The Casa de Jorge Amado in the Bloco Jorge Amado, on Avenida Dois de Julho, is the former home of Brazil's most beloved popular novelist. Amado grew up here and set most of his Bahian novels — including Gabriela, Cravo e Canela, Terras do Sem Fim, and São Jorge dos Ilhéus — in and around this city. The house is now a museum dedicated to his life and work, with personal objects, first editions, photographs, and manuscripts on display.
Even if you haven't read Amado, the house gives a vivid picture of Ilhéus during the cacao golden age — a time when the city briefly had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in Brazil. The museum staff are enthusiastic and the visit usually includes a short audiovisual introduction.