The Guia do Afroturismo no Brasil – Roteiros e Experiências da Cultura Afro-Brasileira do país, launched this week by the Ministry of Tourism, provides a diagnosis of afrotourism in Brazil, mapping experiences and tourist services led by Black people, in addition to identifying national and international best practices and supporting public policies aimed at the sector.
The initiative aims to recognize this contribution, valuing spaces of memory and resistance, and is also a way to reconnect with the past, reclaim ancestry, strengthen the present, and project a future that values Black culture.
The guide organizes experiences by macro-regions and by type of activity, offering options ranging from visits to quilombos and terreiros to gastronomic circuits, museums, and cultural fairs.
The material reflects the diversity of Afro-Brazilian culture, highlighting tourism’s potential as a tool for income generation, strengthening cultural identity, and valuing tangible and intangible historical heritage.
One example is the experience of visiting the Parque Memorial Quilombo dos Palmares, in Serra da Barriga, Alagoas. There, visitors will learn the history of one of the country’s most important quilombos. Or even the Quilombo Cultural in São Luís, capital of Maranhão, an experience in the largest urban quilombo in Latin America.
On the itinerary, visitors can explore various cultural manifestations, such as reggae, cacuriá, tambor de crioula, bumba meu boi, Afro and traditional blocs, as well as African religiosity.
Another example of an afrotourism itinerary is the Terreiro de Candomblé Alarokê, in the city of São Cristóvão, Sergipe, the fourth oldest city in Brazil. Amid conversation circles, Afro dance and percussion workshops, flavors of traditional gastronomy, and artistic presentations of music, theater, and dance, tourists immerse themselves in the knowledge and spirituality of the peoples of axé.
In Salvador, Bahia, it is possible to visit Terreiro do Gantois, one of the most respected Candomblé terreiros in Brazil, and the Memorial Mãe Menininha do Gantois and Centro Comunitário Mãe Carmen, the latter a space for cultural and social strengthening where tradition and commitment to the community go hand in hand.
Still in Bahia, another destination is Quilombo Kaonge, in the city of Cachoeira. Among the shared knowledge and practices, highlights include artisanal production of flour and palm oil in the mortar, preparation of medicinal herb syrups, as well as an enriching conversation about the local currency, the Sururu.
In the capital of Amapá, visitors can explore the Rota dos Barracões in Marabaixo, where tourists dive into the living history of Macapá, told by residents descended from families that participated in building the imposing Fortaleza de São José and who, to this day, maintain Afro-Amazonian culture.
In the Midwest, in the region encompassing the cities of Monte Alegre de Goiás, Teresina de Goiás, and Cavalcante, in Goiás, it is possible to visit the Kalunga territory, with lush trails and waterfalls like Santa Bárbara.
Among other experiences, the guide includes various itineraries such as the Circuito da Memória Negra in Petrópolis, in the Fluminense serrana region, and Pequena África in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The guide also takes tourists on the Manguebeat itinerary in Recife, exploring the trajectory of Chico Science and the Afro-Brazilian influences like coco de roda, ciranda, and maracatu that shaped the movement. It also suggests a visit to the underground gold gallery of Mina Du Veloso, part of a large archaeological site in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, with remnants of 18th-century gold exploration structures.
Guide Development
According to the Ministry of Tourism, to develop the Guide, a public form was opened in which “Black entrepreneurs, traditional communities, and managers could indicate experiences in their territories,” the ministry reported.
“The curation resulted in the selection of 43 Afro-centered initiatives, with criteria such as: presence on the Mapa do Turismo Brasileiro, activity by Afro-entrepreneurs, and regularity in Cadas-tur,” it added.
In total, the Northeast and Southeast regions each feature 16 itineraries, followed by the North with five; Midwest with four; and South with two itineraries.
According to the ministry, the afrotourism segment is one of the priorities of the current administration, through the Rotas Negras Program, which “aims to promote afrotourism, strengthen Black communities, and position Afro-Brazilian culture on the national and international tourism scene.”
Source: Agência Brasil