rafting e Aventuras.

The tour was the only one in Bahia selected by the “Rural Brazil Talents” Project, which is promoting the insertion of family farming products and services into the tourism market. “This initiative strengthens community engagement, with the development of conscious and sustainable tourism that brings sociobiodiversity as a structuring base,” said Liliana Leite, Executive Director at IDES.

“Rural Brazil Talents” will invest over R$ 3 million in 24 travel tours in Brazil. The idea is to promote and encourage the exchange of knowledge, recognizing the importance of cultural identity, promoting the generation of work and income and adding value to the production of rural artists’ groups. The project is the result of a partnership between the Ministries of Agrarian Development, Tourism and the Environment, the Brazilian Support Service to Micro and Small Companies (SEBRAE) and the German Cooperation Agency (GTZ).