Salvador Cape

The sea off Salvador lies beside the entrance to the Bay of All Saints, a broad inlet on the coast of Bahia. Founded in 1549 as the seat of the Portuguese governor-general, Salvador grew into a major Atlantic port. Ships entered the bay to reach the city and the sugar-growing lands around the Recôncavo. Its position also drew enemies: a Dutch force captured Salvador in 1624, before a Portuguese and Spanish expedition retook it the following year.