Afrotourism in Brazil: More Than a Trend, It’s a Movement
When I first started welcoming travelers to my hometown of Rio de Janeiro, I didn’t call it “Afrotourism.” I just knew I wanted people especially those from the outskirts of Rio, like me to see and feel the power of our stories, our music, our resistance, and our joy.
But long before I guided international guests, I started right where I was:
👉🏽 with students and working-class families from my own community in Nova Iguaçu.
Most of them were from humble families: people who had grown up surrounded by culture but disconnected from the depth and pride in our history.
We visited historical places that even locals hadn’t been taught to value. We danced, we listened, we learned. We laughed together. We reclaimed space. That was the seed. And it grew.
Even though I’m no longer out on the streets like before, the mission lives on. Janeiro Tour & Travel was born from my body, my story, and the need to transform tourism into a tool for memory, justice, and belonging. With every itinerary, we continue to uplift voices, celebrate roots, and build bridges. Because Afrotourism in Brazil isn’t a trend — it’s resistance, reconnection, and future.
Dandara Siqueira.
Why Afrotourism Matters More Than Ever ?
Search for “Afro-Brazilian culture tour”, “Black travel to Brazil”, or “diaspora tourism in Rio or Bahia”, and you’ll see that travelers from across the globe—especially from the U.S.—are waking up to the cultural richness of Brazil.
But this awakening isn’t new to us. We’ve been living it for generations.
Afrotourism is more than a trend.
It’s a way to:
- Reconnect with our roots
- Reclaim our narratives
- Redistribute economic opportunity to Black communities
For many Black Americans, visiting Brazil—especially places like Bahia and Rio de Janeiro—is an emotional journey. In Salvador, you feel the pulse of ancestral strength in every drumbeat, every meal cooked with dendê, every Candomblé ceremony. In Rio, you walk the same streets where resistance turned into rhythm and poverty gave birth to poetry.
There’s something deeply transformative about tracing your roots across oceans—and discovering that joy and resilience connect us all.
The Power of Supporting Black-Owned Businesses
When you book a tour with a Black-owned agency like mine, you’re doing more than traveling — you’re investing in transformation.
You’re saying:
✨ our culture is valuable,
✨ our labor deserves fair pay,
✨ and our stories deserve to be told by us.
At Janeiro Tour & Travel, we:
- Hire guides from underrepresented neighborhoods like favelas and the Baixada Fluminense
- Collaborate with Black artists, chefs, musicians, and historians
- Keep money circulating within the communities we walk through — not just profiting off them
This is the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural extraction.
In places like Bahia, this matters even more. Despite being the heart of Afro-Brazilian spirituality and tradition, tourism often fails to reach Black-owned businesses. Afrotourism changes that — intentionally.
And when you support my agency, you’re supporting someone who has lived the journey firsthand.
I’ve faced the barriers that come with being a Black woman from the outskirts of Rio — building from the ground up, often without funding, connections, or guarantees.
Through struggle and resilience, I created this platform not only for myself but for others like me.
I continue to uplift and empower new guides, educators, and entrepreneurs from the margins — because our movement grows when we rise together.
Your support fuels a living ecosystem of resistance, pride, and Black excellence.
My Role: Guide, Educator, Cultural Connector
My name is Dandara. I come from Nova Iguaçu, a city on the outskirts of Rio where we grow up with strong roots, resilience, and rhythm.
For over 10 years, I worked directly on the streets — guiding, translating, teaching, and holding space for people from all walks of life.
I was the face of the experience.
Today, I’ve stepped more into the behind-the-scenes work of running the agency — managing operations, training guides, building partnerships, and promoting the tours that reflect our truth.
But even now, I am still deeply connected.
I still shape the experiences, ensure their authenticity, and stand behind every story we tell.
I’m not just a tour guide.
I’m a storyteller. A bridge. A cultural protector.
In my journey, I’ve been blessed to travel to places that deepened my purpose.
I’ve walked through the vibrant streets of Bahia, felt the ancestral energy in Recife, and shared meals with locals in Maceió.
One of the most emotional moments of my life was visiting the Quilombo dos Palmares, the historic site where enslaved Africans built their freedom.
It was there that I felt a powerful connection to my name — Dandara, the legendary warrior of the African diaspora, who fought alongside Zumbi dos Palmares for liberation.
I’ve always carried this name with pride, but standing on that sacred land, I understood it in my soul.
I am honored — and humbled — to carry her legacy forward through my work.
When I walked with visitors through Porto Maravilha, where enslaved Africans first arrived in Brazil, I speak as a descendant.
When I invite guests into samba rehearsals or local kitchens, I’m opening the door to living history.
And when I educate first-time travelers or school groups from Nova Iguaçu — just like when I started — I am reminded:
👉🏽 this movement begins at home.
This Is Bigger Than Me, It’s About Legacy
Afrotourism isn’t a hashtag or a trend on Instagram.
It’s a return home. A celebration. A political act.
We are writing a new narrative for Brazil—one that centers Black voices, Black dignity, and Black futures. You are welcome to be part of it.
So if you’re coming to Rio de Janeiro, to Bahia, or anywhere in Brazil and you’re looking for more than sightseeing…
📌 Come walk with us.
📌 Come dance with us.
📌 Come remember who we are.
Book Your Afro-Brazilian Cultural Experience Today
Let’s create powerful, conscious, unforgettable memories—together.
📩 Contact us now or explore our Afrotourism Tours.