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• Salvador, Brazil: A complete travel guide with the top things to do

Everything you have to know to plan your trip to Salvador, Bahia: How to get there, what to do, touristic points schedule and even how to practice sustainable tourism in the city.

Did you know that besides being Bahia’s capital, Salvador was the first Brazilian capital as well ? In this complete guide, you will find even more curiosities, tips about what to do in Salvador, touristic points information, museums and churches of the city.  

Traveling to Salvador is an opportunity to learn about the history of Brazil. Understand the strength of these people, getting to know more about their religion, gastronomy, and musical resistance brought by the African people who were enslaved, or even learning about the story of Sister Dulce (Irmã Dulce), a saint that never give up on the poor and sick people, even in the most challenging moments.

I never thought that I’d love that city so much. We were there for about 1 month and it was not enough to know everything. That’s why I recommend staying there for at least a week, so you can get to know this charming and welcoming place well.

To some people, a trip to Salvador it’s an opportunity to have some fun in Carnaval or take a colorful photo in Largo do Pelourinho. But, I invite you to make this a transforming and learning journey.

Table of contents

Where is salvador, weather in salvador, how to get to salvador and know the city, general information, 1) get to know salvador’s main tourist attractions, 2) relax on the edge of salvador beaches, 3) strengthen your faith, 4) go for the bahian cuisine, 5) enjoy the sunset, 6) visit museums in salvador, 7) enjoy the benefits of salvador’s best neighborhoods, 8) volunteer in salvador – brazil, 9) immerse yourself in salvador’s culture, 10) get to know the region’s markets, 11) observe the artistic works of salvador, 12) experience salvador carnaval, what to do at night in salvador, what to do in salvador in the rain, what to do near salvador, what not to do in salvador, curiosities, what to bring to salvador.

Salvador is a Brazilian city in the northeast of the country, in Bahia state. This coastal city is just over 400 miles from Porto Seguro and almost 1.300 miles from São Paulo and more than 990 miles from Rio de Janeiro . 

See where is Salvador on the map :

When to go to Salvador, Bahia

You can visit Salvador any time of the year, considering that the average temperature in the city varies between 75ºF and 80°F (or 24°C and 27°C as celcius is the unit of temperature we use in Brazil) and water is always warm. But, if you wanna escape from the rainy season it’s better to avoid traveling between April and July.

We were in Salvador between October and November 2021, it was the low season and it was perfect. At this time of the year and in the summer, it’s common that it rains a little, and then, just a few minutes later, the sky clears up as if not a single drop had fallen.

If you travel between December and March be aware that you’ll find high season prices. Do you wanna see and enjoy Carnaval in Salvador? Don’t forget to book your lodging in advance, once knowing this is the busiest season.

This pic shows how is the weather in Salvador during the year:

You can arrive in Salvador by plane , bus or car . If you are arriving from other cities of Bahia, even from other states as Sergipe or Alagoas, you can get the last two options. Otherwise, the best option is to take a flight to the Salvador Bahia Airport – Dep. Luís Eduardo Magalhães . 

The Salvador bus terminal is located on Antônio Carlos Magalhães avenue, number 4.362 in the Pituba neighborhood, and it has a nearby subway station, the Bus Station.

The subway works very well, but unfortunately, it doesn’t pass through the principal touristic points. Even so, it is a good alternative for those who stay in a central region or for those who want to save money by taking a subway from the airport or bus station to the station closest to their accommodation and then a city bus or Uber.

Salvador also has local buses. On this site, you can put your origin and destination and identify which line you should take and the bus schedule. The line that should help you the most is the one that goes from the airport to Praça da Sé . If you are looking for a more comfortable way to move in the city, you can choose to take a táxi or Uber . On my trip, the best transportation was Uber because of the cost x benefit.

LMTM tip: Will you take Uber or Taxi via the app? Like anyplace else, don’t forget to check the vehicle, the license plate, and the driver’s name before entering.

For those who love physical activity, the waterfront has several Itaú bicycle rental/return points.

Frequently doubts about Salvador:

In Salvador there are 2,9 million inhabitants, making it the most populous city in Bahia and the 4th most populous in Brazil.

As a fort, Salvador was built strategically by the Portugueses in the highest part of the hill so they could have a privileged view and to protect the city.

Salvador was founded on March 29, 1549. It’s one of the oldest cities in Brazil.

Like any big city in Brazil or in the world, we have to pay attention. Our tip is that you should avoid walking with cameras or with your cell phone on display. A fanny pack is highly recommended, because it is safer to save your belongings, and practical to take your cell phone and take a pic quickly. Buy an international eSIM to have Internet access to check information, book a safe ride, etc. Avoid walking at night in places without movement, it’s better to take precautions, isn’t it?😉

What to do in Salvador

There is much more that you can do in Salvador than you can imagine! With this guide, you can find the best attractions, tourist points, and experiences that the city can offer you. Check it out!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elaine Villatoro 🇧🇷 · Viagem (@livemoretravelmore)

Mercado Modelo

The Mercado Modelo is in the lower part of the city and it is one of the entrances to the Historic Center. It is great for those who want to buy handicrafts and also taste delicious typical Bahian cuisine at its restaurants.

LMTM tip: We proved vegetarian moqueca in the restaurant Camafeu de Oxóssi and it was divine!

Ticket: Free of charge

Hours: from Monday to Saturday – from 9am to 6pm / Sunday – from 9am to 2pm

Address: 250, Praça Visconde de Cayru – Comércio

Contact: +55 (71) 3242-5860 / +55 (71) 3242-5860

Site: https://www.mercadomodelosalvador.com/

Elevador Lacerda

The Elevador Lacerda is the first urban elevator in the world, connecting the lower and upper cities. It’s located in the Baía de Todos os Santos and it has a beautiful view, perfect for taking photos.

Ticket: R$0,15 *

Hours: (During the pandemic) from Monday to Friday – from 7 am to 5:30 pm / Saturday – from 8 am to 5 pm

Address: Praça Cairu in the lower city, and Praça Tomé de Sousa in the upper city

Site: http://mobilidade.salvador.ba.gov.br/

Praça da Sé

This is a square that has generated controversy during its history. It used to house the old temple of the Sé Primacial of Brazil, built in 1553 and demolished in 1933 to make room for cable cars.

Today, it is a large sidewalk that houses other historical monuments such as the Memorial to the Baianas do Acarajé and the Zumbi dos Palmares.

Largo do Pelourinho

The word pelourinho means pillory that refers to a large stone where slaves were punished. Today, the plaza and the neighborhood represent the history of the black struggle, which beautifully takes over the streets and buildings, bringing strong colors, flavors, music, and religious manifestations to the place. 

Farol da Barra

Imagine a place that lived all Salvador history: this is Farol da Barra .

This tourist spot in Salvador deserves a mandatory stop. Either to visit the Nautical Museum inside the build or to enjoy the landscape during the sunset.

Miguel Santana’s Theater and Balé Folclórico

This theater is the house of Balé (Ballet) Folclórico da Bahia since 2014. Besides the daily shows, the group also develops social projects such as Balé Junior – ballet for children. It is an amazing opportunity to learn about Brazilian folkloric dance with African roots.

Ticket: For now, because of COVID-19, the activities are happening online on Instagram .

Hours: from Wednesday to monday – 8pm

Address: 49, Gregório de Matos street – Pelourinho

Contact: +55 (71) 3322-1962

Site: https://www.balefolcloricodabahia.com.br/

Casa do Olodum

If you are Brazilian it is hard to think about Salvador and not remember about Olodum! The group that participated in clips of famous singers like Michael Jackson, Paul Simon and Jimmy Cliff, goes beyond the role of a band, disseminating education and culture. Take advantage of your visit to Pelourinho to visit Casa do Olodum , where you will find instruments and souvenirs of the band for sale.

Tickets: Free

Hours: from Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm / Sunday 10am to 5pm

Address: 22, Maciel de Baixo street – Pelourinho

Contact: +55 (71) 99241-4086

Site: https://olodum.com.br/

Farol de Itapuã

Brazil’s most popular lighthouse is also a tourist attraction in Salvador. The 21-meter tower has this name because it is located on Praia de Itapuã .

Important! The inner area of the Farol de Itapuã is not open to visitors.

LMTM tip: This isn’t the most beautiful beach in Salvador (in my opinion), because of that, my advice is for you to make a quick visit here.

Address: Farol de Itapuã street – Itapuã

Ponta do Humaitá

On this charming spot you can find an architectural conglomeration, including the Church and Monastery of Monte Serrat and the Farol of Monte Serrat . Here one can enjoy a beautiful sunset and try the Bahian cuisine.

Address: 56, Boa Viagem street – Monte Serrat

If you are in doubt about what to do in Salvador on a sunny day, don’t worry. The beaches in the Bahian capital provide a variety of activities.

Go diving or stand-up paddling at Porto da Barra beach, learn how to surf at Praia do Flamengo, relax and have a good drink at the Blue Praia Bar at Buracão beach, eat a “coalho” cheese with molasses at Praia da Barra or ride a bike along the shore.

Check our article about the best beaches in Salvador, Brazil !

LMTM tip : Before getting into the water, check the water quality. You can confirm this information on INEMA website or through an updated Google search.

It can be in some of the 372 catholic churches or in some terreiro, a space dedicated to the candomblé’s orixás, the faith is part of the Bahian culture. See where you can strengthen your faith in Salvador:

Igreja do Senhor do Bonfim

Maybe you already know the ribbon of Bonfim, it is an icon in the Bahian city, but do you know where they come from? Know the Basílica do Senhor do Bonfim . You can visit the basilica, the local museum or hang your prayer ribbons on the external bars of the place.

Hours: from Monday to Wednesday and Saturday – 6:30 am to 6 pm / Friday and Sunday – 5:30 am to 6 pm.

Address: Praça Sr. do Bonfim – Bonfim

Contact: +55 (71) 3316-2196

More information: Facebook of Basílica Santuário do Senhor do Bonfim

Be moved in Memorial Irmã Dulce

A nun from Bahia canonized by the Vatican, Irmã Dulce had a huge impact in the community through your charity work . In the Memorial Irmã Dulce you can learn about her story, see her bedroom that is still intact,  as well as other items that have marked her history.

Tickets: Free (Schedule is necessary)

Address: 161, Dendezeiros do Bonfim avenue – Bonfim

Contact: +55 (71) 3310-1923 

Site: https://www.irmadulce.org.br

Igreja e Convento de São Francisco

Considered one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World , Igreja e Convento de São Francisco is a baroque art building, exuberant and unique in details, such as Portuguese tiles, detailed sculptures, and fully worked walls and ceilings.

There you can find an interesting contrast between the Franciscan ideas of simplicity and the big luxury of the churches.

Tickets: R$ 5,00 *

Hours: Monday, Thursday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday – 9 am to 5:30 pm  

Address: Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco – Pelourinho

Contact: +55 (71) 3322-6430

Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos

The Irmandade Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos is an important confraternity created by blacks to ensure their religiosity. The church in Salvador was founded in 1685 and built in 1704.

On Tuesdays at 5 pm you can check out during a mass an unmissable union between Catholicism and Candomblé.

Ticket: R$ 5,00 *

Hours: Visit – from Monday to Friday – 8 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm / Saturday – 8 am to 7 pm 

Address: Largo do Pelourinho, s/n – Pelourinho

Contact:  +55 (71) 3421-5781

Casa de Yemanjá

Iemanjá is an really important Orixá patroness of fishermen, worshiped especially in Salvador. On February 2nd, Rio Vermelho beach receives devotees from all over Brazil to throw offerings to the sea.

But you don’t have to wait until this day to know this little and powerful house, it is open the whole year with offerings and prayers in Rio Vermelho neighborhood. 

LMTM tip: Do you wanna know why February 2nd is considered the day of Iemanjá? Watch our stories about Salvador .

Address: 143, Guedes Cabral street – Rio Vermelho

Leave your diet aside and enjoy the delights of Bahia. In moderation, of course. 😅.

Traditional food

The Bahian food is delicious and unique. Taste acarajé, abará, moqueca, cocada, bolinho de estudante, pão delícia, caruru, mugunzá, and some others Bahia’s traditional food.

Don’t you know where to prove acarajé? The most famous are Acarajé da Dinha (my favorite) and Acarajé da Cira , both in Rio Vermelho.

In Pelourinho, don’t miss the lemon juice with coconut from Mr. Milton in front of Fundação Casa Jorge Amado, cachaça from Cravinho Bar , and cocada from Dona Júlia, this lady in the photo, who is always next to Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos.

It is really common to find Sorveteria da Ribeira in ‘what to do tips’ in Salvador. We were in four ice cream shops in the city, see our ranking:

• Crema – located in Largo de Santana, Rio Vermelho. Taste the flavours “Amarena” and “Ferrero Rocher”.
• Le Glacier La Porte – Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco
• Sorveteria da Ribeira – it’s only worth in the Ribeira’s unit, in the other ones the quality isn’t that good. Taste the flavor “Delícia de Abacaxi”.
• A Cubana – Multiple units all over Salvador.

Will not be a problem for you to find beautiful places to appreciate the sunset in Salvador .

In the highest touristic points as Elevador Lacerda, on the beach or at Farol da Barra, on the balcony of one of the bars of Santo Antônio Além do Carmo, listening to good jazz (Saturdays) or practicing a yoga class for free (Sundays) in the back of MAM (Modern Art Museum), and, who knows, in not much known places as Mirante Wildberger or Larri Bistrô in the Aliança Francesa at Corredor da Vitória.

Jorge Amado, one of the biggest Brazilian writers, was born in the South of Bahia and finished his studies in Salvador. His regionalist works have been portrayed in television and cinema.”

“Inaugurated on March 7, 1987, the Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado, was idealized and instituted with the objective of preserving and studying the bibliographical and artistic collections of the writer Jorge Amado, as well as encouraging studies and research above all literature made in Bahia.” – Fundação Casa do Jorge Amado. (free translation)

Hour: from Monday to Friday – 10am to 6pm / Saturday – 10am to 4pm

Address: 49/51, Portas do Carmo street – Largo do Pelourinho

Contact: +55 (71) 4103-0081

Site: https://www.jorgeamado.org.br/

Museu Afro-Brasileiro (MAFRO)

The museum is impressive because of the beauty of its facade. It is an important collection about African and Afro-Brazilian history. 

It counts with some fixed exhibitions, as Carybé and his 27 wood carvings representing the candomblé’s orixás, and MAFRO also receives temporary artworks.

Hours: TEMPORARY CLOSED 

Address: Largo do Terreiro de Jesus, Bahia Medical School building – Historic Center of Salvador

Contact: +55 (71) 3283-5540

Site: http://www.mafro.ceao.ufba.br

Cidade da Música da Bahia

Between Mercado Modelo and Elevador Lacerda, Cidade da Música da Bahia is a museum that counts with a rich history of Bahian music. All the exhibition is audiovisual and it brings the musical context of the city in general, the musical styles that exist there, and it also has interactive rooms with karaoke, rap and trap battles, and other attractions.

Ticket: R$ 20 * – SCHEDULING REQUIRED

Hours: from Tuesday to Sunday – 10am to 6pm, with entrance until 5pm. 

Address: 19, Praça Visconde de Cayru – Comércio

Contact: +55 (71) 3106-4659 Site: https://cidadedamusicadabahia.com.br/

LMTM tip : Visit first the museum and then the Casa do Carnaval, it will make more sense.

Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia – MAM

Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia (MAM) is a spectacle inside and out. Located in Solar do Unhão, it has a wonderful view, a sunset worthy of an art piece, in addition to its external sculptures, five internal exhibitions and a cinema.

Ticket: Free

Hours: from Monday to Friday – 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm

Address: Lafayete Coutinho avenue – Comércio

Contact: +55 (71) 3117-6132 

Site: http://www.mam.ba.gov.br/

Casa do Carnaval da Bahia

One of the most traditional street Carnaval parties in Brazil, Salvador usually brings to its streets people from all over the world that follow the blocos de axé – a group of people that follow the band through the street. The Bahian Carnaval is unique and that is why there is a museum just to talk about this festivity. Know the history and have fun with carnaval artifacts in Casa do Carnaval da Bahia .

Ticket: R$ 20 * / On Wednesday is free with scheduling

Hours: from Tuesday to Sunday – 10 am to 6 pm

Address: Praça Ramos de Queirós – Pelourinho

Contact: +55 (71) 3324-6360

Site: Instagram

Memorial das Baianas do Acarajé

During your trip, you will find the very traditional Baianas do Acarajé . These women and acarajé – a kind of stuffed fritter – go beyond cooking, carrying a history of symbolism and resistance through the clothes on the body and the flavors on the plate.

Get to know this memorial made especially to tell the history and honor Baianas do Acarajé.

Hours: CLOSED FOR RENOVATION, EXPECTED TO REOPEN IN DECEMBER 2021.

Address: Cruz Caída, Praça da Sé – Pelourinh o

Contact: +55 (71) 3322-9674

LMTM tip: Do you wanna know why women from Bahia dress like that? Check out our stories in Salvador .

Museu Geológico

If you set aside a day to walk around the Corredor da Vitória , take time to visit the Museu Geológico . It is a perfect tour for those who want to know the history of Earth marked on its stones, with a special touch of being focused on the Bahian region.

Hours: from Tuesday to Friday – 1 pm to 6 pm / Saturday and Sunday – 1 pm to 5 pm (In case that you want a guided visit, scheduling is necessary, send an email to [email protected] )

Address: 2195, Sete de Setembro avenue – Corredor da Vitória

Contact: +55 (71) 3336-3498

Site: http://www.mgb.ba.gov.br/

Ps: I’ve heard that inside of the museum has a delicious coffee. ☕

Memorial e Fundação Pierre Verger

Pierre Verger was a French photographer and an anthropologist extremely important for studying and recording Afro-Brazilian culture, especially the religious aspects of candomblé. Want to know more about his work? Visit the Pierre Verger Memorial or the Galeria do Pelourinho for free.

LMTM tip: I recommend the book Orixás by Pierre Verger.

Memorial Pierre Verger : The house that Verger lived in.

Hours: from 8 am to 12 pm (Scheduling is necessary)

Address: 6, 2ª Travessa da Ladeira da Vila América – Engenho Velho de Brotas

Contact: +55 (71) 3203 8400

Site: https://www.pierreverger.org

Fundação Pierre Verger Galeria

Hours: from Monday to Saturday: 9am to 7pm

Address: 9 – store 1 – Portal da Misericórdia (Near by Pelourinho)

Contact: +55 (71) 3321 2341

Espaço Carybé de Artes 

Despite being from Argentina and having walked in many places before arriving in Salvador, Carybé won the heart of the Bahian city. His art is vibrant and heavily influenced by candomblé. In this space, you can see a virtual collection.

Note: Every day from 6:15 pm until 7 pm his works are exhibited on the building’s facade.

Ticket: R$ 20 * – Wednesday for free

Hours: Wednesday to Monday – 11 am to 7 pm

Address: Forte de São Diogo – Porto da Barra

Contact: [email protected]

Site: https://www.instagram.com/espacocarybe/

Memorial Casa Di Vina

Don’t know what to do in Itapuã beach in Salvador? Visit the memorial of Vinicius de Moraes, located in the house where he lived with the Bahian actress Gessy Gesse at the beginning of the ’70s.

The memorial can be accessed through Casa Di Vina Restaurant. It contains a collection full of photos and objects of the poet and his wife, besides the paintings that tell stories and curiosities of the period in which they lived there.

Hours: from Monday to Sunday – 12pm to 10pm  

Address: 44, Flamengo street – Farol de Itapuã

Contact: +55 (71) 3285-7339 / WhatsApp: +55 (71) 99711-3374

Site: https://www.casadivinabahia.com.br/

Casa do Rio Vermelho

The house where Jorge Amado and Zélia Gattai lived was transformed into a museum with an amazing collection and videos full of stories. This is also where his ashes were deposited according to the couple’s wishes. 

Ticket: R$20 *

Hours: from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm. Entrance until 5 pm

Address: 33, Alagoinhas street – Rio Vermelho

Contact: +55 (71) 3104-4659

Site: http://casadoriovermelho.com.br/

Museu Náutico da Bahia

If you love traveling, can’t miss the Museu Náutico da Bahia . The museum presents part of Brazil’s history by displaying pieces of ships and crew members’ utensils that were submerged for about 300 years.

Ticket: R$ 15 

Hours: from Monday to Sunday – 9 am to 6 pm

Adress: Largo do Farol da Barra, s/n – Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra – Barra

Contact: +55 (71) 98890-0964

Site: https://www.museunauticodabahia.org.br/

Santo Antônio Além do Carmo

Next to the Centro Histórico (Historic Center), Santo Antônio Além do Carmo is a charming neighborhood. There you will find a lot of beautiful baroque old buildings. 

There you can walk until Largo do Carmo – where you have a view to Baía de Todos os Santos -, visit churches and enjoy the bars and local business.

This is my favorite neighborhood to have a beer in the late afternoon while watching the sunset from the balcony of one of the bars in the area, like Bar Cruz do Paschoal , Poró Restaurante & Bar , Raiz Restaurante , and others.

The neighborhood goes from Largo do Pelourinho until Terreiro de Jesus.

Take a whole Saturday or Sunday to walk by Pelourinho. Besides calmly enjoying the region’s museums, take the opportunity to enter in the stores, and drink Mr. Milton’s lemon juice with coconut , dance, and sing with Movimento Percussivo and eat a cocada, acarajé or Dona Julia’s bolinho de estudante.

Rio Vermelho

Staying at  and walking around the most bohemian neighborhood of Salvador is a pleasant experience!

In Largo de Santana , besides finding Igreja de Santana and Jorge Amado and Zélia Gattai sculptures, you can delight yourself with Acarajé da Dinha, drink a cold beer at Parador Z1 or also enjoy my favorite ice-cream parlor, Crema Gelato Italiano. 

Still in Rio Vermelho, you can find Casa de Yemanjá , Buracão beach where you can visit Blue Beach Bar, Casa Castanho with its excellent coffee, Casa de Jorge Amado , Largo da Mariquita and the trendy EcoSquare.

The best way to get to know a destination in depth is to experience the day-to-day life of the locals. The Worldpackers volunteer work exchange makes this possible.

Here’s how Worldpackers works !

You can apply for various types of volunteer work in Salvador , such as working in a hostel in Praia da Barra or even participating in an environmental volunteer project in the region.

We participated in an agroforestry experience in a neighboring municipality, check out our experience:

Going to Salvador is an excellent opportunity to learn about afro-Brazilian culture. If you want to awaken your black consciousness, there are several tours with this focus that are organized by Guia Negro !

We participated in the Caminhada Salvador Negra. If  there is a mandatory tour in Salvador that everyone should do, I would say that this is the one.

Ticket: Starting at R$ 50 per person*. Details are available at the site below.

Contact: +55 (11) 99279-4902 (WhatsApp)

Site: https://guianegro.com.br/

Visit a “terreiro de candomblé”

Religious syncretism is more present in our culture than most of us can imagine. Sayuri, the guide, can take you to a candomblé (Afro-Brazilian religion) temple and answer your questions.

Contact: +55 (71) 99113-8033 (WhatsApp)

Capoeira Class

This practice, which was once forbidden in Brazil, is now a national symbol. How about burning some calories with the sound of the berimbau while connecting to Afro-Brazilian ancestry?

We took the class with Mestre Bamba at the Associação de Capoeira Mestre Bimba .

Ticket: R$ 50 *

Address: Rua das Laranjeiras, n° 01, Pelourinho. 1° Andar

Contact: +55 (71) 3322-0639 (WhatsApp)

Site: https://www.capoeiramestrebimba.com.br/

Percussion Class

The atabaque and berimbau are very present in the rodas de samba and rodas de capoeira (roda is a practice where people stay in circle playing and dancing) in the Recôncavo Bahiano. How about learning how to play some rhythms on this instrument?

We did our class in the Associação de Capoeira Mestre Bimba , with Pezão.

Ticket: R$ 45*

Address: 01, Rua das Laranjeiras street – 1st Floor – Pelourinho

Contact: +55 71 3322-0639 (WhatsApp)

See a capoeira presentation

Finding a capoeira presentation isn’t that hard in Salvador. But, if you wanna add this experience to your route, you can plan to go to Forte do Santo Antônio Além do Carmo , there they have a project called Capoeira no Forte that it has the objective to promote the Bahian’s culture and art. 

Hours: from Wednesday to Sunday – 4 pm to 6:30 pm

Address: Largo de Santo Antônio Além do Carmo – Santo Antônio

Besides Mercado Modelo, Salvador counts with other markets that offer an explosion of flavors and different options of craftsmanship:

Mercado Rio Vermelho

Recommended for those who are staying in the Rio Vermelho neighborhood . The prices are not very advantageous and I particularly did not find anything special. But still, this is an option.

Hours: from Monday to Saturday – from 7am to 7pm / Sunday – from 7am to 2pm

Address: 1624, Juracy Magalhães Júnior avenue – Rio Vermelho

Contact: +55 (71) 3018-5733

Site: http://www.mercadodoriovermelho.com.br/

Feira de São Joaquim

This is the cheapest market in Salvador. If you want to buy cooking ingredients, candomblé articles, clothes, etc, this is the ideal place for it.

We received a very good tip from a follower, a tour that involves visiting the fair & a traditional cooking class . If I had known before, I would have done it.

As a content creator, I’d love to photograph and film more here. But, unfortunately, I’ve not felt safe here. I’ve heard some rumors that it is common that thieves take the cellphones from the hands of tourists and escape in the little halls of the fair. A really important tip, stay in the main streets of the market.

Hours: from Monday to Saturday – 5am to 6pm / Monday – 5am to 2pm

Address: Engenheiro Oscar Pontes street – Água de Meninos

Dique do Tororó

Close to the Fonte Nova Arena is Dique do Tororó , a dam that was built in the 17th century and served as protection against invasions. As Salvador grew, it was gradually filled in and today it has a lake with 110,000 cubic meters of water. The most beautiful thing here is to admire the sculptures of 12 orixás created by the artist Tatti Moreno.

Note: I have heard that this region is dangerous, so be careful with your belongings.

Address: 212, Vasco da Gama avenue – Engenho Velho de Brotas

As Meninas do Brasil

These are three sculptures that represent the races that make up the Brazilian people: the black, the white, and the indigenous.  Created by the Bahian artist Eliana Kertéz, “As Meninas do Brasil” are also known as “As Gordinhas da Ondina” , the neighborhood where they are located.

  Address: 19, Adhemar de Barros avenue – Ondina

Morro do Cristo

The area to the left of Barra Beach bears a statue of Jesus Christ sculpted in marble. Take a rest on the lawns and enjoy the bars around Morro do Cristo and the privileged view of the Barra Lighthouse and the seashore.

Address: Oceânica avenue – Barra

Zumbi dos Palmares

The bronze statue made by artist Márcia Magno pays tribute to Zumbi, the last of the leaders of the largest quilombo in Brazil during the colonial period, the Quilombo dos Palmares.

Address: Praça da Sé – Centro Histórico

Jorge Amado and Zélia Gattai

Also made by artist Tatti Moreno, the sculpture features Jorge Amado, Zélia Gattai, and the life-size dog Fadul in Largo de Santana, in front of the Santana Church.

Endereço: Largo de Santana – Rio Vermelho

Ah, Salvador Carnaval ! I still haven’t had the opportunity to feel this emotion, which can only be experienced when the pandemic finally ends.But, for now, it remains my and your wish to one day be able to follow a trio on one of the famous circuits . By the way, who would you most like to see playing? At the top of my list are: Olodum, Saulo Fernandes, and Bell Marques.

Are you in doubt of what to do in Salvador at night? Options will not be lacking! These include:

• Dendê Salvador
• Vila Jardim dos Namorados
• Rooftop 180 Graus
• Largo de Santana
• Largo da Mariquita

Take the opportunity to visit the most diverse museums in Salvador, meet friends in the bars of Santo Antônio Além do Carmo, visit the main churches in the region, and enjoy the best of Bahia’s gastronomy.

Check out some other destinations in Bahia and approximate distances from Salvador:

• Ilha de Itaparica (13km)
• Ilha dos Frades (26km)
• Ilha de Maré (38km)
• Ilha Bom Jesus dos Passos (63km)
• Morro do São Paulo (63km)
• Boipeba (86km)
• Lauro de Freitas (30km)
• Guarajuba (70km)
• Itacimirim (78km)
• Praia do Forte (83km)
• Imbassaí (90km)

I decided to dare and share some things that I thought were not very worth doing in Salvador or that I had very negative references from people I met:

• Lagoa do Abaeté : Although it seems to be very beautiful, at least three local people in Salvador recommended that I should not go there, especially not alone, because it is a place that has been abandoned by the city and it has become dangerous.
• Shopping Salvador : Do not plan to arrive or leave the mall during rush hour. Since it is centrally located, there is a lot of traffic between 6-7:30 pm.
• Praia de Itapuã : This was the beach where I saw the most garbage in Salvador. Several locals also told me about the lack of security there, which made me apprehensive while I was staying there. If you want to visit it, set aside 2/3 hours just to see the Itapuã Lighthouse and visit the Vinícius’ House.
• From 1549 to 1763, Salvador was the capital of Brazil
• 80% of the population of Salvador is black
• The first name of Salvador was “São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos
• Salvador has appeared in several international video clips, such as: Michael Jackson – They don’t care about us, Paul McCartney – Back In Brazil, Paul Simon – Obvious Child

Here are some extra tips for you to make the most of your trip to Salvador. Check them out:

Study about the destination

Study about some events and characters from Salvador that were important for the city’s history, such as: Neguinho do Samba , Irmã Dulce , Luís Gama , Dorival Caymmi , Mãe Menininha do Gantois , Mestre Bimba, Batatinha , Carlinhos Brown.

We also recommend that you watch these documentaries:

• Axé – Canto do Povo de Um Lugar

Respect, always!

Many Bahian women, capoeiristas, and musicians make their living from donations and sales of handicrafts and services to tourists. Some start the approach by offering a photo, bracelet, or even a painting of Timbalada as a gift, but in the end, they will ask for a financial contribution.

If you don’t want to, just thank them at the beginning of the conversation and say you’re not interested. Otherwise, a R$5 tip is an ok amount to admire a song or take a picture. To make your life easier, already separate the change before going to Pelourinho or the Igreja do Bonfim.

Also, xenophobic jokes are not welcome! Not here, not anywhere else!

Be a responsible tourist

We always leave here some tips for you to leave as few footprints as possible in the destinations you pass through, and this Salvador guide will be no different. See how you can be a more sustainable tourist in Salvador:

• Save water: in the summer it is common to run out of water in the city, so don’t abuse it!
• Reduce your waste while traveling : Whether in the hotel, on the beach or while visiting the main tourist attractions in Salvador.
• Always have with you a glass, straw, cutlery, and a reusable bag.
• When ordering, tell the attendant that you don’t need a straw, spoon, etc. If you don’t tell them in advance, they will automatically put it in.
• Are you ordering ice cream? What about the ice cream cone?
• Make sure that your lodging has a selective collection. If not, you can look for a So+Ma drop-off point to dispose of your waste properly.
• Light clothing and if possible, sun protection
• Comfortable sneakers for walking among the sights of Salvador
• Natural sunblock
• Sun Glasses
• Fanny Pack (it is the most practical and safe item for walking in big cities)
• Kit with reusable utensils (cutlery, glass, straw, bag)

Forget jeans and know that here a cold sweater is something you only wear on the flight or when your roommate turns up the air conditioning.

Now that you know what to do in Salvador by day, by night, and even when it rains, and what the main tourist attractions, museums, and churches are, tell us… What will be the first thing you want to do when you arrive in Salvador?

Did you enjoy our free guide? Save the pin and leave a comment below

* The values mentioned are from November/2021 and are subject to change.

Note: This article was supported by Worldpackers.

• The best beaches in Salvador and surroundings
• Porto Seguro, Brazil: Your travel guide to the historic and paradisiac destination in Shouth Bahia
• Caraíva, Brazil: 17 things to do, where to stay, places to eat and much more

Trancoso, Brazil: Find out what this magic district in Bahia has to offer!

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Where is Boipeba located and how to get to this Brazilian island

August 6, 2023

Good guide ! thanks

September 30, 2023

this’ll has been very helpful. I wish we could stay longer than the few hours from our cruise.

October 4, 2023

it is always good to have a reason to come back =)

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Group Travel and Tourism Information About Bahia - Brazil

Planning your trip to bahia, brazil – find here information about bahia, we focus on groups of 8 or more travelers.

Enchanted by exuberant nature and rich heritage, the state of Bahia offers a myriad of experiences. From virgin beaches to the most historical center of Brazil in Salvador, its capital, Bahia presents an abundance of locations to explore. Salvador, Praia do Forte, Chapada Diamantina (which includes Lencois and Mucuge), Morro de Sao Paulo, Itacare, and Porto Seguro (which includes Trancoso and Arraial D’Ajuda) will delight the inquisitive mind and will make your spirit soar to new heights.

• NATURAL ASPECTS

Information about  Bahia

Salvador became the first capital of Brazil in 1549, when the Portuguese court sent Tome de Souza as the country’s initial governor-general. The city has a wealth of beautifully restored colonial architecture and according to legend; Salvador has 365 churches, one for each day of the year. It has the reputation of being the center of Brazilian culture and with its racially mixed population of 2.2 million, Salvador is Brazil’s third largest city and capital of the state of Bahia.

The religion and mysticism that are so much a part of Bahian life are represented by Catholicism, brought over by the Portuguese and Candomble, the pulse of the city, which came over with the slaves from Africa. They also brought with them Capoeira, a mix between dance and martial art, which is practiced all over the city and the state.

Carnival here is one of the biggest in the world, encouraging active participation with thousands of people dancing in the streets, traditionally enjoying their one last fling before Lent. The city is constantly alive with the sounds and rhythms of samba, axe, pagode, MPB, and African drum beats. Salvador is blessed with one of the best cuisines in the country and also with marvelous beaches.

If you would like further information on Bahia History, Culture, Natural Aspects, Cuisine, Weather or Travel Tips please click on the menu above.

If you would like further information on Bahian sub-destinations please click on the links below:

• Information About Salvador
• Information About the Chapada Diamantina
• Information About Itacaré
• Information About Morro de Sao Paulo
• Information About Porto Seguro
• Information About Praia do Forte

Hope you enjoyed our Information About Bahia

Information About Bahia Cuisine

To the uninitiated, Bahian cooking can seem a bit heavy. However, until they´ve tried it, most people agree that this unique Afro-Brazilian cuisine is delicious and satisfying, and they come back for more. Though it contains contributions from the Portuguese colonists and the Brazilian native Indians, by far the most important influence on Bahian cuisine came from the enslaved Africans, who not only brought their own style of cooking, but also modified Portuguese dishes with African herbs and spices.

Bahian cuisine is characterized by the generous use of malagueta chile peppers and dendê oil extracted from an African palm that grows well in the northeastern climate. Several Bahian dishes also contain seafood (usually shrimp), coconut milk, banana and okra.

The colorfully dressed baianas set up shop daily in thatched-roof kiosks or at improvised tables where they serve homemade sweets and acarajé, a Bahian-style hamburger. Try this typical food at a place that has been recommended to you to be sure of getting a fresh product. Dinha, in the Largo da Santana in Rio Vermelho, Salvador is a very popular and highly recommended place to try these exotic delights.

Some Recipies

Acaraje This is street food eaten before lunch or dinner as an appetizer, or at any time as a snack. It consists of a patty, made of black-eyed beans, fried in palm oil. It may or may not be left open and stuffed with ‘vatapá’ (a dish made with cassava flour, oil, pepper, fish or meat) and dry shrimp sauce. – 1 kg of dried fradinho beans (black-eyed beans) – 1/2 kg of onion – 1 spoon of salt – 1 litre of dendê oil – ground dried shrimp to season Method: – Leave the beans to soak overnight. Rub and wash them to remove the skins. Then put them, together with the onion, in a grinder to mash them up and beat the mixture in a large bowl until it becomes a light batter. Season with salt, ground dried shrimp, hot pepper and dendê oil. Heat the dendê oil in a saucepan until it is really hot then plunge large spoonfuls of the mixture into the boiling oil. When the acarajé patties rise to the surface and are a crispy golden brown they should be taken out of the oil and eaten while still hot. Each pattie is then filled with carurú sauce.

Carurú This dish is traditionally served during the festival of Saint Cosme and Saint Damian in the month of September. It is traditional to invite 7 small boys from the street into your home to eat Caruru. During this festival it is the custom to put 7 whole okra in the caruru and whoever receives one of these on their plate must offer another caruru to the saints. – 100 okra – 1 cup of ground cashew nuts – 100g of ground toasted peanuts – 2 cups of ground smoked skinless shrimp and a few large dry whole ones – 2 cups of dendê oil – 2 3 limes – 2 spoons of salt – 4 cups of hot water – hot pepper, ginger and garlic Method–: Wash well and finely chop the okra. Put the ground shrimp, grated onion, garlic, salt, cashews and peanuts into the hot dendê oil. Then add the chopped okra, water and lime juice and add the whole shrimp. Cook this altogether until the seeds of the okra are really pink, then remove the saucepan from the heat.

Moqueca de peixe (serves 6 people) There are as many recipes for this marinated fish dish as there are cooks in Brazil. Named after the Indian method of barbecuing fish wrapped in banana leaves, developed in the great plantation houses of the sugar zone, the dish is now cooked on top of the stove in a pan. – 1kg fillets of mixed, fresh white fish – 1 can of coconut milk – 50ml dendê oil (or olive oil) to marinade: – 1 chopped medium onion – 2 fresh hot chilis, seeded and chopped – 2 large peeled tomatoes, chopped – 1 crushed clove of garlic – a handful of fresh coriander leaves – 3 tbsp lime juice – salt Method – Crush the marinade ingredients to a purée in a mortar, or use a blender. Cut the fish into 5 cm pieces, mix with the purée in a non-metallic bowl and leave for 1 hour. Transfer to a saucepan. Add the coconut milk and cover and simmer until the fish is cooked (about 10 minutes). 1 minute before serving add the dendê oil and turn up the heat. Serve with hot pepper and lime sauce and rice.

Arroz de coco – 4 cups of rice – 8 cups of water – 1 cup of coconut milk – salt to season Method – Boil the rice in the water and salt and when it is almost cooked add the coconut milk, leaving it to almost dry over the heat. When it is ready put the rice into a hollow cake mould and turn it out onto a serving dish. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Sweets The women of Bahia are among the world´s great confectioners. They concoct sweets from coconut, eggs, ginger, milk, cinnamon and lemon.

Ambrosia de Coco – 1 cup of coconut milk – 2 small dry pieces of dark brown sugar – 4 eggs – cloves Method – Boil the coconut milk with the cloves and the sugar. When the mixture is boiling add the beaten eggs. Leave it to simmer over low heat until the mixture becomes thick and the desired consistency is achieved.

Cocada – 1 kg of dark brown sugar – 2 coconuts (grated) – 1 teaspoonfull of grated ginger – 1 lime – 1/2 cup of water Method – Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Grate the coconut, but do not squeeze out the milk. Add the coconut and the ginger to the sugar mixture. Mix together over the heat continuously until the mixture is thick and syrupy and the bottom of the pan is visible. Mix in the juice of one lemon and take the pan off the heat. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet immediately and when it has hardened a little, but is still soft, cut into squares. Wait to eat until the squares are hard and have cooled off.

Quindim – 12 egg yolks – 450g of sugar – 1 spoon of butter – 1 grated coconut – juice of 1 lemon Method – Grate the coconut. Mix the sugar, a bit of water and a few drops of lemon juice over medium heat until a thick consistency is obtained. Take off the heat and leave the sauce to cool. Strain the egg yolks through a plastic sieve. To the cooled down sauce add the strained egg yolks, the grated coconut and the butter, mixing thoroughly. Pour the liquid into small buttered ramekin dishes and place in a bain-marie. Then put into a hot oven until the mixture is set and golden.

Hope you enjoyed our Information About Bahia Cuisine

Information About Bahia History

Bahia. “O Brasil nasceu aqui.” (Bahia. Brazil was born here) This sentence is more than just an advertising phrase; it expresses a reality. From Bahia emanates the cultural and historic traditions of Brazil. The Portuguese Navigator, Amerigo Vespucci, made his way to the Atlantic coast of the South American continent, arriving in the beautiful bay of Bahia de Todos os Santos. He named it after the date on which he arrived, November 1st of 1501, the day of all saints. Almost half a century later the Portuguese decided to divide the colony of Brazil into captaincies and Bahia was granted to Francisco Pereira Coutinho, who arrived in 1535. However, the first Governor Tome de Sousa officially founded the city of Salvador in 1549.

For a short period in the late 17th century, Salvador was under the control of the Dutch crown. Through naval and land battles, however, Bahia reverted to the Portuguese crown and remained under its domain until its independence in 1823. The growth of the capital city of Salvador came with the advent of sugar plantations at the end of the 16th century and continued throughout the 17th century. The plantation economy required a strong workforce, which was imported from West Africa. Hence the beginning of Brazil´s slave trade. For the next three centuries, Salvador, Bahia became the most prosperous and important slave trade center not only in Brazil but in all of the Americas.

The 18th century brought with it the growth of coffee based economy and the discovery of gold and diamonds in southern and central Brazil. Bahia lost its primary economic significance to the Portuguese Crown and, in the 19th century, Salvador was replaced by Rio de Janeiro as the capital of Brazil. Throughout these centuries, Bahia was shaped by a myriad of different cultures; the African influence, with its candomblé religion, was by far the strongest. By the 17th century, Brazil had already imported a half million slaves to work on the sugar plantations, resulting in a population composed mainly of African descendants. By the time of abolition in the late 19th century, Brazil had already imported about 3 or 4 million slaves.

The economy of the state remained basically agricultural until the introduction of petrochemical industries and tourism in the 20th century. The state of Bahia is the most visited state and the Bahian economy is the fastest growing in Brazil. This state has vast mineral resources, possessing gold, rock salt, chromite, magnesite and copper, making it one of the richest states in Brazil. These mineral resources attracted the attention of global investors who, in the 1970s, invested in the region of Camaçari (50 kilometers away of Salvador) to create what is today called Polo Petroquimico de Camaçari, (the petrochemical center of Camaçari).

The sugar plantations and agricultural resources in Bahia gave path to a more modern economy, the industries. Bahia is now in the top five most populated states of Brazil, with more than 12 million inhabitants, making it the principal state of the Northeast region. As a port city, boats and ships have always been an important part of Salvador´s history. Ships import and export goods internationally and move cargo from the port of Salvador to other cities and national regions. Today, enormous ocean going freighters tie up and depart from Salvador’s commercial docks every day, which lie in the downtown area. Small boats and fishermen continue to be an evident and important part of Bahian culture and history.

The local fishermen use small wooden crafts, jangadas, canoes and pirogues to navigate the coast, swamps, lakes and rivers. Many of them concentrate on catching shrimp with nets, as well as fishing for bigger fish with nets and lines. These activities have been part of daily life in Bahia for hundreds of years. Today, Salvador and the state of Bahia preserve their historical colonial significance in their architectural monuments, magnificent mansions, baroque churches and forts, but mainly, in the natural expression of their people, the cultural life, and their natural beauty.

Walking through Salvador´s historic center of Pelourinho, one is surrounded by classic 18th and 19th century European architecture, much of it Iberian. Restoration projects have recuperated the glory of many of the oldest buildings, and the Pelourinho is protected today by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Most of the old streets continue to be covered by cobblestones, just as in the days when horse drawn carriages were the principle forms of transportation.

Hope you enjoyed our Information About Bahia History

Information About Bahia Culture

Throughout its history, Bahia (Bah-eeya) has been one of the Brazilian states with the richest cultural diversities. Many of Brazil’s most influential writers, poets, composers, singers, thinkers and artists in general are Bahianos (by-anos): Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil (both recent Grammy winners in the World Music category), Raul Seixas (Brazil’s version of Jim Morrison, and good friend of John Lennon), Gal Costa, Maria Bethania and Tom Zé are just some of the famous names who have made Bahia a font of inspiration and who have helped to make Brazilian music world famous.

All Brazilians love Bahia, as if it were a favorite, magical son. Art Artists who visit Bahia frequently end up staying and blending into the community. Bahia accepts visitors with open arms and souls. Those who decide to stay are spiritually adopted, and become true Bahianos. Carybé, originally Argentine, was arguably the greatest Bahian painter. Pierre Verger, a Frenchman, was and is Bahia’s pride in photojournalism. Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page is one of the newest Bahians, having originally discovered its beauty in the sixties with Janis Joplin, Gina Lolobrigida, and other artistic souls who found paradise in Bahia. Natural Beauties Bahia is so easy to fall in love with, for many reasons.

The warm and friendly people; the delicious food there are juices made from fruits you’ve never even heard of; the beautiful landscapes from the coast with coconut strewn beaches and turquoise ocean; to the interior where there are waterfalls (including the highest one in Brazil) surrounded by mountains and lush valleys; and the incredibly vibrant musical rhythms and dance which ooze creativity and inspiration. Literature Jorge Amado is one of the most beloved homebred Bahians. His novels deliciously describe the color and humor of the Bahian way of life. Amado has been translated into more than 50 languages, and is internationally recognized as one of the best writers of the 20th century. Many of his works have been made into films.

Among the most memorable are Dona Flor and her Two Husbands (the ghost of Dona Flor’s first husband climbs back into her life, and her bed!) and Gabriela Cravo e Canela (a poor mulatta girl whose stunning beauty and sensuality leads her blindly to the top echelons of society). Both films starred Bahian bombshell Sonia Braga, who eventually made her way to Hollywood and Broadway. Her international career peaked with Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Oscar for Best Actor to William Hurt).

Anolther example of Bahian talent is the filmmaker Glauber Rocha, who in 1967 directed O Rei da Vela (The king of the sail). This piece was originally written by the modernist Brazilian writer, Oswald de Andrade who, following the examples of contemporary art, cinema, music and literature, mingled together these influences to create new artistic expressions, particularly in the Tropicalism movement.

Music Many musical movements originated in Bahia. In the 1960s, Tropicalia incorporated electric guitars and keyboards with traditional Brazilian instruments, thereby creating a whole range of new musical sounds. Rock and Roll has been adopted as a solid menu choice in Brazil, with the local production having its very distinctive spice of additional percussion instruments and the sway of Brazilian Portuguese (considered by many as the most beautiful of languages).

Raul Seixas is definitely the eternal king of Bahian Rock and Roll, and is an important influence on all Brazilian rock. His lyrics were absurdly genius, funny, insightful and from the hip. Since the 1980s afro influence on music has been constantly growing. Today almost all of Bahia’s music production has strong afro undertones and overtones, especially through percussion.

An interesting detail of contemporary Bahian music is the six string electric bass guitar. The rhythm necessary to keep people dancing in the streets through five days of Carnival is so strong that the traditional four string bass just isn’t powerful enough. Carnival Carnival is Bahia’s most important festival, which begins 40 days before Lent and ends on Ash Wednesday. Having been an elite club party event decades ago, it has been transformed into one of the biggest public seasonal events in the world, attracting approximately one million visitors to the capital city of Salvador during Carnival week.

This metamorphosis began when two friends, Dodo and Osmar, transformed a small car into a small mobile stage which paraded through the city streets, and were followed by whoever wanted to tag along. Their tradition grew year by year into today’s extravaganza of dozens of 18 wheeler trucks transformed into mobile stages, using the most advanced technology. The trio eletricos, as they are locally known, follow two main circuits in the city center and have bands on top of them playing for hours on end.

Sometimes two or more bands meet along the way and perform together on pure improvisation. Each trio elétrico and its band are associated with Carnival clubs with 2-4 thousand members who parade and dance behind the trio during the five days of Carnival. Each day the members wear a different Abada (colorful t-shirt which allows the wearer access to the private cordoned-off area in the street behind the trio eletrico). Visitors who wish to join one of the Carnival clubs for one or more days of the street party can pay a fee and enjoy the club’s infrastructure. The Afro groups display a rich variety of rhythms that are performed only with percussion instruments.

One of the most famous and beautiful is Ilé Ayé (Eelay Eye ay). Dressed in their vibrantly colored African clothes, they dance through the streets mesmerizing their audience with their beautiful movements and rhythms. Another outstanding Afro group is The Sons of Ghandy. Inspired by Ghandy’s peace teachings, thousands of men and young boys dressed with white robes and turbans, chant their way along the carnival circuit in such a way that they appear to be a beautiful river of peace winding through the city center.

Religion Bahia is the center of cultural and religious syncretism in Brazil. Here the elements of Catholicism brought by the Portuguese colonists, the Tupinambá Indian beliefs, and the religions of African slaves blended together to create a fascinating religious experience. When slaves were brought from Africa, they were forbidden to practice their religions, so they secretly practiced by changing the names of their deities to those of Catholic Saints.

Today, as any adept of Candomblé has a Patron Saint, almost every Catholic has an Orixá. Candomblé is widely practiced in every corner of the state. This Yoruba tradition came along with the many slaves brought from western Africa during more than 300 years of slavery in Brazil. During the religious ceremonies the drumming and dance create a very unique atmosphere that activates a state of trance which enables the participants to receive the Orixás (the gods of Candomblé). A visit to a Terreiro is a must! The head of these spiritual centers, called Mothers of the Saints (it’s a matriarchal religion), are so influential that many of Bahia’s most important politicians, artists, writers and dignitaries consult them before making any important decision.

The most famous Mother of the Saints was Mae Menininha (Mother ‘Little Girl’) do Gantois. In her time she was as influential as Salvador’s Archbishop. Many of Salvador’s main festivals combine Catholicsm and Candomblé. In January there is the Festival of Bomfim where Bahianas and Mother of Saints dressed in their traditional white lace with hoop skirts and turbans leave in procession from Praia Catholic Church balancing vessels of spiritually scented water on their heads. Thousands of faithful follow them, singing and dancing and parading through the city’s main avenues towards the Bomfim Church.

On arrival, the Mothers of Saints wash the steps of the Church with the scented water, blessing those who enter the most important of Salvador’s three hundred churches for yet another year. Every February 2, during the Yemanjá Festival (a Candomblé Orixá equivalent to goddess of the sea, and very vain), the Catholic population takes offerings such as perfumes, mirrors, brushes and flowers to the fishermen, who have a colony next to the Catholic Church in the district of Rio Vermelho. Some give the offerings to the fisherman to take to the sea to bestow them upon the Orixá Yemanjá.

Others venture out onto the rocky shores and personally give their offerings to Yemanjá. This ritual was begun by the wives of the fishermen who did not want Yemanjá to take their husbands for herself. Today the tradition is more about bringing good fortune for the following year. In June there is an important harvest festival in Bahia and Northeast Brazil: Sao Joao (St. John), which traditionally takes place in small towns around the countryside. People gather around a big bonfire in the main square to dance forró (a cross between a square dance and the Texas two step) and drink Cachaça (alcohol made from sugar cane) and a variety of fruit liqueurs until the sun comes up.

During the 3 days of Sao Joao accordion led music is played and traditional food is served, such as corn cakes, corn dogs, cream of corn, coconut milk pies, corn on the cob, grilled corn and pop corn. This festival is a very welcome break for the natives of the northeast region, where the land is arid, with very little water to grow crops, income is one of the lowest in Brazil and life is tough.

Hope you enjoyed our Information About the Bahia Culture

Information About Bahia Weather

The climate in this state varies according to region. Salvador da Bahia has a dry season, which runs from October to April, and a rainy season that runs from May to September. The temperatures oscillate between 24° C and 33° C. The temperature is pleasant most of the time, especially in the afternoon, because of the nice ocean breeze.

Hope you enjoyed our Information About Bahia Weather

Information About Bahia Natural Aspects

The State of Bahia has the largest coast line of Brazil. This 1,100-kilometer coast is also one of the most beautiful in the country. The sandy Bahian beaches have waters of about 23°C. The predominantly climate is the tropical humid, and the vegetation is the original Atlantic Forest that covers mostly the Northern and South parts of Bahia.

In the Midwest of the State, in the Chapada Diamantina National Park region, the tropical climate predominates, the vegetation is a natural forest called cerrado made of small trees and bushes. Wild life is abundant in the Chapada: wild cats, snakes, small rodents, such as the moco and prea, deers, etc. Praia do Forte.

A hundred thousand coconut palms stand on 12km (7 miles) of white sandy beach in this tranquil fishing village, 80 km north of Salvador. It has a strong emphasis on preservation of the local flora and fauna and is protected against the exploitation of tourism and other threats to the environment by a private foundation.

The Tamar Project was set up to preserve the sea turtles, which lay their eggs on the beaches in the area. Inland from the coast is a restinga forest, with a very delicate ecosystem, which is a beautiful place for horseback and quad-bike riding. The coral reefs off the coast are superb for snorkeling and near by is a picturesque river for canoeing and kayaking.

Near the village is a small pantanal which is host to a large number of birds, caymans and other animals. Praia do Forte has many bars, restaurants and boutiques and has recently become one of the most sought after destinations in Brazil. Chapada Diamantina Lençois is the headquarters of the Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina (founded 1985), which contains 1,500 sq km of mountainous country. There is an abundance of endemic plants, waterfalls, large caves with impressive stalagmite and stalactite formations, rivers with natural swimming pools and superb trekking and walking through beautiful landscapes full of valleys and mountains with stunning views.

The town of Lençois, founded in 1844 to exploit the diamonds in the region, is a historical monument and a colonial gem. This town of approximately 8,000 inhabitants is full of restaurants with international cuisine and has a big, interesting market on Mondays. Morro de Sao Paulo This peaceful fishing village is situated on the headland at the northernmost tip of Tinharé Island. Lush with ferns, palms and birds of paradise this island has lots of good walking tours and horseback riding.

The town is dominated by the lighthouse and the ruins of a colonial fort, built in 1630 as a defense by the Portuguese against other European raiders. From the lighthouse, a path leads to a ruined lookout with beautiful panoramic views of the 3 big beaches and the lush green vegetation of the island. Lovely sunsets can be seen from the old fort and dolphins can sometimes be seen jumping through the waves. Itacaré This picturesque fishing village with 20,000 inhabitants has always been popular amongst surfers from all over the country, but has recently become the hot spot for the in-crowd of Brazil.

With its many different beautiful beaches, waterfalls and pleasant walks through lush forest vegetation, Itacaré is a refuge for nature lovers, surfers and anyone who wants to relax in beautiful, tranquil scenery. There are still many hidden virgin beaches without any infrastructure. Itacaré is located in what used to be the biggest cocoa-producing region in the world. However, with the decline of cocoa production, the village has turned towards tourism. Fishing, however, continues to be the main activity.

The village has lots of bars and restaurants and the nightlife is fun with lots of axé, forró and reggae music. Porto Seguro Pedro Alvares Cabral is credited with being the first European to lay eyes on Brazil, landing here on 22nd of April of 1500. Porto Seguro, in the extreme south of Bahia – including Arraial d’Ajuda and Trancoso – is Brazil’s newest tourist mecca. This once sleepy town now has well over a hundred hotels and pousadas, countless restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Carnival here is especially lively. Pataxo Indians still live near Porto Seguro, fishing and making handicrafts to sell to tourists. The town itself has a historical city on top of the hill with some interesting churches, lovely gardens and wonderful panoramic views. The area around Porto Seguro is a densely forested nature reserve of original Atlantic forest.

Across the bay lies Arraial d’Ajuda, which is set high on a cliff overlooking a rugged coastline with idyllic beaches. The town is full of bars and restaurants and has a good nightlife. Further along the coast is Trancoso, which is a simple little village with beautiful beaches.

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Brazil | Blog Our favourite things to do in Bahia, Brazil

October 3, 2023

Located in the eastern part of Brazil , Bahia is one of the most famous state in the country. The state gets its name from the Portuguese word for bay, ‘bahia’ and its capital, Salvador de Bahia is a bustling hub full of culture and art. 

Originally the capital of Brazil when the Portuguese arrived in 1549, Salvador de Bahia is home to a rich and vibrant history. Now the fourth biggest city in Brazil after Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo there is a great mixture of attractions and things to do. The city is known for its incredible diversity within its music, cuisine and dance culture . This is due to the fact that  historically, Salvador was the first slave port in the Americas and the African influence makes it a hub of Afro-Brazilian culture. 

Bahia is also a great place to visit if you enjoy the outdoors and nature . The state is known for having some of the best beaches in Brazil and many of the surrounding parks and islands are thriving centres for local and endemic fauna.  

Pelourinho, the historic centre of Salvador 

The historic district of Pelourinho in Salvador is renowned for its fantastic colonial architecture that showcases the incredible past of the town. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site , the monuments found here date back to the 17th and 18th century and tell the story of the Portuguese settlers and the creation of the first slave market on the continent. African slaves were brought to the country to work on sugar plantations or be sold to other traders further north. The name Pelourinho comes from the Portuguese word for ‘pillory’ or ‘whipping post’ as the central plaza was used for the public beatings of enslaved Africans. 

Architecture and interior design enthusiasts will find their happiness here with many landmarks to visit such as the Cathedral of Salvador and its incredible Mannerist decorations or the Church and Convent of Sao Francisco that is home to a stunning and intricate Baroque design. For those who enjoy exuberant and theatrical architecture, the Church of Nosso Senior de Bonfim is a must-visit as its Rococo design is incredibly well-preserved. 

If you are looking for panoramic views of the city then head to the Elevador Lacerda which was built in 1873 and perfectly captures the separation between the upper and the lower city. The view from the top spans the Bay of All Saints with its incredible blue-green waters. 

For those wanting to learn more about the Afro-Brazilian culture, the local museums and art galleries are thriving hot-spots to learn more about African inspired art and how time and history impacted the people. The Museu de Arte da Bahia is the most important museum in the state and perfectly encapsulates the culture and heritage of Bahia. Throughout the year, you will find many cultural events and seminars that tell the story of Bahia and educate visitors to the important history of the country.   

Return to nature in Bahia

The most renowned national park in Bahia but also Brazil is the Chapada Diamantina. One of the biggest parks in the country, it stretches to 600 square miles of lush and verdant forest. Outdoor enthusiast will be thrilled with the large number and variety of activities on offer from rafting, canyoning and climbing to hiking and trekking there is no chance to get bored while here. 

Surfers will find their happiness in Itacaré , a town situated on the mouth of the Rio de Contas just 70km away from Salvador de Bahia. This town might be small but it is home to 15 beaches and is considered the best place to surf in Bahia . The Boca da Barra break is famous for being the longest one along the coastline with many surf tournaments taking place during the year.   

Experience Bahia’s rich culture through song and dance

Capoeira is a martial art dance that originates with the slave trade in Brazil. A mix of martial and dance moves it is usually practiced in pairs to the sound of traditional music. There are many places that you can witness this dance from the central square in Pelourinho to the beaches of Itacaré . It is an impressive sight to see and a great way to learn more about the history brought to Brazil from the African slave trade. Witnessing a capoeira performance is an opportunity that will stay with you for a long time. 

Samba is an equally important part of the culture and is considered to many as the heartbeat of the nation. You can find many schools or dance studios that will teach you the basic steps of the dance so that you can enjoy yourself fully while visiting Brazil. You will find many samba bars in Bahia and it is always great fun to dance the night away amongst other samba aficionados.

Taste of the world

Bahian cuisine just like a lot of its culture, is a mixture of global cuisine with a particular focus on Africa and the Caribbean . The food in Bahia is much spicier then in other parts of Brazil and this is due to the fact that they use Pimienta malagueta a chili popular in Brazil that adds a fiery touch to the food it is added to. Many of the dishes in Bahia are cooked with red palm oil, known locally as Azeite de dendê. The oil adds a distinct flavour to their dishes which is particular to the region and can only be found here. 

One of the most popular dishes found in Bahia is Savor moqueca . This dish has roots in African cuisine which makes it the perfect food to showcase the region. A rich fish stew, it is made with coconut milk, azeite de dendê and red and green peppers. The dish usually takes on a rich red colour and is served with rice. A tasty and wholesome meal that will be sure to have your tastebuds tingling.   

Take part in a candomblé ceremony

Developed in Brazil in the 19th century, Candomblé is a religion that takes roots in both West African religions and Roman Catholicism. It is a blending of Yoruba, Fon and Bantu traditional religions brought by African slaves and the Roman Catholic teachings that the Portuguese colonialists brought with them. People who practice candomblé venerated spirits that are known as orixás. A traditional service involves a lot of singing, dancing and drumming as forms of communication with the deities and spirits. The chance to experience a Candomblé ceremony is a great and inspiring way to experience the rich and complex traditions of the Bahian and Afro-Brazilian cultures .   

Bahia is a vibrant and fun destination to a explore. A must-do for any trip to Brazil , discovering this region is like taking a trip back in time where you will come into contact with the rich history of this region. You will come back from this Bahia having learnt so much more about the culture of this incredible place. 

Do  get in touch with us so we can create the perfect trip for you that includes Bahia and all the region has to offer. 

Alexandra Coeln

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Beaches in Bahia: The 7 Best & Most Beautiful Ones (+Map)

Are you planning to visit the beaches in Bahia, Brazil? Below are the 7 best and most beautiful ones 😉

Like many Brazilians, beaches for me are like oxygen.

I’ve lived most of my life in Bahia and even though my city isn’t on the coast, I used to go to the beach almost every weekend.

My beloved home state has the longest coastline in Brazil at over 1200 Km (745 mi) and some of its most striking and best beaches.

The beaches in Bahia are dotted with coconut trees, soft sand and warm water and can be enjoyed all year round.

With so many options to choose from, I decided to make a list of the 7 best Bahia beaches, so next time you visit this very unique and extraordinary state, you will already know where to go.

Are you planning a last-minute trip to Bahia?

If you’re booking your trip to Bahia last minute, I have you covered. Below are some of the best tours, hotels and more!

🇧🇷 Popular tours/activities in Salvador (and nearby):

• Top-rated city tour in Salvador – Discover the first capital of Brazil (top-selling tour)
• Day trip to Praia do Forte and Guarajuba Beach (pickup and drop-off included)
• Morro de São Paulo island transfer service from Salvador (there’s also this day trip option )
• Transfer Salvador to/from Boipeba Island (highly-rated transfer)

🛌 Best places to stay in Bahia:

• Salvador : ⭐️ Axé Home ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hit Hotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fera Palace Hotel
• Morro de São Paulo : ⭐️ Che Lagarto Hostel ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pousada Bahia Bella ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Villa dos Corais
• Boipeba Island : ⭐️ Pousada Sossego ⭐️⭐️⭐️ O Céu de Boipeba ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pousada Mangabeiras

🛫 Want to get from Salvador Airport to the city centre? Find the best hassle-free transfer options here!

Table of Contents

The 7 Best Beaches in Bahia , Brazil

1 – praia de moreré, ilha de boipeba.

Located in the Tinharé Archipelago, 240 Km (150 mi) from Salvador, Bahia’s capital, Ilha de Boipeba was elected by Trip Advisor in 2013 as the second-best island in South America.

Boipeba Island is home to a dense Atlantic forest, with salt marshes, sand dunes and extensive mangroves, with luscious coconut trees framing the beaches.

There are many gorgeous beaches in Boipeba, but Moreré isn’t only the most beautiful one on the island but in the whole state.

Famous for its crystal clear warm water pools and coral reefs, Praia de Moreré is perfect for snorkelling and swimming. There are many pools at this beach, but the best ones are located offshore. These can be accessed only at low tide and you need to take a boat to get there.

I love Boipeba for its simplicity and authenticity and it’s one of the best places to visit in Bahia!

When you’re in the Tinharé Archipelago, be sure to visit Moreré as it’s the best and most beautiful beach in Bahia.

• Other beaches in Boipeba that you shouldn’t miss are Cueira and Castelhanos.

Further reading:  

• Boipeba: The Best Island in Brazil
• Restaurants and Hotels in Boipeba, Bahia .  

2 – Praia do Espelho, Trancoso

Located in Trancoso, a township of Porto Seguro, Mirror Beach was elected in 2009 by the leading Brazilian travel guide, Guia Quatro Rodas , as the third most beautiful beach in Brazil.

Praia do Espelho had been on my must-visit list for a long time and I finally had the opportunity to visit it at the beginning of 2018. As soon as I arrived I fell in love with it and it immediately became one of my favourite beaches in Bahia.

With crystal-clear turquoise warm and calm water, soft sand, and white and red-yellowish cliffs covered with exuberant vegetation, Mirror Beach leaves all visitors in awe.

This beach is divided into two parts, one with hotels and restaurants, and the other completely quiet and untouched.

At low tide, Mirror Beach is even more beautiful because of the contrast between the turquoise water and the coral reefs. This is also when natural pools are formed and the beach becomes even more pleasant.

I spent the whole day at Praia do Espelho, sunbathing, relaxing, feeling the warm breeze and drinking caipirinha. I loved it!

Praia do Espelho is one of the most beautiful beaches in Bahia and you can’t miss it when you visit Porto Seguro / Trancoso!

Quick tips:

• Other beautiful beaches in Porto Seguro are Praia dos Nativos and Taípe.
• Many restaurants in Praia do Espelho charge a minimum consumption that can vary according to the time of year. I was there during New Year’s Eve and it was US$ 80 / for 2 people.

3 – Taipu de Fora, Península de Maraú

Taipu de Fora is one of the most stunning beaches in Bahia with crystal-clear warm water and lavish coconut trees.

The big difference is the huge natural pool (1 km long x 500m wide x 6m deep) that forms in Taipu de Fora at low tide. It’s the only one in Brazil of this size that is accessible without a boat.

With rich marine life, this pool is perfect for snorkelling, diving, swimming and doing Stand Up Paddle Boarding.

From the pool, you also have a breathtaking view of the beach and will understand why it’s considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Bahia.

Taipu de Fora is a very long beach, 7 Km (4.3 mi) and has soft sand and massive coconut trees that extend far beyond the eye.

It’s perfect for long walks and running or just sunbathing and relaxing in one of the bars and restaurants.

Taipei de Fora, the main attraction of the Maraú Peninsula, is located on the South Coast of Bahia and was considered by the leading Brazilian travel magazine, Viagem e Turismo , and also by Guia Quatro Rodas , as one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil.

4 – Praia da Engenhoca, Itacaré

Itacaré, the surf mecca in Bahia and one of the best beach towns in Brazil, is located in the South of Bahia and only became nationally known when a tarred ecological road connecting the city to Ilhéus was opened in 1998.

There are so many whimsical beaches in Itacaré that it’s very hard to decide which is the most beautiful one. But Praia da Engenhoca is the one on my list of the best beaches in Bahia.

To access Engenhoca, you need to park your car on the road and walk approximately 15-20min through the Atlantic forest that remains in the “Cocoa Coast”.

Once you arrive, you will see a small sheltered beach in the middle of two hills covered with sumptuous vegetation; behind you, there’ll be the rainforest forest and stream water coming from the jungle and running unpretentiously to the sea.

The beach has a very simple infrastructure with a few restaurants, and most of the people you will find are surfers.

Praia da Engenhoca is completely untouched, secluded and truly a piece of paradise! A perfect place for unwinding and forgetting the vicissitudes of life.

Quick Tips:

• The other wild beaches near Praia da Engenhoca, such as Havaizinho and Itacarezinho are very nice as well. And the best beach in Itacaré’s city center is Praia da Ribeira.
• Further reading:
• Best Things to Do in Itacaré, Brazil
• Where to Stay in Itacaré

5 – Quarta Praia, Morro de São Paulo

Morro de São Paulo, also located in the Tinharé Archipelago, only 60 km from Salvador, is undoubtedly one of the most famous places in Bahia.

During the 1970s this fishing village was still very undeveloped and did not have electricity 24 hours a day until 1985.

Since then, Morro de São Paulo has been discovered by tourists, starting with hippies and backpackers who spread the word and vacationers from nearby towns who visit the island to explore its gorgeous beaches with clear and warm water surrounded by Atlantic forests.

Nowadays Morro is full of foreigners, especially Israelis and Argentinians who come to enjoy this so-called “Tropical Paradise”. Even though the village changed with the increase in tourism it still preserves some old landmarks.

The beaches in Morro de São Paulo are extraordinary!

Among them, the Quarta Praia (Fourth Beach), a 4 km (2,5 mi) long beach, with impressive vegetation, is a haven of shimmering shallows with fine and flawless sand.

The best thing about Quarta Praia is that there aren’t any beachfront hotels or restaurants like at the other beaches in Morro de São Paulo. Instead, you find opulent vegetation and a few kiosks.

You can spend some time swimming in its natural pools, walking or resting underneath the trees.

Of course, I couldn’t leave Morro de São Paulo off my list of the most beautiful beaches in Bahia.

• The easiest way to get to Morro de São Paulo is to fly to Salvador and then take another flight with Abaté Linhas Aéreas to Morro.
• Which one is better, Morro de São Paulo or Boipeba? Boipeba, definitely! It’s much more authentic and less touristy than Morro. But you can visit both because they are part of the same archipelago.

Further reading: What to Do in Morro de São Paulo, Brazil

6 – Ponta do Mutá, Barra Grande

During my trip to Barra Grande, I committed myself to exploring and discovering the best beaches in the Maraú Península.

This region on the “Palm Oil Coast” of Bahia only became popular a couple of years ago. Nowadays many famous people such as Neymar, the Brazilian soccer star have houses there or go there on holiday, to enjoy some of the most gorgeous beaches in Bahia.

Access to Ponta do Mutá is via a very narrow road and upon arrival, you find some restaurants, a blue ocean on one side and golden sand and green bay waters surrounded by luxurious vegetation on the other.

I was completely astonished by Ponta do Mutá’s unique and perfect combination!

You can go swimming, kayaking, do Stand Up Paddle Boarding, play footvolley, walk, run, dance (there’s a very famous beach bar there – Café de la Musique), or just sit on a beach chair, drink caipirinhas and feel the breeze and the warm water touching your feet as I did.

• Don’t miss the sunset at Ponta do Mutá because it is amazing!!
• Praia dos Três Coqueiros is another beautiful beach in Barra Grande that you shouldn’t miss.

7 – Praia do Forte, Mata de São João

The only beach around Salvador, on my list, is Praia do Forte, one of the best beach resorts in Brazil.

This fisherman’s village from the sixteenth century is located 70 km north of Salvador and, despite undergoing some changes due to tourism, still preserves some of its charms.

I’ve been to Praia do Forte several times. The last time was in 2015 when I saw some tuk-tuks taking people from the parking lot to the village. It was the first time I saw a tuk-tuk in Bahia / Brazil…

Yet, the beaches remain as beautiful as during my first visit, with waving gigantic coconut trees, soft sand and natural pools with clear and warm waters.

With more than 12 km of alluring beaches, dozens of restaurants and stores, souvenir shops, hotels, a very picturesque church, an old lighthouse and one of the first marine turtle conservation projects in Brazil, Praia do Forte is the perfect getaway while you’re in Salvador.

• Another place in Bahia’s North Coast worth visiting is Imabassaí, which is located only 10 Km from Praia do Forte.
• Some of the best beaches in Salvador are: Stella Maris, Flamengo and Porto da Barra beach.

This is a short list of the 7 best and most beautiful beaches in Bahia, but there are many others.

There’s a Bahia best beaches map below so you can have a better idea of the exact location of each.

Safe travels and enjoy the beaches in Bahia.

I always recommend that you buy travel insurance! It can literally be your lifeline if something happens to you , or your luggage is lost or stolen.

Play safe and get yours. Get a quote with World Nomads here or buy your travel insurance now with SafetyWing using the widget below.

Planning a Trip to Bahia Best Beaches

Where is bahia.

Bahia is located in the northeastern part of Brazil on the Atlantic coast (check the map here ).

How to get to the best beaches in Bahia?

To Costa do Dendê (Palm Oil Coast): the main city in Costa do Dendê is Valença and there aren’t direct flights to this city.

From Valença you can take a speed boat to Morro de São Paulo and Boipeba.

Another option is to fly to Salvador and then take a catamaran to Morro de São Paulo or book this transfer . From Morro, you can go to Boipeba by boat or car + boat.

There are also private flights from Salvador to both places.

To go to Península de Maraú, which is located 200 km (124 mi) from Salvador and 150 km (93mi) from Ilhéus, you can take a ferry from Salvador to Camamu, then a speed boat to Península de Maraú.

Another option is to drive towards Camamu and then take one of those two roads: BA 001 or BR-030 (unpaved road).

There are also buses departing from Ilhéus, Itabuna, Salvador and Feira de Santana to Camamu and Valença with the companies Águia Branca and Cidade Sol .

To Costa do Cacau (Cocoa Coast):  the easiest way is to fly to Aeroporto Jorge Amado in Ilhéus, then drive or get a transfer to Itacaré.

To Costa do Descobrimento (Discovery Coast): the easiest way is to fly to Aeroporto Internacional de  Porto Seguro and then rent a car to visit the villages and cities nearby.

You can book your flights with Skyscanner , which is the website that I use and trust.

I really recommend you hire a car while in Bahia to make your life easier. You can hire yours with Rental Cars without any additional cost here .

Best time to visit Bahia?

The best time to visit Bahia is during the summer (from December to March) when there are more people, more fun and more festivals.

You can also go during the low season: after carnival until April and from September to November. You should avoid visiting Bahia from May to August when there’s more rainfall.

Where to stay in Bahia?

Morro de São Paulo Hotels:   Budget: Che Lagarto Hostel and Pousada Villa Bahia . Great Cost/Benefit: Pousada Bahia Bella and Bangalô dos Sonhos . Luxury: Villa dos Corais , Pousada Minha Louca Paixão and Vila dos Orixás Boutique Hotel . Boipeba Hotels: Budget: Abaquar Hostel and Pousada Sossego . Great Cost/Benefit: O Céu de Boipeba and Pousada Vila da Barra . Luxury: Pousada Mangabeiras Barra Grande Hotels: Budget: Ganga Zumba Hostel & Suítes  and Pousada das Roseiras . Great Cost/Benefit: Pousada Galeão Santa Anna and Taipabas Hotel Luxury: Pousada Encanto da Lua and Villa Kandui Boutique Hotel Itacaré Hotels: Budget: Pousada Ilha Verde and Che Lagarto Hostel Great Cost/Benefit: Pousada Vila do Dengo and Pousada Recanto do Dendê Luxury: Vila Barracuda Boutique Hotel , Ecoporan Hotel and Txai Resort Porto Seguro Hotels: Budget: Pousada Brisa do Mar and Hotel Costa Verde Great Cost/Benefit: Hotel Solar do Imperador , Quinta do Sol and Capoeira Village Luxury: Resort Villaggio Arcobaleno and Arraial D’ajuda Eco Resort . Trancoso Hotels: Budget: Villa Nobre Diniglei , Casa da Cosmira and   Pousada Mar Azul Great Cost/Benefit: Pousada Recanto do Sol , Pousada Jardim das Margaridas and Pousada Hospedaria do Quadrado Luxury: Pousada Capim Santo , Hotel Boutique Bahia Bonita and Pousada Estrela D’Água Praia do Forte Hotels: Budget: Praia do Forte Hostel and Praia do Forte Suites . Great Cost / Benefit: Pousada Ogum Marinho ,   Porto Zarpa Hotel and Hotel Eco Atlântico Luxury:   Refúgio da Vila , Iberostar Praia do Forte and  Tivoli Ecoresort

Have you been to Bahia? What do you think of my list? Let me know in the comments below 😉

Don’t forget to save it for later 😉

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11 thoughts on “Beaches in Bahia: The 7 Best & Most Beautiful Ones (+Map)”

Aww man Brazil really does have it all! These beaches all looks amazing, I would love to visit one day.

Hello Campbell. Yes, it does 😉 I love those beaches! I hope one day you can visit it too. Cheers buddy.

Hello thank uoubso much for putting all this great information together!

My wife and 2 kids years 2 and 5 are coming ro brazil next week. We are lloking for a nice place in Bahia that has it all….. nice beach and a good relaxed but active and fun atmosphere for the carnival week activities. salvador is too intense for the kids so i was wondering if you had any suggestions of cities to spend. The caranval in bahia.

also i wanted to know if the beaches in bahia are very damaged by all the oillbspill.

Thanks so much for your help!

Hello Dave. Sorry for just replying now. I’m so happy to hear that you’re going to Bahia. So nice!! I would suggest small cities for carnival. Itacaré, in the South, would be a good option, (you need to fly to Ilhéus – IOS Airport).I used to go there when I was a kid. Another option would be Porto Seguro, but I’m afraid that it can be too much because. The city is good for children, there is a water park and there aren’t waves on the beaches. I believe you and your wife would love Arraial D’Ajuda, a very charming district of Porto Seguro. If you have any other question write me back. And if you can make any reservation, specially hotels, using the links here I really appreciate Dave and there are no extra costs for you. Cheers and have fun in Bahia 🙂

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Top Five Places to Visit in Bahia, Brazil

Home » South America Travel Blog » Top Five Places to Visit in Bahia, Brazil

Brazil ´s northern state of Bahia is a sun-drenched and culturally exciting destination for a Brazil vacation with a beautiful coastline of white sandy beaches and tropical islands. Inland you will find the stunning Chapada Diamantina National Park, ideal for hikers and for those seeking a change from the sun, sea and sand of Bahia’s beaches. The lively state capital of Salvador de Bahia is the epicenter of Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian culture, and has great historical interest too. With its unique destinations and beautiful beaches, a visit to Bahia is a must on any trip to Brazil. Here follows a list of our top five places to visit in Bahia.

♦ Chapada Diamantina

When thinking of Bahia one usually pictures rolling surf and palm-fringed beaches, but as well as a picture-perfect coastline, Bahia also has its inland treasures. The Chapada Diamantina National Park is one such highlight. Striking flat-topped mountains rise up 1600m above sweeping forested valleys, river and cave systems and tumbling waterfalls. The charming colonial town of Lencois is a great base from which to explore the national park.

♦  Salvador de Bahia

Salvador de Bahia is a vibrant state capital with an interesting cultural history stemming from it being very much the center of  Brazil´s slave trade. The city´s Afro-Brazilian culture is strong and can be seen in its music, dance and culinary styles. The old city center is a beautifully crumbling colonial relic and its cobble stone streets and brightly painted houses are always lively with music and activity.

♦  Praia do Forte Turtle Project

The pristine beach of Praia do Forte, just along the coast from Salvador de Bahia, is home to the Tamar Turtle Sanctuary . The project seeks to preserve the endangered turtles that visit beaches up and down Bahia’s coast each summer (Dec-Feb) to lay their eggs. Depending on when you visit you could get to see baby turtles being released into the waves, but a visit at any time of year is fascinating.

♦  Morro de Sao Paulo

Beautifully situated on the island of Tinhare, Morro de Sao Paulo is a laid back beach town made even more tranquil by the fact that there are no cars allowed on the island. Baggage and provisions are transported in wheelbarrows between the port, the town and the beachfront hotels. The charm of Morro lies in spending time on its beaches and slowing yourself down to match its relaxed pace. It’s also a great place for diving, surfing and snorkeling.

♦ Cachoeira da Fumacinha

The Chapada Diamantina National Park is awash with waterfalls, and at 330ft. the Cachoeira da Fumacinha has one of the most beautiful settings in all of Brazil . The walls of the canyon rise up some 820ft. and join together at the top, resembling a cathedral, from where the waterfall pours out from, dropping in a huge natural pool. The views of the waterfall are stunning and after the heat of the coast the cool rivers and waterfalls of the park are a refreshing change.

Thanks for visiting our Central & South America Travel Blog! Feel free to contact one of our Travel Specialists via  email ,  phone  or  chat  to plan your perfect  Brazil itinerary .

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20 Must-Visit Attractions in Salvador

Architecturally rich and culturally diverse , Brazil’s first capital city has it all. From old colonial buildings to eccentric markets, stunning natural features to the world’s first outdoor lift, as well as museums, churches and galleries, Salvador’s best sights will have you raring to get started.

In 1549, when the Portuguese landed on Brazil’s coast, they built the city of Salvador da Bahia on the shore of the Bay of All Saints. Their impressive European architecture has survived the centuries, and the resulting streets, squares and churches of the historical centre are now a UNESCO World Heritage site, known as the Pelourinho , which means pillory, after the place where slaves were publicly flogged.

Baía de Todos os Santos

One of the most important things about Salvador is the incredible position it occupies on Brazil’s coast. It sits pretty much halfway down the country on the Baía de Todos os Santos , or Bay of All Saints. Larger than Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, it is the largest in the country and a crucial factor in how the city came to be, and to remain, a trading and transport hub. Salvador’s situation also means that it is one of the few places in Brazil where viewers can watch the sun set in the west.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos

Unable to worship at their masters’ churches, Brazil’s slaves built their own finishing the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos in the 18th century. With two bell towers and painted in pale blue and white, it is an architecturally fine building that still thrives and functions today. Services are a mix of Catholicism and Candomblé, and visitors are usually welcome to observe. It has neoclassical altars inside and a small graveyard for slaves out the back.

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Cathedral Basilica of Salvador

Built by Jesuits on the site of their very first church in what is now Salvador, the city’s cathedral is a vast 17th century building on the Terreiro de Jesus square. It is statuesque but unassuming on the outside but glittering with gold inside, and is the venue for frequent concerts and events, as well as church services.

Nosso Senhor do Bonfim Church

Nosso Senhor do Bonfim is perhaps the most famous of all of Salvador’s hundreds of churches. It has come to represent the co-existence of the two predominant religions in the area: Catholicism and Candomblé, which originated in West Africa. The annual Lavagem do Bonfim is a widely celebrated and not-to-be missed festival involving a procession through town before women wash the steps of the church.

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Elevador Lacerda

Salvador is a city on two levels. To connect the high and low parts of the city, a lift was built in 1873. The now Art Deco Lacerda Elevator bridges an 85-metre escarpment, taking the public up and down in thirty seconds, hundreds of times a day and giving breathtaking views of the bay and the city.

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Mercado Modelo

There is no better place to pick up souvenirs than at Salvador’s Mercado Modelo . With hundreds of stalls selling all things Bahian and other locally made products, it has an excellent selection of food and booze, clothes, shoes, jewellery, art and woodwork, as well as a selection of traditional Brazilian restaurants and bars.

Feira São Joaquim

São Joaquim is a grid of narrow alleys stuffed full of everything you might ever need. It is a proper locals’ market, so don’t be surprised by the live animals for sale and the many strange Brazilian fruits, spices and dried foods. The set-up, plus the sacks of pink salted shrimp, make for striking photos.

Farol de Barra

Since 1698, Salvador’s black and white lighthouse has guided ships safely in and out of the Bay of All Saints from its promontory on the city’s southern tip. It is part of the Santo Antônio fort along with the Nautical Museum, which is a popular tourist stop, and people come daily to climb the lighthouse and watch it being turned on and off in the morning and evening.

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São Marcelo Fort

Out in the bay and easily visible from the upper city and the Elevador Lacerda, is the large cylindrical São Marcelo fort. It was described by novelist Jorge Amado as “the belly button of Bahia” and has been a crucial defensive point for the Portuguese since the 17th century. Sadly these days it is no longer open to the public, but is worth a peek from up high.

Praia Porto da Barra

Praia Porto da Barra is widely considered to be Salvador’s best little beach. The crescent of golden sand fills up at weekends and on holidays with merry beachgoers claiming a patch and wading out into the calm waters of the bay. It also offers a prime sunset-watching spot.

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Praia do Farol da Barra

Every visitor to Salvador should take a leisurely stroll along the Farol da Barra beach. Like a smaller Ipanema, it is wide and clean with gently crashing waves and plenty of opportunities for people-watching. At Carnival and New Year’s Eve it is at the heart of the city’s celebrations.

Rio Vermelho

Rio Vermelho , or Red River, is Salvador’s answer to a hipster neighbourhood. The city’s young and bohemian hang out out at night in the area, filling the squares, listening to music and threading in and out of restaurants. There are a couple of multi-arts bar-clubs, like Galpão Cheio de Assunto and Commons Studio Bar, and plenty of thrift shops too.

Museu de Arte Moderna

Salvador’s Museum of Modern Art is right on the water’s edge in a large old, colonial manor house. It houses up to five exhibitions inside, has its own sculpture garden in the grounds and a school. A highlight of the place is the weekly Jam no MAM live concert outside every Saturday evening.

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Balé Folclórico da Bahia

Weaving together many of the strands of Salvador’s history and culture, the regular show of Bahian folklore is an unlikely night to remember. The performers use costume, music and dance to play out local tales and demonstrate capoeira on stage. It takes place in a small theatre in the Pelourinho and often brings audiences to their feet.

Palacete das Artes

The Palacete das Artes is also informally known as Salvador’s Rodin museum. The gallery has four of the French sculptor’s pieces, among its other works, and connections to the Musée Rodin in Paris. As well as the fine 1912 building the art is showcased in, there is a stylish new minimalist café in the grounds.

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Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado

Jorge Amado is one of Brazil’s most beloved and accomplished writers. As he was born in Bahia and lived in Salvador, there are two institutions in his name in the city, both of which are open to the public. Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado has exhibits of the writer’s work, a shop and a café. A Casa do Rio Vermelho is the house where Amado and his wife, Zélia Gattai, lived.

Rio Branco Palace

Built in 1549, the Rio Branco Palace in the cidade alta is one of Brazil’s oldest palaces. It is one of the city’s architectural wonders, having been tinkered with and altered extensively over the years. As the former home of the state government, it houses medals and memorabilia from the governors of Bahia. Tours of up to 30 people can be arranged via its webpage .

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Fundação Pierre Verger

Pierre Verger (1902-1996) was a French photographer who made Salvador his home and the focus of much of his work. He became fascinated with African culture and particularly with the Candomblé religion. The small foundation dedicated to him gives a good overview of his life and shows the exquisite photos he took.

http://instagram.com/p/3FgXbhjxPE/?tagged=funda%C3%A7%C3%A3opierreverger

Casa do Comérico

Salvador’s Casa do Comérico is a state-run cultural centre with a cinema, theatre and restaurant. As well enjoying the performances held within, it is worth a visit to admire the extraordinary building that was constructed for the purpose. It is a futuristic red and black stack of seemingly interlocking sections, overflowing with plants and greenery high up above the street.

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Bahia travel guide

Bahia is the soul of Brazil. In this northeastern state more than anywhere else, the country’s cultures and races have mixed, producing, many believe, what is most authentically Brazilian.

Salvador, Brazil's former capital

It was at Porto Seguro, on the southern coast of Bahia, that Pedro Alvares Cabral first “discovered” this land in 1500. A year later, on 1 November – All Saints’ Day – the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci arrived in what is now Salvador , the capital of Bahia and, until 1763, also the capital of Brazil.

Music and literature

Bahia is the site of the country’s first medical school, its oldest churches, its most important colonial architecture, and one of the largest collections of sacred art. Bahia is also the birthplace of many of Brazil’s outstanding writers, politicians, and composers. Bahia-born novelist Jorge Amado’s works have been translated into nearly 50 languages, and several of his books have become major films (including Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands and Gabriela). The music of Bahians João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Baden Powell, Dorival Caymmi, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, and more recently Carlinhos Brown, Margareth Menezes, Daniela Mercury and Ivete Sangalo, is enjoyed by aficionados all over the world.

Mysticism in Bahia

There is another side to Bahia, one that appeals to the spirit and the senses. The mysticism of Bahia is so strong, it pervades every aspect of life: it can be perceived in the way people dress, in their speech, their music, their way of relating to each other, even in their food. This mysticism is another reason Brazilians say that in Bahia lies the soul of their country.

Places to visit in Bahia

The capital of Bahia and one-time capital of Brazil, festive Salvador is a glorious assault on the senses. Read more about Salvador...

Itacaré has become one of the most popular destinations in Bahia. The little town (pop. 18,000) lies at the mouth of Rio das Contas, with many restaurants and pousadas catering to the visitors who come here for the magnificent beaches and scenery. All forms of ecotourism are encouraged: diving, surfing, and walks through the Atlantic rainforest and the region’s many deserted beaches. There are also excellent pousadas and some very exclusive resorts in the area, including Txai and Itacaré Village.

Abrolhos National Park

www.ilhasdeabrolhos.com.br

The area around Monte Pascoal, where the Portuguese had their first sighting of Brazil in 1500, is a densely forested nature reserve of original Atlantic rainforest. There are four national parks: Descobrimento, Monte Pascoal, Pau Brasil and Abrolhos – the last a marine national park that is one of the best diving sites in Brazil, and a location for whale-watching.

Parque Nacional Chapada Diamantina

This region is one of the most beautiful in the Bahian countryside: a mountain wilderness, best explored with a local guide. Orchids abound near the waterfalls, some of which can only be reached on foot. The Cachoeira da Fumaça, 66km (41 miles) from Lençóis, is 400 meters (1,300ft) high. It can be reached only by a very steep 7km (4-mile) walk. The Gruta das Areias, a grotto just over 1km (0.5 miles) long, is lined with colored sands, which artisans use to fill glass bottles, creating delightful patterns. A stunning view of the region can be seen from on top of the Pai Inácio Mountain, where a host of exotic plants thrive. Small towns and villages, such as Mucugê and Igatú, give visitors an interesting insight into the history and lives of the people who inhabit this unusual region. The driest time, and the best time to visit, is from August to October. 

Situated in the heart of Bahia and serving as the main gateway to the Parque Nacional Chapada Diamantina is one of the state’s most distinctive attractions: the town of Lençóis (pop. 10,000). Resting in the foothills of the Sincorá Mountains, Lençóis dates back to 1844, when diamonds were first discovered here. Hoards of fortune-seekers descended on the site, improvising shelters out of large cloth sheets, called lençóis in Portuguese, a name that has stuck. The diamond rush turned the little settlement into a boom town; Lençóis society wore the latest Parisian fashions and sent their children to study in France. There are some interesting buildings in Lençóis, but its main attractions are the natural wonders nearby.

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Second only to Rio in the magnificence of its natural setting, on the mouth of the enormous bay of Todos os Santos (All Saints), SALVADOR is one of that select band of cities that has an electric feel from the moment you arrive. The modern cloud-scraping skyline has a distinct beauty of its own, poised as it is on an undulating headland at the mouth of a deep-blue ocean bay.

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Fantastic swimming beaches, the largest collection of colonial architecture in Latin America, and a vibrant modern culture – perhaps the richest living cultural mix in the country, with its multitide of Afro-Caribbean bands and performers – all combine to help make Salvador the most popular destination in the Northeast, even if it considers itself distinct from the rest of this region.

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The Pelourinho district is now an attractive and much visited area, but it wasn’t always this way. In the early 1990s the area was virtually derelict, with many of the colonial buildings falling to pieces and tourism in decline. The neighborhood’s makeover is thanks to Bahia’s most famous – and controversial – politician, Antônio Carlos Magalhães. Widely disliked elsewhere in Brazil as an unreconstructed representative of the country’s landed elite, the silver-haired ACM (as he’s known) is popular in Bahia because of his tireless campaigns on behalf of his home state; you’ll see his picture hanging up in many of the city’s bars. Pelourinho’s revival, which he undertook as state governor, was certainly impressive. Some of the most important colonial architecture has been restored to its original glory, the pastel pinks and blues creating a wonderfully gaudy effect. Critics point out many local residents had to be moved out and complain the area has become dominated by tourism. There is some truth to this, but you’ll still see plenty of locals enjoying themselves alongside the tourists, and the economy is clearly thriving; on the whole, it’s hard to argue that Pelourinho was better off as a decaying shadow of its former self. Furthermore, you only have to wander fifty metres off the beaten Pelhourinho path to find yourself in dark and sometimes dodgy backstreets.

The two main popular festivals of the year, besides Carnaval, take place either in or near the Igreja do Bonfim. On New Year’s Day the Procissão no Mar, the “Sea Procession”, sees statues of the seafarers’ protectors, Nosso Senhor dos Navegantes and Nossa Senhora da Conceição, carried in a decorated nineteenth-century boat across the bay from the old harbour to the church of Boa Viagem, on the shore down from Bonfim. The boat leaves at around 9am from Praça Cairú, next to the Mercado Modelo in Cidade Baixa, and hundreds of schooners and fishing boats wait to join the procession as the statues’ boat passes: you can buy a place on the phalanx of boats that leaves with the statues, but the crowds are thick and if you want to go by sea you should get there early. On the shores of Boa Viagem, thousands wait to greet the holy images, after which there’s a packed Mass in the church, and then Nossa Senhora da Conçeicão is taken back by land in another procession to her church near the foot of the Lacerda elevator. The celebrations around both churches go on for hours, with thousands drinking and dancing the night away. The spectacle, with the bay as an enormous backdrop, is impressive enough – participating in it is exhilarating.

Soon afterwards, on the second Thursday of January, comes the Lavagem do Bonfim, “the washing of Bonfim”, second only to Carnaval in scale. Hundreds of baianas, women in the traditional all-white costume of turban, lace blouse and a billowing long skirt, gather in front of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, and a procession follows them the 12km along the seafront to the Igreja do Bonfim, with tens of thousands more lining the route; the pace is slow, and there is no shortage of beer and music while you wait. At the church, everyone sets to scrubbing the square spotless, cleaning the church and decorating the exterior with flowers and strings of coloured lights. That evening, and every evening until Sunday, raucous celebrations go on into the wee hours, and the square is crowded with people. If you have the stamina, the focus switches on Monday to Ribeira, the headland beyond Bonfim, for a completely secular preview of Carnaval; you can freshen up after dancing in the hot sun by swimming at the excellent beaches.

Salvador looks onto the Baía de Todos os Santos, a bay ringed with beaches and dotted with tropical islands. To the northeast of the city a string of fishing villages lies along a beautiful coastline – in short, there’s no lack of places to explore.

The secret of Bahian cooking is twofold: a rich seafood base, and the abundance of traditional West African ingredients like palm oil, nuts, coconut and ferociously strong peppers. Many ingredients and dishes have African names. Most famous of all is vatapá, a bright yellow porridge of palm oil, coconut, shrimp and garlic, which looks vaguely unappetizing but is delicious. Other dishes to look out for are moqueca, seafood cooked in the inevitable palm-oil-based sauce; caruru, with many of the same ingredients as vatapá but with the vital addition of loads of okra; and acarajé, deep-fried bean cake stuffed with vatapá, salad and (optional) hot pepper. Bahian cuisine also has good desserts, less stickily sweet than elsewhere: quindim is a delicious small cake of coconut flavoured with vanilla, which often comes with a prune in the middle.

Some of the best food is also the cheapest, and even gourmets could do a lot worse than start with the street-corner baianas, women in traditional white dress. Be careful of the pimenta, the very hot pepper sauce, which newcomers should treat with respect, taking only a few drops. The baianas serve quindim, vatapá, slabs of maize pudding wrapped in banana leaves, fried bananas dusted with icing sugar, and fried sticks of sweet batter covered with sugar and cinnamon – all absolutely wonderful.

Candomblé, a popular Afro-Brazilian religious cult, permeates Salvador. Its followers often dress in white and worship together in ecstatic dance rituals accompanied by lots of drumming and singing, or otherwise communicate with and make offerings to the Orixás spirits – personal protectors, guides and go-betweens for people and their creator-god Olorum.

A candomblé cult house, or terreiro, is headed by a mãe do santo (woman) or pai do santo (man), who directs the operations of dozens of novices and initiates. The usual object is to persuade the spirits to descend into the bodies of worshippers, which is achieved by sacrifices (animals are killed outside public view and usually during the day), offerings of food and drink, and above all by drumming, dancing and the invocations of the mãe or pai do santo. In a central dance area, devotees dance for hours to induce the trance that allows the spirits to enter them. Witnessing a possession can be quite frightening: sometimes people whoop and shudder, their eyes roll up, and they whirl around the floor, bouncing off the walls while other cult members try to make sure they come to no harm. The mãe or pai do santo then calms them, blows tobacco smoke over them, identifies the spirit, gives them the insignia of the deity – a pipe or a candle, for example – and lets them dance on. Each deity has its own songs, animals, colours, qualities, powers and holy day; there are different types of candomblé, as well as other related Afro-Brazilian religions like umbanda.

Many travel agencies offer tours of the city that include a visit to a terreiro, but no self-respecting cult house would allow itself to be used in this way – those which do are to be avoided. The best alternative is to go to the main Bahiatursa office, which has a list of less commercialized terreiros, all fairly far out in the suburbs and best reached by taxi. Make sure the terreiro is open first; they only have ceremonies on certain days sacred to one of the pantheon of gods and goddesses, and you just have to hope you’re lucky – though fortunately there’s no shortage of deities.

If you go to a terreiro, there are certain rules you must observe. A terreiro should be respected and treated for the church it is. Clothes should be smart and modest: long trousers and a clean shirt for men, non-revealing blouse and trousers or long skirt for women. The dancing area is a sacred space and no matter how infectious you find the rhythms you should do no more than stand or sit around its edges. Don’t take photographs without asking permission from the mãe or pai do santo first, or you will give offence. You may find people coming round offering drinks from jars, or items of food: it’s impolite to refuse, but watch what everyone else does first – sometimes food is not for eating but for throwing over dancers, and the story of the gringos who ate the popcorn intended as a sacred offering to the spirits is guaranteed to bring a smile to any Brazilian face.

Having steadfastly resisted commercialization, Carnaval in Salvador has remained a street event of mass participation. The main hubs of activity are Cidade Alta, especially the area around Praça Castro Alves – which turns into a seething mass of people that, once joined, is almost impossible to get out of – and, in recent years, Porto da Barra, equally crowded and just as enjoyable. The other focal point of Carnaval is the northern beaches, especially around the hotels in Rio Vermelho and Ondina, but here it’s more touristy and lacks the energy of the centre. This is an expensive and very hectic time to stay in Salvador; all accommodation more than doubles in price and with added costs like paying to join a bloco or participate in a camarote (a venue with good views over the carnaval route and an organized party thrown in for the duration), you are likely to be spending in excess of R$500–600 a day.

From December onwards Carnaval groups hold public rehearsals and dances all over the city. The most famous are Grupo Cultural Oludum, who rehearse on Sunday nights from 6.30pm onwards in the Largo do Pelourinho itself and on Tuesdays from 7.30pm in the Teatro Miguel Santana on Rua Gregório de Mattos. On Friday night, it’s the turn of Ara Ketu, who start their show at 7pm in Rua Chile, while Ilê Aiyê rehearse on Saturdays from 8pm near the fort of Santo Antônio Além do Carmo. These rehearsals get very crowded, so be careful with your belongings. One of the oldest and best loved of the afoxés is Filhos de Gandhi (“Sons of Gandhi”), founded in the 1940s, who have a clubhouse in Rua Gregório de Mattos, near Largo do Pelourinho, easily recognized by the large papier-mâché white elephant in the hall.

Information about Carnaval is published in special supplements in the local papers on Thursday and Saturday. Again, w www.bahia-online.net is great for information on and contacts for Carnaval. Bahiatursa offices also have schedules, route maps, and sometimes sell tickets for the Campo Grande grandstands. Bear in mind all-black blocos may be black culture groups who won’t appreciate being joined by non-black Brazilians, let alone gringos, so look to see who’s dancing before leaping in.

Terreiro de Jesus has more than its fair share of churches; there are two more fine sixteenth-century examples on the square itself. Outshining them both, however, on nearby Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco (an extension of Terreiro de Jesus sometimes known as Praça Anchieta), are the superb, carved stone facades of two ornate Baroque buildings, set in a single, large complex dedicated to St Francis: the Igreja de São Francisco and the Igreja da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco. Of the two the latter has the edge: it’s covered with a wild profusion of saints, virgins, angels and abstract patterns. Remarkably, the facade was hidden for 150 years, until in 1936 a painter knocked off a chunk of plaster by mistake and revealed the original frontage, Brazil’s only example of high-relief facade carved in ashlar (square-cut stones). It took nine years of careful chipping before the facade was returned to its original glory, and today the whole church is a strong contender for the most beautiful single building in the city. Its reliquary, or ossuário, is extraordinary; the entire room is redecorated in 1940s Art Deco style, one of the most unusual examples you’re ever likely to come across. From here, there’s a door onto a pleasant garden at the back.

To get into the complex, you have to go via the Igreja de São Francisco (the entrance is by a door to the right of the main doors). The small cloister in this church is decorated with one of the finest single pieces of azulejo (decorative glazed tiling) work in Brazil. Running the entire length of the cloister, a tiled wall tells the story of the marriage of the son of the king of Portugal to an Austrian princess; beginning with the panel to the right of the church entrance, which shows the princess being ferried ashore to the reception committee, it continues with the procession of the happy couple in carriages through Lisbon, passing under a series of commemorative arches set up by the city guilds, whose names you can still just read, including “The Royal Company of Bakers” and “The Worshipful Company of Sweetmakers”. The vigour and realism of the incidental detail in the street scenes is remarkable: beggars and cripples display their wounds, dogs skulk, children play in the gutter; and the panoramic view of Lisbon it displays is an important historical record of how the city looked before the calamitous earthquake of 1755.

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What to Do in Salvador da Bahia

Explore one of Brazil’s most historically and culturally rich cities. Your Latin America For Less travel advisor can help you create the perfect itinerary tailored to your interests and preferences.

Explore the Historic Center

The historic center of Salvador is full of well-preserved colonial buildings dating back as far as the 17th century, which has earned it a designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Visit the Beaches

Salvador offers some of the best beaches in the country, perfect for swimming, sailing, and snorkeling. With over 30 miles (50 km) of beaches stretching across the coastline, there are plenty of options to take in a little sun in this lovely city.

See Live Samba Music

Make sure to enjoy a night of live Samba music at one of the city’s various live music venues specializing in Brazil’s most famed genre of music. Salvador is one of the best places to see live Samba music in Brazil.

Enjoy the Nightlife

After nightfall, be sure to check out Salvador’s thriving music-scene at one of the city’s hip clubs where you can dance along to samba and Brazilian-inspired funk.

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Explore Brazil

With stunning beaches, lush tropical forests, fascinating history and unique culture, Brazil offers many attractive destinations for travelers. Discover some of the best places to visit in Brazil below.

Rio de Janeiro

Also known as “The Marvelous City,” Rio de Janeiro brims with color, sound, rhythm, and joy. This sparkling city boasts one of the most naturally spectacular settings.

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As Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo’s attraction lies in its diverse people and its vibrant culture. Senses are overwhelmed by the sheer size and cosmopolitan feel of the city.

Bonito is an eco-tourism Mecca blessed with caves, waterfalls, and crystal-clear rivers. It’s a haven for nature and adventure lovers with great snorkeling opportunities.

Sitting at the end of a long sandy peninsula, Rio’s most exclusive beach resort of Buzios offers surfing, snorkeling, windsurfing, diving, or just simple relaxation.

Florianopolis

Florianopolis, capital of Santa Catarina State, is a beautiful and bustling island city, and one of the few places in the world where antiquity and modernity unite in perfect harmony.

Iguazu Falls

The name Iguazu comes from the Guarani phrase for “big waters,” although this can only begin to describe the majesty and magnificence of these gigantic waterfalls.

Lying on the Negro River a short distance upstream from the mighty Amazon, Manaus is a former rubber-boom port that is today the main jumping-off point for excursions into the Amazon.

An 18th century gold-mining center, Ouro Preto is bursting with striking Baroque architecture and sacred art. It is the colonial jewel in the crown of Minas Gerais state.

Among the best places in South America to see wildlife, Pantanal is a vast natural ecological paradise where you’re almost certain to see jaguars, caimans, anacondas, exotic birds, and more.

Home to some of the world’s most spectacular Portuguese colonial architecture, Paraty is set on a shoreline of jutting peninsulas and secluded beaches.

Praia do Forte

Praia do Forte is a charming coastal town blessed with beautiful white sandy beaches, clear blue waters and tropical reefs. It’s a great place for turtle-watching from December to March.

Recife boasts dazzling stretches of white sandy beaches, while the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site of Olinda is simply the largest and most beautiful site of colonial architecture in Brazil.

Salvador da Bahia Hotels

Discover the best places to stay in Salvador da Bahia with our top pick Salvador da Bahia hotels.

A Casa das Portas Velhas Sur

Rua da Palma 6, Salvador

A Casa das Portas Velhas features doors collected from the ruins of a 19th century manor which was restored to house this charming boutique hotel. Antique pieces adorn the walls and mirrors, and also serve as actual doors within the hotel, creating an atmosphere of classical antiquity and romanticism.

Vila Gale Bahia

Rua Morro Escravo Miguel 320, Ondina, Salvador

Vila Gale Bahia Hotel is located in the center of Ondina and within walking distance of shops and restaurants. The 200 rooms (including 24 suites) all have air-conditioning and en-suite bathrooms. With direct access to the beach, the hotel offers scenic views and a cozy atmosphere.

Porto Farol Apart Hotel

Rua Engenheiro Milton De Oliveira 134, Barra, Salvador

Located in one of the most charming and famous neighborhoods in the city next to the beaches of Porto and Barra, the Porto Farol Apart Hotel combines excellent services and ideal location. This lovely hotel features 39 apartments all equipped with their own kitchen and comfortable furniture.

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What are Machu Picchu’s operating hours?

Machu Picchu is open from 6:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. every day including weekends and holidays.

Which Machu Picchu tour is best for adrenaline seekers?

The Machu Picchu ruins have two on-site hikes: Huayna Picchu Mountain and Machu Picchu Mountain. Both can be combined with a Machu Picchu tour and take 2–3 and 4–5 hours to complete, respectively. For even more adventure, you can hike over multiple days to Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail, Lares or Salkantay treks.

Where should I stay if I spend multiple days at Machu Picchu?

Machu Picchu hotel and hostel options are plentiful in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of the Machu Picchu ruins. Our Top Pick hotels here are:

• 5-Star Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
• 4-Star El Mapi
• 3-Star Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu
• 2-Star Waman Hotel

How many days do I need to tour Machu Picchu?

1–2 days. Two days and one night is the best amount of time to tour Machu Picchu at a leisurely pace: one day to arrive by train and another for the tour and return to Cusco. A whirlwind one-day Machu Picchu tour from Cusco is possible but it will be a long 16–17 hour day.

How long is a guided tour of Machu Picchu?

A guided tour of Machu Picchu is 2 hours long. The ruins operate on a one way circuit that leads to the exit of the ruins and re-entry is not allowed with a Machu Picchu general entrance ticket.

What will I see on a Machu Picchu tour?

A tour of Machu Picchu includes stops at the Guardhouse, agricultural zone, main gate, fountains, tower, temple zone, Temple of the Three Windows, astronomical observatory, Sacred Rock, Group of Three Doorways, royal enclosures, Temple of the Condor and storage area. You will also have views of the west agricultural zone and main square while walking through the ruins.

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Must-see attractions in Salvador

Igreja NS do Bonfim

This famous 18th-century church, located a few kilometers north of Comércio on the Itapagipe Peninsula, is the source of the fitas (colored ribbons) you…

The centerpiece of the Cidade Alta is the Pelourinho, a Unesco-declared World Heritage site of colorful colonial buildings and magnificent churches. As…

Museu Náutico da Bahia

This excellent nautical museum in Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra contains relics and displays from the days of Portuguese seafaring, plus exhibits on the…

Largo do Pelourinho

Picture-perfect Largo do Pelourinho is a sloping, triangle-shaped square, once the site of the pelourinho (whipping post) – one of several nearby…

Museu Afro-Brasileiro

Holding one of Bahia’s most important collections, the Museu Afro-Brasileiro exhibits wood carvings, baskets, pottery and other artwork and crafts linking…

Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra

Built in 1698, Bahia’s oldest fort is more commonly called the Farol da Barra for the lighthouse (South America’s oldest) within its walls. In addition to…

Mercado Modelo

The original 1861 Customs House, where slaves were housed when they arrived in Salvador, was partly destroyed in a fire in 1986. After reconstruction, it…

Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado

Literary types shouldn't miss a quick visit to the Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado, offering an overview of the life of one of Brazil’s best-known writers. A…

Casa do Carnaval da Bahia

The story of Salvador's world-famous Carnaval is told through wonderfully evocative archival video and photographs at this museum which opened in 2018…

Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia

Below the Museu Afro-Brasileiro (one admission ticket gets you into both), the Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia exhibits indigenous Brazilian pottery,…

Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo

The original church, founded in 1636, burnt to the ground; the present neoclassical structure dates from 1828. The nave has a French organ and a baroque…

Museu Carlos Costa Pinto

This lovely two-story mansion houses some of Salvador’s finest decorative art, from the collection of the patrician couple Carlos de Aguiar Costa Pinto…

Igreja e Convento São Francisco

One of Brazil’s most magnificent churches, the baroque Igreja e Convento São Francisco is filled with displays of wealth and splendor. An 80kg silver…

Escola Olodum

Stop into the headquarters of Olodum for information on percussion workshops and tours (only for small groups, not individual travelers), which include a…

Igreja NS do Rosário dos Pretos

The king of Portugal gave the Irmanidade dos Homens Pretos (Brotherhood of Black Men) the land for the periwinkle-blue Igreja NS do Rosário dos Pretos in…

Forte São Diogo

It's worth the uphill hike to this 17th-century fort: from here, the views of the bay are fantastic.

Elevador Lacerda

The beautifully restored, art deco Elevador Lacerda connects the Cidade Alta with Comércio via four elevators traveling 72m in 30 seconds. The Jesuits…

Solar do Unhão

This well-preserved, 18th-century complex served as a transfer point for sugar shipments: legend says it's haunted by the ghosts of murdered slaves. Today…

Museu de Arte Moderna

Museu de Arte Moderna has a changing display of avant-garde exhibits (and erratic opening times). The hillside sculpture garden is a pleasant place to…

Praça da Sé

The history of Praça da Sé reveals intriguing details about Salvador's development. From 1552 to 1933, the square was the site of the grand Sé Primacial…

Terreiro de Jesus

A colorful intersection of vendors, tourists, capoeiristas and colorful locals, the Terreiro de Jesus is a historic site of religious celebrations, and is…

Escadas do Carmo

Leading away from the Pelourinho, the steep Ladeira do Carmo provides access to the Escadas do Carmo, a wide set of steps that were the setting of O…

Museu de Arte da Bahia

Museu de Arte da Bahia showcases works from Bahian artists, with paintings by José Teófilo de Jesus (1758–1817) and drawings by Argentine artist Carybé…

Catedral Basílica

The Catedral Basílica dates from 1672 and is a marvelous example of Jesuit architecture. The interior is elegant and simple, with marble-covered walls and…

Plano Inclinado Gonçalves

After sitting, unused, for almost three years, the 1874 funicular railway Plano Inclinado Gonçalves reopened in 2014. The restored line connects Comércio…

Faculdade de Medicina Building

A Portuguese prince, upon arrival in Salvador in 1808, founded a school of surgery here that was later named the Bahia School of Medicine.

Forte Santa Maria

A 17th-century stone fortification that's administered by the Navy.

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I Used Insider Tips to Plan a Multi-city Brazil Trip — Here's How You Can, Too

Recommendations from family and friends made my first trip to Rio, Trancoso, and Salvador unforgettable.

Rio de Janeiro

JohnnyGreig/Getty Images

After years of intermittent planning, replaying scenes from the famous film “Black Orpheus,” and seeing streets teeming with swaying hips and sparkle during Carnival, I finally visited Brazil for the first time.

Equipped with a list of guidance from friends who frequent the South American country each year, those recommendations doubled with the help of people I met while there. One conversation can lead to some of the most lasting travel tips and memories — a gift that no Google search or online research can replace.

Here are some highlights of my visits to Rio, Trancoso, and Salvador de Bahia that made my week-long trip memorable. 

Ismail Salahuddin

From my home base of Los Angeles, my Copa Airlines flight landed me in Rio a little after midnight. An overnight stay at Hotel Fasano , part of Leading Hotels of the World , offered views of the lulling waves of Ipanema Beach across the street at dusk — a vast contrast from the photos of shorelines brimming with tanned bodies and swimmers I’ve seen over the years. The moment was a peaceful introduction to a place where the city and sea spill into each other. The Phillipe Starck-designed property is an ode to modernism, with a lobby drenched in oceanside sunlight and buttery leather and wood textures. From my balcony, the golden sands of Copacabana, sounds of samba, and neighboring favelas seemed so close and far all at once. With just three days in Rio, I would, of course, visit the more well-known tourist attractions, but thanks to those recommendations and a bit of luck, I would learn much of the city's history and people, too.

Tomas Rangel

What to Do in Rio de Janeiro 

The following day, I checked into Hotel Emiliano , which would serve as the base for the rest of my Rio introduction. The 90-room hotel's distinctive exterior of white, foldable shutters makes it stand out among the row of unmarked high-rise buildings and vendors just below on Copacabana Beach.

A rooftop pool with expansive views of Copacabana’s shimmering shoreline, an intimate spa, and two restaurants — including a foliage-filled Brazilian and Italian fusion restaurant, Emile . My tour guide , Edson “Eddie” Vander Campos Alves, was lively and informative. We visited Sugarloaf Mountain on a rainy day, and despite the less-than-ideal visibility from a location known for its awe-inspiring panoramic views of the city, Eddie’s undeniable passion for Rio made the weather a second thought.

After lunch at the plant-filled Escama , where families and friends dined over seabass and grilled lobster paired with zippy viogniers, we headed to Little Africa, located on the port of Rio. Shaped much in part by Black matriarchs who played a critical role in the creation of samba and the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé, Little Africa is the site of where nearly a million enslaved Africans finished their forced transcontinental journey to reach Brazil’s shores. Their traditions have had a lasting impact that still breathes life into every corner of Brazil — from samba drums to the palm oil and okra (quiabo) used in some of the country’s most famous dishes. Little Africa includes the port of Cais do Valongo — where enslaved Africans first arrived in Salvador — and Pedra do Sal, considered the samba's birthplace in Rio.

Mariana Monteiro

“In this region, Black people reimagined life in the diaspora, recreated affective bonds, resisted, earned money, made art, loved, and celebrated. Little Africa is a very important place to connect with the roots of Brazilian history and culture and to understand that the Black population was and is a fundamental part in building this nation, even though the official history denies it, “ said Luana Ferreira, a historian who offers licensed tours about Brazil’s Black history. Through her passionate knowledge, the streets of Little Africa came alive.

“Usually, Black people are only portrayed when the slavery system is spoken of, and on the tour, it is inevitable to touch on this subject. However, our main goal is to break this paradigm and present this region as the birthplace of Black culture in Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of samba and our popular carnival.” Fortunately, several city officials and community members agree with this sentiment and advocate for bringing Little Africa to the forefront of tourism investments in the coming years. 

Where to Eat in Rio de Janeiro 

I arrived in Rio with a long list of restaurant recommendations from friends and colleagues. Some of my favorite meals included:

Mesa do Lado is a “gastrosensorial” experience created by Michelin chef Claude Troisgros. To get to the 12-seat experience, you’ll have to walk to the back of a restaurant called Chez Claude through red curtains. The orchestrated experience — more than two hours — is meant to heighten the dining experience through taste, hearing, sight, touch, and smell, achieved through projections of images and videos, set to songs by artists like Paulinho da Viola, Elza Soares, Cesária Évora, and even AC/DC. My favorite dishes of the night were the cassava biscuit served with truffle-infused parmesan cream and saumon à l'oseille — a salmon filet immersed in a cream-based sauce that contains chardonnay, dry vermouth, and sorrel leaves.

Then there's Oteque . Set in an old house in Rio’s Botafogo neighborhood, Chef Alberto Landgraf and his team execute an impressive seafood-based menu from an open-air kitchen. Landgraf's seasonal courses celebrate his Japanese heritage, including raw bluefin tuna with seaweed vinaigrette, pine nuts and caviar, monkfish with creamed burrata, and several fresh ceviches. Oteque also features many organic wines, chosen by sommelier Leonardo Silveira.

Lastly, up a winding hill in Rio’s bohemian Santa Marta neighborhood, Aprazível welcomes crowds from its multi-leveled, treehouse-like structure. Shaded wooden tables surrounded by lush plants offer views of Rio in the distance. It’s an ideal place to spend a slow afternoon and enjoy a passionfruit caipirinha and the catch of the day served alongside coconut rice and baked banana.

Located on the coastline of Bahia, Trancoso is a small fishing village turned bohemian enclave dotted with coral-colored buildings, long stretches of golden sand beaches, and dirt roads decorated with banana trees and bursts of jungle plants. To get there, I flew just under two hours from Rio to Porto Seguro airport. Then, it’s a 90-minute drive through bumpy dirt roads to get to the vibey beach town that's drawn celebrities like Beyoncé, Naomi Campbell, and Leonardo DiCaprio to its shores.

What to Do in Trancoso 

Courtesy of Hotel Fasano Trancoso

Choosing Trancoso as a second stop on my multi-city Brazil trip was deliberate. There’s only so much to do in the laidback region, and that slow pace is exactly what I craved after leaving Rio’s busy streets.

I checked into Fasano Trancoso , a sprawling 740 acres set amongst a natural reserve between tropical forest and the ocean. Like its Rio sibling, the property, a member of Leading Hotels of the World, came highly recommended by several friends for its sweeping location. Here, 40 geometric white bungalows face the ocean, some with rooftop decks, and a beachside restaurant decked out with salvaged furniture is where I enjoyed a freshly grilled lobster and the addictive queijo de Coelho, a firm white cheese that’s grilled and topped with honey.

The hotel is just a 20-minute drive from Trancoso’s Quadrado, a historic town square that I quickly learned is the heartbeat of the area. During the day, most of the tropical-colored fishing homes and a 16th-century white church that borders its grassy center are closed, but at night, the live drumming and capoeira dancers fill the square, and several restaurants and bars open their doors to crowds. About a five-minute drive from the Quadrado, Nativos Beach is a popular stretch of sand that includes two volleyball fields, beach bars, and hotels. For a more isolated location, consider Rio da Barra, about a 15-minute drive north of the Quadrado.

JohannesCompaan/Getty Images

Where to Eat in Trancoso 

Proximity to the beach and a tropical environment means there’s no shortage of seafood and fruits like acerola, the fibrous and sweet mangaba, and carambola (star fruit). At Capim Santo , first created by celebrated Brazilian chef Morena Leite’s mother, Sandra Marques, the menu focuses on Brazilian dishes executed with French techniques. I ate alfresco in their garden restaurant, on grounds also home to a small boutique hotel.

While dining at Mesa do Lado in Rio, Chef Troisgrois insisted that I dine at Alma Ninho , helmed by Morena Leite, who was raised in the Quadrado and focuses on highlighting the seafood flavors of Bahia. “We are on the beach and eat a lot of foods influenced by African cuisine, so coconut milk with seafood and fruits is part of what makes our tropical cuisine in Bahia so special.”

Antonio Soto

At Alma Ninho’s wooden bar, alongside just five other diners, I indulged in courses like churros with tapioca, grilled lobster with salad and granola from the nearby garden, and black ravioli with seafood — all plated on seashell-shaped plates.

The gastronomic experience is hosted in Leite’s six-suite guesthouse that overlooks the ocean and a mountainside bursting with plants. “We want you to feel at home here, and I want to share all the research I’ve done around the world, from the flavors of the food to the art displayed on the walls,” she said. This intimate celebration of Bahian food was my favorite part of visiting Trancoso.  

From my hometown of Los Angeles, Copa Airlines offers the shortest flights, typically with a layover in Panama City. Once in Brazil, regional airlines like Azul Airlines offer flights out of Rio to nearby cities like Porto Seguro and Salvador. 

After Trancoso, a one-hour flight north on the reliable and regional AZUL airlines landed me in Salvador , a city I had dreamed of visiting for years because of its rich Afro-Brazilian history. Fortunately, I arrived equipped with a wealth of recommendations from a friend, Aja, who visits the region annually with her family.

“As an African-American and member of the larger African diaspora, I am inextricably linked to Salvador, its people, history, and culture,” she told me before my visit. “I fell in love in Bahia, and every time I return with my growing family, our love deepens. Because of all that Salvador has given me, I am continuously finding ways to give back to this amazing city and its people.”

During my three days there, she gave me several incredible tips on what to see in the UNESCO World Heritage city, including the open-air market Feira de São Joaquim and Solar de Unhao, a complex of historic buildings near the Modern Art Museum. Over the years, the community has opened several bars and restaurants in this location, including the beloved Afro-Brazilian-themed restaurant Dona Suzana.

I checked into Hotel Fasano Salvador , a towering retreat housed in a building from the 1930s that overlooks a sheltered bay that opens to the Atlantic Ocean called Bay of All Saints. Fasano is one of the few luxury hotels in Salvador, but that’s set to change, as the city — which offers several welcoming bed and breakfasts — is rife with luxury development. Inside, 70 rooms in the Art Deco space are highlighted with warm organic tones, and a rooftop pool offers the best sunset views in the city alongside people watching on Castro Alves Square just below.

Booking Tip

Brazil’s summer months are between October and November, when tourist crowds are few and hotel prices are reasonably low. Carnival celebrations in Rio and Salvador in 2025 will occur at the end of February.

What to Do in Salvador

If I did just one thing in Salvador, Aja advised, it would have to be getting tickets to the Balé Folclórico da Bahia show. The 38-member dance troupe pays tribute to African deities (orixás), reenacts Maculelê, a dance celebrated by enslaved at the end of sugar cane season; capoeira, a martial arts dance brought to Brazil from Angola; and, of course, samba, whose roots began in the sugar cane mills of Salvador. The palpable joy of this performance, the whirlwind of colors that took flight with dance, the remembrance of a people who found the will to go in the face of the unimaginable — this is what this performance succeeds in covering and what is ever present on every corner of Salvador.

Salvador has the largest population of African descendants outside of Africa. Nearly every revered tradition in Brazil today, from capoeira to Carnival, was created by formerly enslaved people. The origins of that world-famous celebration can be viewed in the historical center of Pelourinho at Salvador’s Caso do Carnaval , which features several video projections, large-scale exhibits, and even a cinema room where you can learn several traditional Brazilian dances.

At Blue Praia Bar in the seaside Vermelho neighborhood, the city’s cool kids are scattered about among Balinese-style beds built between swaying palms and tableside at an al fresco dining space that overlooks Buracão Beach. This is where I spent my last afternoon in Salvador, with plates of cod croquettes and espetinhos de queijo. Tucked away on a quiet street, I instantly felt as though I had discovered one of the city’s gems, where the hours pass with ease as residents play soccer on golden sands and order glasses of passion fruit caipirinhas.

Where to Eat in Salvador 

Central to food in Salvador are the flavors of Africa, like palm oil (dendê), coconut milk, and cassava. Walking around the city, Baiana women dressed in billowing white cloth to honor Oxalá (the god of creation) sell acarajé, a typical Bahian snack made of mashed black-eyed beans, onions, and shrimp fried in palm oil. During slavery, many descendants of enslaved women gained their freedom and financial independence by selling these snacks. Don’t miss an opportunity to stop at a tabuleiro (stand) on the street and get a taste of this important symbol of power. At Casa de Tereza , you can try acarajés and another famous Bahian dish — moqueca. The rich, coconut-based stew includes palm oil, dried shrimp, cassava flour, tomatoes, onions, and peppers.

More flavors from Africa, like a black-eyed pea dumpling called abará, can be enjoyed at Zanzibar, which overlooks the Bay of All Saints and Dona Mariquita , where popular dishes include cassava leaf stew and a milk pudding used in Candomblé to celebrate the Orixá, Yemanjá.

One of my favorite evenings was watching the sunset with a caipirinha in hand at Antique Bistrô , a former mansion with a patio with panoramic bay views. There are several small plates to pair with their popular cocktails, such as the tender smoked rib I had, which could have easily won at any barbecue competition.

At Origem , various takes on Brazilian foodways, from Indigenous corn to the citrusy umbu fruit, take center stage at this fine-dining favorite. A rotating tasting menu focuses on the five biomes of Bahia (Cerrado, Caatinga, Atlantic Forest, Coastal, and Marine Zone) to create a genuinely expansive gastronomic experience.

On my last night, I reserved a marina-side table at Mistura Contorno, a seafood-focused restaurant highly recommended by everyone I spoke to about Salvador’s dining scene. Mistura’s menu results from Chef Andréa Ribeiro's vision to fuse Mediterranean and Brazilian flavors, which, based on the lively space filled with patrons, has succeeded.

During my splurge-worthy finale dinner in a city I will return to, I enjoyed plates of grilled fish, calamari, lobster, octopus ceviche with coconut and Sicilian lemon, and a pappardelle ossobucco.

A final sunset and crayola-colored sky from my hotel balcony completed my first visit to Brazil — though it certainly won’t be my last.

Related Articles

Bahia is a state ( estado ) of northeast Brazil. Its capital is Salvador . Population: 15 millions (2019), the fourth most populous Brazilian state.

It was the first Brazilian piece of land discovered by Europeans in 1500. Place of the first Brazilian capital: Salvador. Bahia has beautiful beaches and great historic and cultural heritage.

In Brazil Amazon Iguaçu Falls Map Minas Gerais Paraná Pictures Rio de Janeiro Santa Catarina São Paulo

View of the Historic Center of Salvador, Brazil. The city, founded in the early 16th century, was one of the biggest in America until 19th century. It was the first city of Brazil and its capital until mid-18th century.

Farol da Barra in Salvador, the first lighthouse in America, constructed in the 17th century.

Beach in Porto Seguro, the place where Brazil was discovered in 1500 by Cabral. The first European settlement in Brazil was established here in 1503.

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Group D action at the 2024 Copa America winds down today with two final matches — Paraguay vs. Costa Rica and Brazil vs. Colombia — and one spot in the knockout stage is still open for the taking.

Colombia has already advanced, but has yet to lock in as the group winner; they can do so with a win tonight. Brazil will advance with a draw or tie vs. Colombia tonight but will win the group if they pull out a win over Colombia. Brazil can also advance if Costa Rica ties or loses against Paraguay.

Tonight’s game airs on FS1, but Sling TV and DIRECTV Stream will carry the game at a discount or free entirely for new subscribers.

When is the Brazil vs. Colombia match at the 2024 Copa America?

Brazil and Colombia face off tonight, July 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

What channel is Brazil vs. Colombia airing on?

Brazil vs. Colombia is airing on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), so if you have cable, you can watch it on FS1 or the Fox Sports app with your cable log-in info.

How to watch Brazil vs. Colombia for free:

There’s more than a week of Copa America left, but if you want to watch some of it for free, DIRECTV Stream offers a five-day free trial for new subscribers. When the trial is over, you’ll pay $79.99/month for over 90 live channels.

Other ways to stream Brazil vs. Colombia:

If you’re planning on watching more than one match in what remains of the Copa America, it makes more sense to stream today’s game without taking advantage of a free trial at all since there’s 12 days left. You won’t get any days for free, but you will save over $40.

Sling TV’s Blue plan  includes FS1, and right now, you can get your first month for 50% off. Instead of $45, you’ll pay $22.50 — and all you’ll need is one month of Sling to watch the entire tournament through the July 14 final match.

Where is Brazil vs. Colombia being played?

Brazil and Colombia will meet on the pitch at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.

Copa America squads: Who is playing for Brazil and Colombia?

Brazil roster for the 2024 copa america, goalkeepers :.

• Alisson (Liverpool)
• Bento (Athletico-PR)
• Rafael (São Paulo)
• Danilo (Juventus)
• Yan Couto (Girona)
• Guilherme Arana (Atlético Mineiro)
• Wendell (Porto)
• Lucas Beraldo (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal)
• Éder Militão (Real Madrid)
• Bremer (Juventus)

Midfielders:

• Andreas Pereira (Fulham)
• Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle United)
• Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
• João Gomes (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
• Lucas Paquetá (West Ham United)
• Éderson (Atalanta)
• Endrick (Palmeiras)
• Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
• Evanilson (Porto)
• Raphinha (Barcelona)
• Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
• Savinho (Girona)
• Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
• Pepê (Porto)

Colombia roster for the 2024 Copa America

• Camilo Vargas (Atlas)
• David Ospina (Al Nassr)
• Álvaro Montero (Millonarios)
• Defenders: Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace)
• Santiago Arias (Bahía)
• Carlos Cuesta (Genk)
• Jhon Lucumí (Bologna)
• Yerry Mina (Cagliari)
• Davinson Sánchez (Galatasaray)
• Deiver Machado (Lens)
• Johan Mojica (Osasuna)
• Kevin Castaño (Krasnodar)
• Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace)
• Mateus Uribe (Al Sadd)
• Richard Rios (Palmeiras)
• Jorge Carrascal (Dinamo Moscow)
• James Rodríguez (São Paulo)
• Juan Fernando Quintero (Racing Club)
• Yaser Asprilla (Watford)
• Jhon Arias (Fluminense)
• Luis Sinisterra (AFC Bournemouth)
• Jhon Durán (Aston Villa)
• Miguel Ángel Borja (River Plate)
• Luis Díaz (Liverpool)
• Rafael Santos Borré (Internacional)
• Jhon Córdoba (Krasnodar)

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico , Commerce Writer/Reporter for New York Post’s streaming property, Decider , and contributor to Post Wanted Shopping . Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on each streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices , but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.