By air
Salvador (SSA), ~28 km
South America · Brazil
Salvador, Brazil
Afro-Brazilian rhythms in a colourful old town
Getting there
Best time to visit
September to March — dry and warm
Don't miss
Pelourinho
The Lacerda Elevator
The São Francisco Church
The Farol da Barra
Things to do
Pelourinho's cobbles
Capoeira and drumming
Beaches like Porto da Barra
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Tetraktys · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Light clothes, swimwear
A quieter corner
Rio Vermelho's acarajé stalls at dusk
Questions travellers ask
What's the best season for Salvador?
September to March, when it's dry and warm. Pack light clothes and swimwear.
What should I see in Salvador?
Wander Pelourinho's cobbles, ride the Lacerda Elevator, and visit the São Francisco Church and the Farol da Barra.
What else is there to do in Salvador?
Feel the Afro-Brazilian rhythms: catch capoeira and drumming, and spend time on beaches like Porto da Barra.
What food should I try in Salvador?
Acarajé and moqueca baiana. For the full experience, head to Rio Vermelho's acarajé stalls at dusk.
About Salvador
- Coastal
Where it is
Salvador, the capital of Bahia state in north-eastern Brazil, stands on a peninsula at the mouth of the Bay of All Saints on the Atlantic, its old centre split into an Upper City and a Lower City by an escarpment some 85 m high.
History
Founded by the Portuguese in 1549, Salvador was the first capital of colonial Brazil until 1763 and a major port of the Atlantic slave trade, through which vast numbers of enslaved Africans were brought to work the sugar plantations. Its Pelourinho district, with colourful colonial houses and baroque churches, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
People
Salvador is a centre of Afro-Brazilian culture: its people speak Portuguese, and Candomblé, capoeira, samba de roda and the drumming of blocos afros such as Olodum all thrive here. Baianas in white lace dresses sell acarajé, black-eyed pea fritters fried in palm oil, and each January the Feast of Bonfim draws huge crowds.
Known for
- The Pelourinho historic centre
- Capoeira and Afro-Brazilian drumming
- Acarajé and moqueca
- Carnival with its trios elétricos
- The gilded São Francisco Church
Did you know?
The Lacerda Elevator, opened in 1873 and remodelled in Art Deco style in 1930, lifts passengers some 72 m up the escarpment between the Lower and Upper City.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.