lhéus was the hometown of Jorge Amado, a well-known and popular writer in Brazil.^75
His novels, like Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, and Dona Flor and Her Two
Husbands, portray the life and customs of the north-eastern region of Brazil. If
nothing else, at least his books would keep us busy. In the meantime, all the old
buildings in town were visited. An amble up the hill to the Church of Nossa Senhora
da Piedade proved worthwhile. Situated high up on a hill overlooking Ilhéus, it
resembled a fairy castle more than a church.
Once all the sightseeing was done, our days were spent eating ice cream, grilled
cheese, and quail eggs on the beach. At night, the beachfront traders provided
cheap nibbles and thick milkshakes. Ilhéus was a reasonably small town but quite
lively. The cobbled alleys came alive at night with food, bars and street theatres.
Ilhéus had a fascinating history being the principal city along what was known as
Brazil’s Cocoa Coast. The town dates to the early 1500s, when it thrived due to the
sugarcane trade. Its real boom came in the late nineteenth century with the
introduction of cacau (cocoa). Plummeting world sugar prices and the abolition of
slavery caused the sugar plantations to decline.
The cocoa trade (known as “ouro branco” or white gold) lured formerly enslaved
people and entrepreneurs to the lush hills surrounding Ilhéus, all searching for their
fortune. A few cocoa barons (known as “coronéis” or colonels) with vast plantations
became immensely wealthy and powerful.
They ruled over their workers, and the region, until the 1980s. Shortly afterwards,
a disease known as “vassoura de bruxa” (witch’s broom) decimated the cocoa trees
and left the region’s economy in ruins, from which it had only recently begun to
recuperate.
Today, traces of the colonels’ legacy can still be seen by wandering among the
majestic mansions and civic buildings in Ilhéus’s historical centre. One can read
about their exploits in the novels (particularly The Violent Land) by famous Brazilian
author Jorge Amado. (Source: Moon Travel Guides)