Salvador da Bahia

Brazil’s first capital

Salvador was founded in 1549 and for more than two centuries, until 1763, was the capital of the Portuguese colony. Hardly any city is shaped so strongly by Afro-Brazilian culture: in its music, in the Candomblé religion, in capoeira and in its food.

Pelourinho

The historic centre, the Pelourinho, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. Pastel colonial houses, cobblestones and baroque churches climb the hills – among them the Igreja de São Francisco, whose interior is almost entirely gilded. In the evening, drums echo through the lanes.

Upper and lower city

Salvador sits on two levels: the Cidade Alta on the escarpment and the Cidade Baixa by the port. They are linked by the Elevador Lacerda, a lift first opened in 1873 and given its present Art Deco form in the 1930s. Below is the Mercado Modelo with its crafts.

By the sea

• Farol da Barra: the lighthouse at the mouth of the bay is the classic spot for sunset.
• Baía de Todos os Santos: one of Brazil’s largest bays, with islands you reach by boat.

Food

• Acarajé: deep-fried balls of bean dough filled with vatapá and shrimp, sold at street stalls by the baianas.
• Moqueca baiana: fish stew with coconut milk and dendê oil.