Map - Itacaré

Itacaré is a municipality in the cocoa zone of the state of Bahia in Brazil, south of Salvador.

Itacaré is located 70 km north of Ilhéus where the Rio de Contas, which comes from the Chapada Diamantina, meets the Atlantic Ocean. Itacaré has about 27,000 residents. Out of these, approximately 50% live in the rural interior. A mixture of races - Amerindian, black and white - can be seen in the features of the natives, called "nação grapiúna", whom Jorge Amado affectionately referred to as "the captivating people of this land". The town was part of São Jorge dos Ilhéus, one of the 13 original Portuguese colonial Captaincies founded in 1532. Itacaré was first officially recognized in 1732 as the Vila de São Miguel da Barra do Rio de Contas (Village of Saint Michael of the Bar of the Contas). The village was established by the Jesuits who worked to convert and settle indigenous tribes of the area such as the Pataxós, Tupiniquins and Aimorés. The town was a notorious hangout for Dutch and Portuguese pirates during the early colonial period and later became a hub for the cocoa planting and a port for whalers. It was given city status in 1881.

The municipality contains 41% of the 9275 ha Serra do Conduru State Park, created in 1997. It also contains 14.88% of the 118000 ha Baía de Camamu Environmental Protection Area, created in 2002.