Brazil's first capital
Salvador was founded in 1549 and served as Brazil's first capital until 1763, when the seat of the colonial government moved to Rio de Janeiro. For more than two centuries the city was the main port on the South Atlantic, the arrival point for millions of enslaved Africans who permanently shaped the country's culture, religion, cuisine and music. Today Salvador is widely regarded as the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture, a city where the legacy of the African diaspora is present on every corner, in every drumbeat and on every plate sold in the street.
Pelourinho: the UNESCO-listed old town
Pelourinho, Salvador's historic centre, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Its cobbled slopes are lined with colonial mansions painted in vivid blues, yellows, greens and pinks, now home to art studios, bars and cultural centres. The Church of Sao Francisco is famous for an interior covered almost entirely in gold leaf, one of the richest examples of Brazilian baroque. It was also in Pelourinho that the percussion group Olodum recorded Michael Jackson's 1996 video for "They Don't Care About Us", the moment that put Bahian drumming permanently on the world music map.
Elevador Lacerda and Mercado Modelo
Opened in 1873 and rebuilt in art deco style in the 1930s, the Lacerda Elevator connects the Upper City to the Lower City in seconds, covering a 72-metre drop. From the upper viewpoint the whole of the Bay of All Saints unfolds below. Just underneath sits Mercado Modelo, a former customs house turned craft market, where capoeira circles, musical instruments and regional products can be found under one roof.
Capoeira and candomble
Circles of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art that blends fighting, dance and music around the sound of the berimbau, form regularly in the squares of the old town. Watching is free, though leaving a small contribution in the hat afterwards is customary. Candomble, a religion of African origin brought by enslaved Yoruba, Fon and Bantu peoples, has some of its most traditional houses of worship, or terreiros, in Salvador. These are living places of worship and should be visited respectfully, ideally with a local guide or by invitation.
Bahian food culture
On street corners and along the beaches, baianas de acaraje, dressed in white, have for generations fried black-eyed pea fritters in bright red dende palm oil, filled with vatapa, dried shrimp and caruru. It is one of Brazil's most photographed street foods and, at the same time, a traditional offering to the orixa Iansa. Another essential dish is moqueca baiana, fish or shellfish slow-cooked in coconut milk, dende oil, peppers and coriander, served bubbling in a clay pot.
Carnival and street music
Salvador's Carnival is considered the largest street carnival in the world by number of participants, with massive sound-system trucks known as trios elétricos moving along the Barra-Ondina, Campo Grande-Centro and Pelourinho circuits. Groups such as Ilê Aiyê, Timbalada and Olodum itself lead the processions, and open rehearsals can often be watched in the weeks before the festival, especially on Tuesday evenings when Olodum performs at Largo do Pelourinho. Outside of Carnival season, live music spills out of the bars of Rio Vermelho, the bohemian neighbourhood favoured by locals.
Beaches and practical tips
Within the city, Porto da Barra beach is the most popular spot, a favourite for watching the sunset next to Santa Maria fort. About 65 kilometres north lies Praia do Forte, a fishing village home to Projeto Tamar, dedicated to protecting sea turtles. Plan for at least three days to explore the historic centre and the beaches at a relaxed pace. After dark, it is safer to move around by app-based taxi rather than walking through quiet streets. In January, the Lavagem do Bonfim washing ceremony draws huge crowds for one of the city's biggest popular festivals, blending Catholic devotion with Afro-Bahian tradition in a single procession.