Stand at the corner where Praça da Sé meets the Terreiro de Jesus and you can feel the shape of Salvador: two squares joined by the cathedral, food carts and stalls filling the space through the day, and the crowd returning in the evening. The historic center sits in the Cidade Alta, with the lower town and the bay below it.
Salvador suits travellers who want baroque churches and Afro-Brazilian culture in the same afternoon, who are happy to take a bus or a taxi to reach a pilgrimage church or a beach, and who plan around the heat and the crowds rather than against them.
1. Igreja de São Francisco
One of the most important churches in baroque style anywhere, on Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco. It is the strongest single sight in the historic center and the natural anchor for a morning in the Cidade Alta.
Combine it with the squares nearby: Praça da Sé and the Terreiro de Jesus are connected at the corner by the cathedral, and the latter is probably the most lively part of town. The church phone number listed is +55 71 3322 6430.
2. Terreiro de Jesus and Praça da Sé
These two large squares sit at the center of the Cidade Alta and are joined at the corner by the cathedral. The Terreiro de Jesus is probably the most lively part of town, with food carts and stalls through the day and revellers in the evening hours.
Come in the evening if you want the atmosphere at its fullest, and use the squares as your base for the surrounding sights rather than treating them as a single stop.
3. Largo do Pelourinho
A fairly small triangular plaza and among the oldest parts of town. Its name means "plaza of the pillory", which tells you what went on around there.
It sits in the historic center, so pair it with the churches and squares of the Cidade Alta in the same walk. The Pelourinho is also one of the three Carnaval parade circuits, with mainly traditional groups in costumes.
4. Museu Afro-Brasileiro
A museum that documents the slave trade and the subsequent development of the city. It gives context to the Pelourinho and the Cidade Alta that the streets alone do not.
It is open Monday to Friday 09:00-18:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00-17:00, with an entry fee of R$ 5. Slot it into a weekday morning or a weekend afternoon depending on when you are in the center.
5. Mercado Modelo
The city's main market, located in the lower town, and a good place for crafts and other souvenirs. In the adjacent square you can often see young men performing capoeira, the martial arts dance that originates from the area.
Treat the market and the capoeira as one visit: shop, then stay for the roda in the square outside.
6. Farol da Barra
One of Salvador's most famous landmarks, standing at the entrance of All Saints Bay. Built in the 17th century, it is Brazil's oldest lighthouse and is part of the Santo Antônio da Barra Fort. Inside, the Nautical Museum of Bahia showcases maritime history and relics from shipwrecks.
The beach at Farol da Barra has a beautiful view, especially during the sunset, but it is difficult to walk because of the rocks. It is also popular with surfers.
7. Solar do Unhão
The best place in Salvador to watch the sunset. It is an old style house located at the Baía de Todos os Santos, and inside there is a small museum, the Museu de Arte Moderna, with local art pieces.
Sometimes on Saturday evening there is a jazz concert. Plan the visit so you are there for the end of the day rather than the middle of it.
8. Igreja do Nosso Senhor do Bonfim
A small church in a neighborhood to the north and one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in all of Brazil. The colorful votive ribbons, or fitas, of Bonfim are an easily recognizable item throughout Brazil and beyond.
Children outside the church will, for a small fee, tie them around your wrist and tell you to make a wish for each one. If the ribbon wears off naturally, the wish will come true; if you cut it off before then, it won't. You can get to Bonfim by bus in about fifteen minutes.
9. Porto de Barra
One of the main central Salvador beaches, and originally the site of the first settlement of European newcomers to Bahia. It can get very crowded on weekends.
Go on a weekday if you want space. It is the most convenient beach if you are already spending time around the Barra area.
10. Flamengo and Stella Maris
In the north-east region of Salvador, which concentrates most of the beaches with good water quality. Flamengo and Stella Maris are the most popular beaches among tourists and upper class locals, with excellent tourist infrastructure and rough waters excellent for surfing.
These are the beaches to choose if you want facilities and surf rather than calm water.
11. Jaguaribe, Piatã and Itapoã
These beaches have calmer waters and are mostly frequented by locals, and they can become quite crowded at weekends. They are a good option when you want to mix with the local population.
Don't bring anything besides your clothes, sunglasses, sunscreen and some cash, as muggings are quite common.
12. Abaeté Park
A protected state park around the lake of the same name. The lake is famous for the stark contrast between the dark water and the very white sand dunes.
There is an entertainment area with a lot of bars and live music, so it works as an afternoon that turns into an evening.
13. Carnaval
Salvador's Carnaval lasts for one week and happens in mid-February, with parades, live entertainment, music, dancers and vendors. The main parades follow three circuits: one in the historic center Pelourinho with mainly traditional groups in costumes, one on Campo Grande where most bands play samba, and the most popular one in Barra/Ondina, where modern Brazilian Axé music mixes with percussion and all kinds of rhythms and styles, and the bands parade between "Camarote" boxes on one side and the beach on the other.
You can either watch from the camarote boxes or purchase an "abadá" shirt to join a group that accompanies one of the bands throughout the parade.
14. A Candomblé ceremony
Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian religion that originated in Salvador and still has a significant following in Brazil. Its places of cult are called terreiros and many are open to visit.
You can ask at FENACAB (Nacional de Culto Afro Brasileiro), which organises visits with a taxi for 100 Reais and has an office in Rua Portas do Carmo, 39 – 1º andar (antiga Alfredo de Brito) – Pelourinho, +55 71 3321 1548. Many travel agencies also organise similar visits for the same price. They are free to enter and tourists are welcome to participate, so if you know a terreiro you can also go by yourself.
15. Itaparica
For a nice day trip, catch the ferry to the laid-back island of Itaparica. It is the obvious change of pace if you have already covered the center and want a day away from the city.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in the Cidade Alta at Igreja de São Francisco on Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco, then walk the two squares at the center of the old town, Praça da Sé and the Terreiro de Jesus, which are connected at the corner by the cathedral. Follow with the Museu Afro-Brasileiro and Largo do Pelourinho.
Afternoon: Head down to the lower town for Mercado Modelo, for crafts and souvenirs, and watch the capoeira in the adjacent square. If the timing works, continue to Solar do Unhão for the sunset over the Baía de Todos os Santos, with the Museu de Arte Moderna inside.
Evening: Return to the Terreiro de Jesus, probably the most lively part of town, with food carts and stalls through the day and revellers in the evening hours. If you are in the city on a Saturday, check whether there is a jazz concert at Solar do Unhão instead.
When is the best time of day to watch the sunset in Salvador?
Solar do Unhão is described as the best place in Salvador to watch the sunset. The beach at Farol da Barra also has a beautiful view, especially during the sunset, though the rocks make it difficult to walk there.
How do I visit a Candomblé ceremony?
Ask at FENACAB, which organises visits with a taxi for 100 Reais and has an office in Rua Portas do Carmo, 39 – 1º andar (antiga Alfredo de Brito) – Pelourinho, +55 71 3321 1548. Many travel agencies organise similar visits for the same price. The terreiros are free to enter and tourists are welcome to participate, so if you know one you can also go by yourself.
Which Salvador beaches should I choose?
Porto de Barra is the main central beach and gets very crowded on weekends. The north-east region concentrates most beaches with good water quality: Flamengo and Stella Maris have excellent tourist infrastructure and rough waters excellent for surfing, while Jaguaribe, Piatã and Itapoã have calmer waters and are mostly frequented by locals. On the latter, don't bring anything besides your clothes, sunglasses, sunscreen and some cash, as muggings are quite common.
How do I get to Bonfim?
You can get to Bonfim by bus in about fifteen minutes. Children outside the church will tie the colorful votive ribbons around your wrist for a small fee and tell you to make a wish for each one.
Pick the sights that match your days, check the museum hours and the Carnaval dates before you book, and start planning your Salvador trip around them.