Travel Guide Rio De Contas

In the south of the Chapada Diamantina, in the heart of the state of Bahia, the small town of Rio de Contas is worth a visit, for its old-fashioned charm and tranquility (you may be the first tourists seen in a month if you go there). At the beginning of the 18th century, the bandit Sebastião Pinheiro da Fonseca Raposo Tavares discovered gold in the river that runs through the village, giving impetus to a small gold rush. The village quickly became prosperous, so much so that during certain religious celebrations, gold dust was thrown at the participants of the processions. As in Minas Gerais, the deposits dried up within a few decades, and around 1800 the town's decline began. There was a massive exodus, and Rio de Contas was emptied of its inhabitants, who founded the city of Mucugê about 50 kilometers to the north. Created in 1745 by royal decree, Rio de Contas was the first planned city built in Brazil. It still has wide streets and large squares surrounded by stone buildings (baroque churches, public monuments and colonial houses) from that time. Rio de Contas is also the oldest city in the Chapada Diamantina and Walter Salles shot the beautiful film Avril Brisé in its streets.