Salvador (Bahia)

Brazil's first capital and the center of Afro-Brazilian culture, with the colorful colonial Pelourinho old town, capoeira and a rhythmic street Carnival.

Salvador is the capital of the state of Bahia, on a peninsula at the entrance to All Saints Bay. Founded in 1549, it was the capital of Portuguese Brazil until 1763 and also one of the earliest slave-trade ports in the Americas. Today about 80% of its residents have African ancestry, and it is known as the "African heart of Brazil." The city is divided along a cliff into an Upper City and a Lower City. The Upper City is the Pelourinho historic center (a World Heritage Site since 1985), where hundreds of colorful colonial buildings and dozens of Baroque churches crowd cobbled slopes. The Lower City holds the port, the Mercado Modelo and the business district, and the two are linked by the Lacerda Elevator. Afro-Brazilian culture is the soul of the city: capoeira, Candomblé religion, Olodum drumming and acarajé, a shrimp-filled fritter fried in palm oil, are everywhere. Salvador's Carnival in February is famous for millions of people following the trio elétrico sound trucks in procession, and on the second Thursday in January the Bonfim Church holds the Washing of the Steps festival. The climate is tropical, 25–30°C year-round, with mostly sunny weather from September to March and a rainy season from April to July. What to do: 1–2 days in the historic center, 1 day for the Barra Lighthouse and waterfront, half a day for Bonfim and the Lower City, and 2–3 days on Morro de São Paulo. Getting there: Salvador International Airport (SSA) is about 30 km from the Upper City, with flights of about 2 hours to and from São Paulo and Rio; ride-hailing is recommended in the city, and the Metro links the area near the airport with the city center. We suggest 4–6 days. Notes: Chinese citizens need a Brazilian visa; take safety seriously: the tourist areas of the historic center have tourist police, but avoid walking on quiet slopes and in the Lower City at night and on weekends, keep phones and cameras out of sight, and bring as few valuables as possible during Carnival.

Top sights

• Pelourinho – The colonial old town of Salvador's Upper City, where Baroque houses in pink, yellow, blue and green line the cobbled slopes. It is a UNESC…
• Lacerda Elevator – A 72-metre Art Deco city elevator connecting the Upper and Lower Cities. Built first in 1873, it is a symbol of Salvador and costs very lit…
• Church and Convent of São Francisco – Known as the “Golden Church,” this is the peak of Brazilian Baroque. Almost every inch of its woodwork is covered in gold leaf, and the clo…
• Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim – Salvador's most revered pilgrimage church. Its railings are hung with coloured ribbons, and Catholic and Candomblé beliefs meet here.
• Farol da Barra (Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra) – A lighthouse built on Brazil's oldest fort, at the entrance to All Saints Bay. It is Salvador's top spot for watching the sunset.
• Mercado Modelo – The old customs house by the harbor in the Lower City, converted into a Bahian handicraft market selling wood carvings, musical instruments…
• Morro de São Paulo – A car-free resort village on Tinharé Island, with beaches numbered one through five, natural rock pools, lighthouse sunsets and nightlife.
• Cathedral Basilica & Terreiro de Jesus – A 17th-century Jesuit church turned cathedral, with an ornate gilded altar. Its front plaza, Terreiro de Jesus, is the stage of the old cit…
• Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black People – A cobalt-blue church built by enslaved Africans over nearly a century, and the most photogenic building on the Pelourinho slope.
• Santo Antônio Além do Carmo – A colorful colonial neighborhood just north of Pelourinho, with boutique guesthouses and small restaurants. Capoeira classes are held in a…
• Afro-Brazilian Museum – Housed in the former site of Brazil's first medical school, this museum displays African artifacts and Candomblé religion. Its highlight is…
• Jorge Amado Foundation – A blue colonial building on Pelourinho Square, dedicated to Brazilian author Jorge Amado, who wrote about Bahia. It displays manuscripts an…
• Casa do Rio Vermelho – The home where Jorge Amado and his wife Zélia lived for more than 40 years. The garden, study and collections are kept as they were, creati…
• Museum of Modern Art of Bahia (Solar do Unhão) – A modern art museum in a 17th-century sugar plantation by the sea. Its sculpture garden faces the Bay of All Saints and is a hidden sunset…
• Dique do Tororó – A lakeside park in the city center with eight giant Candomblé orixá statues standing in the water. The lakeside path is good for walking.
• Rio Vermelho – Salvador's seaside nightlife district, where people line up at dusk for acarajé, and where the Iemanjá sea goddess festival takes place on…
• Porto da Barra Beach – A calm little bay facing the Bay of All Saints, with clear water and small waves ideal for swimming. It's Salvador's most popular beach, wh…
• Itapuã Beach & Lighthouse – A palm-lined beach on the northeast coast, with a red-and-white striped lighthouse on the rocks. It is the subject of the Brazilian classic…
• Abaeté Lagoon – A dark-water lake surrounded by white dunes. Its water is dark brown from plant tannins, and it is a legendary place celebrated in Bahian f…
• Fort of Monte Serrat & Ponta de Humaitá – A small 16th-century fort at the tip of the Lower City peninsula, with a white lighthouse chapel. It offers views of the Old City skyline a…
• Itaparica Island – The largest island in the Bay of All Saints, about 45 minutes by ferry, with calm beaches, a colonial town and the famous Itaparica mineral…
• Ilha dos Frades – A green island in the northern Bay of All Saints, usually visited on a boat tour with Ilha de Maré and other islands. The water is clear an…
• Praia do Forte & Projeto TAMAR – A resort fishing village about 60 km north of Salvador, with the TAMAR sea turtle conservation center, natural reef pools and the ruins of…
• Arena Fonte Nova – The venue for World Cup matches in 2014 and the home stadium of Esporte Clube Bahia. You can watch a game or join a guided tour of the stad…
• Monastery of São Bento – One of the oldest Benedictine monasteries in the Americas. Its domed church houses a religious art museum, and on Sunday mornings you can h…
• Casa do Carnaval da Bahia – An interactive carnival museum that uses film, costumes and music to tell the story of Salvador's 'world's largest street carnival', and wh…
• Balé Folclórico da Bahia – An Afro-Brazilian dance show at a small theater in Pelourinho, presenting Candomblé, capoeira and samba folk dances in about an hour.
• Rio Branco Palace – A neoclassical palace beside the Lacerda Elevator, originally the colonial governor's residence. Its terrace overlooks the Lower City and t…

Where to eat

• Acarajé da Dinha – The most famous acarajé stall in the Rio Vermelho district, so renowned that the square where it is located is often ca…
• Dona Mariquita – A famous "Bahian heritage cuisine" restaurant helmed by Chef Leila Carreiro, dedicated to rescuing endangered recipes…
• Casa de Tereza – A Bahian restaurant set in a historic house in Rio Vermelho by Chef Tereza Paim, famous for its variety of moquecas and…
• Origem – Topping the EXAME 2025 national list, the chef couple reinterprets Bahian ingredients through a four-act tasting menu…
• Odoyá – An old town restaurant right next to the São Francisco Church square; the tourism board notes that a single portion of…
• Ki-Mukeka (Armação) – A local moqueca brand founded in 1980, where almost any seafood can be turned into a stew; portions are generous and pr…

Itineraries

• Salvador & Chapada Diamantina – An Afro-Brazilian historic city paired with tablelands, cave blue lagoons, and giant waterfalls, combining coast and in…