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Feira de Santana
Feira de Santana, called the “Princesa do Sertão” (“Princess of the Backcountry”) is one of the largest cities in the state of Bahia, second only to Salvador da Bahia. The city, for its longstanding importance as a crossroads and its proximity to Salvador, is an important commercial and industrial centre. With more than 700 thousand people, Feira de Santana offers plenty of things to do, including visiting the largest shopping centre of North-northeast Brazil, the Boulevard Shopping Feira de Santana, enjoying the city’s colorful festivals or travelling to Salvador, which isn’t far away.
Feira de Santana stands at a crossroad, connecting it to different places to visit. However, the city has plenty to offer on its own:
Festivals & parties: Feira de Santana is a very merry city with plenty of festivals. In the last week of July (July 26th), you’ll be able to participate in the “Senhora Sant'Ana”, which features activities such as “bumba-meu-boi” (a traditional Brazilian play), “segura-a-véia” and “burrinha” (both traditional forms of dance and celebration, more than 200 years old). There’re also the “Micareta”, a carnival party held 15 days after Easter/Passover; the “Festival of Violeiros”, in September; and the donkey race in November.
Museums: The city has quite an array of museums to visit: “Museu Parque do Saber”, “Casa do Sertao e Centro de Estudos Feirenses Museum”, “Museu Regional de Arte” and “Raimundo de Oliveira Contemporary Art Museum”.
Entertainment: The Boulevard Shopping Feira de Santana has a multiplex cinema with four theatres (one in digital 3D) and a large food court. It also has several great fast food chains, such as McDonalds, Subway or the local Casa do Pão de Queijo. You can also find four mega-stores and almost 200 different shops.
Theatres & other Sites of Interest: The city is provided with several theatres: the “Dona Cano Theatre”, the “Centro de Cultura Amelio Amorim – de Arena Theatre”, the “Camara dos Dirigentes Lojistas”, the “Arena da UEFS Theatre” and the “Margarida Ribeiro Municipal Theatre”, along with the Theatre of the “Centro Universitario de Cultura e Arte”. There’re other things to check out, such as the the “Mercado de Arte Popular”, in which you can find folk art for sale, or the astonishing “Observatorio Astronomico Antares”.
Feira de Santana has a humid tropical temperate climate with warm summers and no dry season. Over the course of a year, the temperature doesn’t fluctuate too much. It typically varies from 17°C to 29°C, so it is pleasant throughout the year. The rain season takes place in winter, being May the month with the heavier rainfall.
Located only 115 km away from Salvador da Bahía, it is really easy to reach the city by land. The most convenient option is taking the BR-324 by bus or car. The bus station features an eye-catching mural painted by Lénio Braga in 1967. Frequent buses go to Salvador or Lençóis and pass through Feira de Santana.
Once there, you can taxi a taxi or shuttle service.
-Festivals and parties: the Senhora Sant'Ana Festival, the Micareta, the Festival of Violeiros, the donkey race in November, the jeca total.
-Theatres: the Centro Universitario de Cultura e Artes Theatre, the Dona Cano Theatre, the Arena da UEFS Theatre, among others.
-Culture & Location: Mercado de Arte Popular, several museums, the Observatorio Astronomico Antares. At a crossroads, it is connected to different places of interest, including the beautiful Salvador da Bahía.
TESTIMONIALS
I am a graduate student in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University. After completing a couple of semesters of basic Portuguese, I wanted to take my language proficiency to the next level by visiting a language school in Brazil. I was impressed by the quality of instruction. My teachers taught me advanced grammar concepts and provided me with written and spoken exercises to practice my new found knowledge. Group lessons provided a context in which to apply what I learned and individual lessons provided me with the opportunity to focus on particular topics. By the end of my six weeks course I was speaking Portuguese better than ever and I was more than satisfied with the results. I have returned to Indiana University where I am currently enrolled in a 500-level Portuguese literature class. I am able to understand and participate in all class discussions because of my experience in Brazil. My teachers there prepared me well! ''Portuguese course. Robert Fritz
''I study art history at the University of Delaware. As an art history major I have particularly enjoyed visiting the twin cities of Cachoeira and São Felix. There, I loved the character of Cachoeira and seeing the architectural restoration projects underway. In Salvador I have really enjoyed the “charme of the city;” it was really relaxed while maintaining the commotion of a big city. People in the city are friendly, welcoming and accessible.'' Portuguese course. Angelina Meehan
''What I really appreciated about the school was how many options it created for us. We had trips to historic sites, a surfing weekend, day-long excursions, and everything was ready for us, Jailson really took care of us. The school also arranged day trips to local festivals with tour guides who knew the layout of the city and made us feel at ease. In the classroom, the professors are easy going, fun-loving, and professional. They knew exactly what I needed to know to communicate in the city. Because of my Portuguese classes, I was able to chat with locals and experience the city in a different way''. Portuguese course. Paul Nithan
''I spent the month of January in Salvador. As a singer, I took advantage of the city’s thriving music scene. and sang in various places around the city, including the Museum of Modern Art’s weekly Jazz music session. There I found the atmosphere lively and open and the musicians friendly and welcoming. Furthermore I also enjoyed singing at music clubs in Salvador’s Rio Vermelho neighborhood!'' Portuguese course. Marianne, Switzerland
