Itaparica is an island located at the entrance of Todos os Santos Bay on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the state of Bahia, Brazil.

The initial Portuguese settlement was a Jesuit outpost called Baiacu, founded in 1560, later renamed Villa do Senhor da Vera Cruz.

The first work of hydraulic engineering in the new colony was on Itaparica: a dam to supply drinking water to the village.

The island later became a rich source of income for the Portuguese; it hosted a naval shipyard; lime mills, a crucial building material of the period; and a whaling industry, which continued to the mid-19th century.

The smaller passenger-ferry departs from near the Mercado Modelo, while the larger car-ferry goes from about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north to Bom Despacho.