Today was our final excursion, a day trip to the northeastern coast of Bahia. Here we explored the historic village of Praia do Forte. Though it has been modernized and catered to a more “touristy” crowd, the rustic culture of the town still remain evident in its buildings and its citizens.

We began by visiting D’Ávila Ruine Castle, the last remaining building from the 16th century in all of the Americas. Not only is the castle the oldest on the continent, but it also served an instrumental role in protecting the state of Bahia from invaders. No ships could pass by without being spotted and smoke alarms were sent from a special tower on the home. It was truly amazing to see the construction of the home (or what is left of it) and imagine what life must have been like for the family. The land,  at one point, stretched all the way to the northern tip of Brazil, and was one of the largest private-owned properties in all of history.

After the castle, we headed to the Tamar Project to view the sea turtle preservation. The presence of sea turtles and humpback whales are just beginning to reemerge in the region and it was very nice to see the graceful creatures before they are released back into the wild.

The turtles came in all sizes and the baby turtles were adorable! We then had a delicious lunch before our final beach trip in Brazil. Tomorrow is our final full day in Salvador and then it’s back to the states to begin processing all of our experiences here. Time really does fly when you’re having fun.