Bahia: Roots and Breath
In partnership: LaChiave with Angelica Milani
10 nights · 11 days · From October 28 to November 7, 2026
Is this journey for me?
Highlights
Salvador da Bahia
The first capital of Brazil and today one of the country's most fascinating cities: a place where colonial architecture, markets, baroque churches, music, and street life coexist in a vibrant and unique atmosphere.
Vale do Pati — Chapada Diamantina
In the heart of the Chapada Diamantina National Park, Vale do Pati is a remote valley accessible only on foot, considered one of the most beautiful treks in South America. A landscape of canyons, plateaus, waterfalls, and mountains, where a few families still live scattered amidst nature.
Itacaré — Atlantic Ocean
A small village overlooking the Atlantic, surrounded by the Mata Atlântica, one of the most biodiverse forests in the world. Full of wild beaches, jungle trails, and hidden bays, at sunset the center becomes a meeting point for travelers, musicians, surfers, and locals, creating an atmosphere hard to find anywhere else.
Journey description
Bahia is the Brazilian state that, more than any other, represents the meeting of three worlds: European, African, and Indigenous. For centuries, cultures have preserved themselves in bodies, songs, food, the way of being together, and the rhythm of drums that still resonates through the streets of Pelourinho. Candomblé carries this preservation to Axé, the life force that in Yorùbá cosmology circulates through gestures, chants, and offerings: a concept we don't try to fully explain, but only to approach with the respect it deserves, letting it be told by those who truly live it. With Angelica, the body becomes the key to entering this encounter. Not because yoga and Candomblé are the same thing, but because both, each in its own way, teach that the self is felt before it is narrated, and that certain truths pass through breath, movement, and silence, more than through words. Our journey starts here, among the colorful streets of Pelourinho, the sound of drums in the squares, capoeira, samba, and the flavors of Bahian cuisine. We will travel through the Vale do Pati, in the heart of the Chapada Diamantina, one of the most beautiful treks in South America, among canyons, mountains, waterfalls, and small rural villages: here the body tests itself, and the breath learns to follow the pace instead of controlling it. We will end the journey on the beaches of Itacaré, immersed in the Mata Atlântica, one of the most biodiverse forests in the world, among green trails and wild beaches, where time slows down and the body, after the walk, also learns to rest. As in all our programs, we will alternate the exploration of places with moments of movement, breath, and sharing circles: with Angelica, these moments have a particular care and continuity, designed for those who feel that the body, even before the mind, needs to be heard.
What this journey is
A journey in three acts, like every LaChiave experience: first the context, then the body, then rest and integration. In Salvador we enter Bahian culture, in Vale do Pati we walk, in Itacaré we stop to breathe through what we have experienced. With Angelica, the thread that holds these three phases together is the body. Her work of breath, movement, and listening doesn't just accompany the journey: it flows through it. Because Bahia itself, with Candomblé, capoeira, samba, and the drums that mark the life of the square, has shown for centuries something that yoga teaches in another language: that identity doesn't just live in the narrative, it lives in the body, in the rhythm, in the gesture, in the memory passed down through movement rather than through books. We aren't saying they are the same thing. We are saying that, placed side by side, they reinforce each other: Angelica's somatic work prepares us to welcome what Bahia shows on the skin even before words, and Bahia, in turn, gives that body work a real ground to measure itself against, instead of remaining confined to a room. Alessandro and Angelica accompany the group throughout, as companions in travel and practice.
What it is not
It is not a course of guided techniques nor a sequence of yoga classes with Bahia in the background. It is also not a tour with fixed stops and schedules, or an anthropology lecture on Candomblé. It is a hybrid journey between adventure, nature, culture, and somatic practice, where the discovery of places intertwines with breath, movement, and moments of listening and sharing.
Who it is for
For those who love to travel with openness and curiosity, and are willing to set out and adapt. For those who feel that the body, even before words, has something to say, and want a journey that keeps it at the center, not as an add-on. For those who love nature, are not afraid of a little physical effort, and wish to share this experience with a small, diverse group of people in terms of age and experience—from young professionals to older individuals—united by the same intention: to slow down, listen, and let a place pass through them instead of just visiting it.
Who will accompany you
Alessandro Crea
After 11 years in consulting, I realized a lifelong dream: nine months backpacking without a set plan. A journey around the globe, and inside myself. It started in India, with 26 days in an Ashram studying yoga, meditation, pranayama, and Hinduism, where discipline was absolute and the body became the territory to work on every day. Then to South America, living through experiences that aren't easily explained and that I hadn't even tried to explain to myself. From the Andes to Peru, through the Amazon to the Bahian and Carioca coasts. That journey gave birth to the conviction that certain knots we carry with us only loosen when we are far from the context that created them. That physical movement and geographic disorientation do something that a hundred seated conversations cannot. From that journey, the LaChiave experience in Bahia was born.
Angelica Milani
Angelica found her center in the dynamism between two worlds: the deep quiet of the Monferrato hills and the relentless energy of Milan. A Yoga and Meditation teacher, she has transformed her practice into a compass to explore not just the body, but the territory of the soul. For Angelica, yoga doesn't end on the mat: it is an investigative tool that uses movement, breath, and journaling to untie knots and discover new perspectives. Her path has led her to see Yoga as a way of rediscovering the body, a theme she approaches with grace and inclusivity to help people free themselves from external pressures and regain trust in their own feelings. Her guidance during the week is empathetic and reassuring: an invitation to move not to perform, but to feel alive. She firmly believes that a geographic journey is the perfect mirror for the inner journey, and that moving the body in new contexts is the key to opening doors that remain closed in everyday life.
In Bahia, the body remembers what the mind has stopped feeling. Eleven days to let it speak.
The journey day by day
Landing and transfer to the heart of the historic center. In the evening, we will begin our journey with an Intention Circle with Angelica: a post-dinner gathering to connect the group and define the Sankalpa, the personal intent that will serve as our compass throughout the trip.
- Airport to hotel transfer
- Overnight stay in a double room
Welcome to Bahia! Our exploration begins with Mindful Walking: a conscious walk integrated into the route toward the Feira de São Joaquim, amidst spices, medicinal herbs, and ritual objects. In the afternoon, a circle for reflection and sharing. Angelica will offer a philosophical insight to help us internalize the city's energy and ask ourselves what this "rhythm" can teach our daily lives.
- Breakfast
- Guide
- City transport
- Overnight stay in a double room
Seven hours by van toward Lençóis. A travel day that becomes a space for listening as the landscape shifts from the coast to the cerrado. We will move through this time with a Journaling practice: a writing space to observe our inner changes during the transition to the wild nature.
- Breakfast
- Transfer
- Overnight stay in a shared dormitory
Departure at dawn toward Guiné. Before starting the trek, a Pranayama session with Angelica will prepare us for the climb, harmonizing breath with physical effort. We will cross the Mirante do Aleixo and the amber-red rivers of Rio Funis. Upon arriving at the local pousada, a gentle Yoga and stretching practice will melt away tension in the legs and back after the first day of walking.
- Local guide
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Overnight stay in a local house, bed in male or female dormitory
Another awakening dedicated to Pranayama. Today we climb Morro do Castelo, with its viewpoints over the Calixto Valley; at the top, Angelica will lead a Meditation facing the immensity of the valley. After returning and bathing in the waterfalls, we will close the day with a restorative Yoga practice for the body.
- Local guide
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Overnight stay in a local house, bed in male or female dormitory
The final day in the park leads us to Fenda da Prefeitura and Pedra do Jacaré. Facing the majesty of Cachoeirão do Pati (270 m), we will experience a guided Meditation on the power of flow and resistance. Back in Lençóis, a deep release Yoga session will honor the body that has just completed the trek.
- Local guide
- Breakfast and lunch
- Overnight stay in a shared dormitory
A nine-hour journey to the Atlantic coast through rural villages. The transfer hours become a space for Philosophy insights and a Journaling practice guided by Angelica, an invitation to listen to how our inner pace changes as the landscape shifts.
- Breakfast
- Transfer
- Overnight stay in a villa
We encounter the Mata Atlântica and the beaches of Itacaré. Free afternoon to rest at your own pace. At sunset, Angelica will lead a Vinyasa Yoga practice on the beach, fluid on the sand, to tune the body with the water element and let go of the fatigue accumulated in the forest.
- Breakfast
- Circle in nature
- Overnight stay in a villa
Walk to a remote beach. In the afternoon, Alessandro and Angelica will facilitate an Integration Circle: a conversation about what happened, inside and outside of us, during these eleven days. Before the closing dinner, a Gratitude Meditation will gather us one last time by the sea.
- Breakfast
- Circle in nature
- Group dinner
- Overnight stay in a villa
Long journey back to the capital. In the evening, Angelica will lead the Practice of Saudade: a guided Meditation followed by a Journaling moment, to reflect on how to keep the flame of Bahia alive once back home.
- Breakfast
- Transfer to Salvador airport
- Possible hotel stay for those with flights the next day
At dawn, for those who wish, a final sun salutation with a Yoga and conscious breathing session, to close the circle before the transfer to the airport and the return to Italy.
- Breakfast (if flight time permits)
- Transfer to Salvador airport
What is included
- Accommodation
- Internal transfer Salvador → Chapada Diamantina
- Internal transfer Chapada Diamantina → Itacaré
- Internal transfer Itacaré → Salvador airport
- Cultural mediation in Salvador
- Local guides in Vale do Pati (all trekking days)
- Breakfast, every day
- Meals during trekking days (breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the pousada)
- Daily integration circle facilitated by Alessandro and Angelica
- Daily yoga, meditation, and pranayama practices facilitated by Alessandro and Angelica
- Health and medical insurance
What is not included
- International flights to and from Salvador
- Lunches and dinners outside of trekking days
- Optional activities in Itacaré (surfing, extra excursions)
- Personal expenses and shopping
- Travel cancellation insurance (recommended)
- Visa (not required for most citizens — please check passport validity)
How to get there and what to bring
Flight: international flight is not included. Recommended route: Milan Malpensa or Rome Fiumicino → Salvador de Bahia (SSA). Look for outbound flights on the evening of October 27th or the morning of October 28th, and return flights in the late evening/night of November 7th or the morning of the 8th. Trekking backpack: for Vale do Pati you need a 30-40 liter backpack, broken-in hiking shoes, light technical clothing, and a water bottle. A detailed list is sent after booking. Physical fitness: Vale do Pati is a medium-difficulty trek; we will walk between 5 and 7 hours a day with elevation gain. It is not mountaineering, but it is not a simple stroll. A predisposition for long walks is required. Vaccines: no mandatory vaccines for Bahia, as we visit the central-eastern part. For further details, consult your local travel health advisory. Language: the program is conducted in Italian. Local guides and facilities speak English. Alessandro speaks Portuguese and can translate and assist if necessary. Group: minimum 5, maximum 12 participants.
What people who have already joined a LaChiave trip say
"Il viaggio a Bali con Alessandro è stata un'esperienza davvero speciale, molto più di una semplice vacanza. In una settimana ci ha accompagnati alla scoperta di paesaggi meravigliosi, luoghi autentici e angoli dell'isola lontani dai percorsi più turistici. La sua presenza ha fatto la differenza: è stato sempre disponibile, attento e capace di organizzare ogni giornata con grande cura, lasciandoci allo stesso tempo lo spazio per vivere ogni momento con calma e consapevolezza. Grazie alle attività di yoga, respirazione e riflessione, il viaggio è diventato anche un'occasione per fermarsi, ascoltarsi e ritrovare un contatto più profondo con se stessi, senza mai perdere leggerezza e divertimento."
Michelangelo
Bali 2026, la pace tra i templi
"Decidere di intraprendere un viaggio la chiave è stata principalmente curiosità di qualcosa di diverso e più profondo dei soliti viaggi. Viverlo è stata pura magia. Con Alessandro abbiamo esplorato i luoghi più belli e meno conosciuti di Bali lavorando su noi stessi con spazi di riflessione, yoga e respirazione guidata. È stato un vero e proprio viaggio fuori e dentro di noi alla scoperta di un'isola unica nel suo genere. Alessandro è stato una guida attenta ai minimi dettagli per tutto il viaggio, dalle mete che ci ha portato a vedere ai momenti serali dedicati all'anima e alla riflessione più profonda su se stessi con spensieratezza e tanta allegria. Un'esperienza che sento di consigliare vivamente."
Carlotta
Bali 2026, la pace tra i templi
What people who have already experienced a LaChiave space say
I walked in with a blank page and walked out with a notebook full of ideas, reflections and shared moments
I am leaving here feeling much richer and much less alone, so thank you all so much for this evening!
It was a beautiful surprise, a useful space and such a natural, nourishing flow, thank you to everyone who spoke up 🌱❤️ I really hope you will hold more of these!
Honestly I had no expectations, I chose to take part in a spirit of listening and openness. Thank you from the heart for all the reflections and the sharing that came up. I am very grateful for such a nourishing moment
Thank you all. A really beautiful space. I am off to get my meditation cushion ready
Frequently asked questions
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