Lençóis
is a small community of some 13,200 inhabitants nestled in the
foothills of the Chapada Diamantina (a mountainous area in central
Bahia, so called because it was the scene of extensive diamond
mining during the 19th century) and located 410 kilometers to
the west of Salvador.
The chapada itself is an area of stunning beauty,
of ancient, majestic, august and awe-inspiring mountains, mesas
and precipices...a landscape provoking existential wonder.
The
name "Lençóis" means "sheets" and there are two
theories as to the name's origin. One is that the tents of the
garimpeiros (prospectors) were stretched out in such quantities
that viewed from above they looked like sheets. The other is that
the name arose from the broad sheets of rock that make up the
bed of the extremely shallow Rio Lençóis (Lençóis
River).
The colonial architecture of the town has come
under the protection of Brazil's federal government and the town
retains its real-life character. It (together with the surrounding
area) has also come to draw visitors (Brazilian and international)
and an infrastructure of numerous and varied restaurants and hotels
and pousadas has arisen to serve travellers' needs.
