Salvador, capital of the northeastern state of Bahia, is one of Brazil's cultural highlights. It holds the title of Brazil's oldest city (founded in 1549) and is without any doubt the most exotic and bubbling city of Brazil.


Salvador da Bahia (generally known as Salvador) was the capital of the country for over two centuries, before relinquishing the title to Rio in 1763. The bay on which the city was built (Baía de Todos os Santos) afforded a superb natural anchorage, while the surrounding land was ideal for sugar cane and tobacco plantations. The city's economy in the 16th and 17 century was totally based on these two crops. Sugar and tobacco where shipped out, while slaves and European luxury goods where shipped in. Later on gold and diamonds transported from the interior of Brazil added to the wealth of the city. Salvador was Brazil's most important city for centuries, and the Portuguese Empire's second city, after Lisbon. It was famous for gold-filled churches and beautiful mansions.

Like Lisbon, the city center consist of a lower and upper part, connected by an electric elevator (85m, 279 ft). The Cidade Alta (or upper city) is the historic center of Salvador while the Cidade Baixa (lower city) is the city's commercial and financial center. In the last decades the historic center, called "Pelourinho", has been completely renovated. Here you will find the biggest collection of colonial baroque architecture of Latin America, consisting of decorated churches and houses. Walking through the streets of the historical district of Salvador one feels like being taken back to the ancient times of the Brazilian History!
Besides its historical value, the Pelourinho these days is also a great place for restaurants and bars, with many terraces to sip on a caipirinha, watch the crowds and enjoy live music at almost any time of the day. The beats of Samba and Axé can be heard in the narrow streets untill late in the evening.

African influences are everywhere. The city is the cradle of candomblé, macumba and umbanda, Afro-Brazilian religious cults that have millions of devotees across Brazil. Salvador has a marvelous local cuisine based on African ingredients like palm oil, peanuts and coconut milk.

Many of Brazil's leading writers, poets and musicians were either born or lived in Salvador, including Jorge Amado, Vinícius de Morães, João Gilberto, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, and Gal Costa. The city's music is as rich as ever, and bursts out every year in a Carnival that many think is the best in Brazil, with live music on huge trucks (trio electrico) moving slowly through the dancing crowds. Without doubts one of the world's biggest and most impressive Carnival celebrations!

With an extensive palmlined shoreline and a year round tropical climate (around 25º C/ 77º F), Salvador is an invitation to outdoor leisure activities. The surroundings of Salvador have a lot to offer. There are frequent boats leaving from the lower city to islands in the Baia de Todos os Santos or even further away, like the little tropical paradise Morro de São Paulo. The region around Salvador boost in historical cities like Cachoeira and Valença. Up north, along the coastal road to the neigbour State of Sergipe, one finds tropical treasures like Praia do Forte, Costa de Sauipe and Mangue Seco.