Plan Your TripContact UsUSA: +1 (772) 291-7581UK: +44 1376 329846

Salvador

The first capital of Brazil, steeped in slave-trade history, the Salvador of today is a thriving center of Afro-Brazilian culture

One of the most intriguing and colorful cities you will find in the country.

Founded in 1549 by Portuguese noblemen and soldiers of fortune, the city saw thousands of imported African slaves who labored in its numerous mines and on its sugar and coffee plantations. Today, the local cuisine, music, dance, and vibrant visual arts, even the mixed race of its people, are all a testament to a lasting and pervasive African influence.

Located in Bahia, a lovely tropical state with perfect year-round weather, the original city was built high upon the hills above Bahía de Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Bay), spreading to the lower areas along the coast as the city grew.

Today, the city is still divided between the upper city (old government buildings, residential districts, museums, and churches reflecting early colonial influence with examples of Baroque architecture) and the lower city (at sea level, containing the old port and commercial district), which is now a modern city.

Baroque-Style Architecture

As one of Brazil’s great historical destinations, Salvador is filled with stunning displays of Portuguese architecture in the Baroque style: churches, homes, and forts. Its historical area, Pelourinho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasts the largest collection of Baroque colonial architecture in Latin America.

Staying true to its cultural roots 500-years-strong, Salvador remains a city of culture and tradition.

Many of the women still wear the traditional 17th- and 18th-century white dress, and the markets are filled with folk art, much of which still reflects the superstitions and cultures brought from Africa by the slaves. It’s a balance of tradition with new that has produced from Brazil’s oldest city some of the country’s most notable art forms such as capoeira and afoxe, an African rhythm that contributed to Carnaval.

The profound mixture that marks the city is even evident among its own religious beliefs, particularly Catholicism and Condomblé, a mixed religion of African origin. This has earned Salvador the nickname “Land of All Saints.”

Accommodations