Ilhéus (Portuguese: [iˈʎɛws]) is a major city located in the southern coastal region of Bahia, Brazil, 211 km south of Salvador, the state's capital.

The city was founded in 1534 as Vila de São Jorge dos Ilhéus and is known as one of the most important tourism centers of the northeast of Brazil.

Other threats include irregular fishing, deforestation, fires, hunting and the illegal trade in wild animals.

There is a proposal for the construction of a new deep water port which due to impact has been opposed by environmental activists but has been accepted by the government as important for the economy.

His novels like Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands portray life and customs in the Northeastern region of Brazil.