Salvador, BA: the complete destination guide
Salvador is the first capital of Brazil, built on two levels above the Baía de Todos-os-Santos. This guide gathers what the town holds, how the year divides there, how you get in, where it is worth staying and how many days the place asks for.
What Salvador is
Salvador sits in Bahia, in the north-east of Brazil, and it is the first capital of Brazil, built on two levels above the Baía de Todos-os-Santos. That sentence settles more than it seems: it says what the town has of its own and, by consequence, what there is no point looking for there.
What brings most visitors is concentrated in Pelourinho, Elevador Lacerda and Igreja de São Francisco. They are different things from one another, and that is why the town holds more than a day without repeating itself.
What the town holds
| Sight | What it is |
|---|---|
| Pelourinho | The historic centre of the upper town, with its colonial houses and churches |
| Elevador Lacerda | The vertical link between the upper and the lower town |
| Igreja de São Francisco | The baroque interior covered in gilded carving |
| Farol da Barra | The point where the bay meets the open sea |
| Ilha de Itaparica | The island opposite, reached by ferry from the lower town |
When to go
The year splits in two. From September to March, steady sun, warm sea and the popular festival calendar concentrated. From April to July, the rainy season; it comes in bursts and bay trips are called off often.
There is no bad season in Salvador in any absolute sense: there is the season that matches what you want to do there. Whoever comes for Pelourinho and accepts crowds picks one half of the year; whoever comes for quiet picks the other.
Getting there
By air, an airport north of the city. By road, access is along the the BR-324 through the interior. The city is large and the distances between Pelourinho, Barra and the northern shore are long.
Where to stay
| Base | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| Pelourinho and Santo Antônio | Anyone here for the historic centre who wants to walk out of the door |
| Barra | Anyone who wants a city beach with infrastructure |
| Rio Vermelho | Anyone who wants bars, music and fewer tourists |
How many days
4 days is the number that covers Salvador without rushing, counting the arrival day as half a day. With less than that something on the list above falls away — and it is worth choosing what to cut before travelling, not once you are there.
What it combines with
- Morro de São Paulo — two hours by catamaran across the bay
- Chapada Diamantina — six hours inland, the mountain counterpoint to the coast
Common questions
Is Salvador worth the trip?
It is worth it for whoever wants what the town has: the first capital of Brazil, built on two levels above the Baía de Todos-os-Santos. Whoever expects something else usually leaves disappointed, and that is not the destination’s fault.
Can it be done in two days?
It can, by cutting. Two days fit Pelourinho and Elevador Lacerda. The rest waits for another time.