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Salvador de Bahia

Salvador de Bahia will seduce you and probably bewitch you. It is a city steeped in the history of Brazil which is the source of its diversity and multiculturalism. From its monuments, its museum and festivals where religions and cultures converge, to its carnival crazier yet than Rio’s and its welcoming beaches, your stay will take on a different tone every day, every hour. Come with us to discover the oldest city in America!

Geography and climat

Several aspects of Nordeste meet here in an intense culture shock, a melting pot which will rarely leave the visitor indifferent. This makes Salvador one of the most beautiful gateways to access the Northeast of Brazil in addition to its central and unique geographical location which splits the Brazilian coast in its center. Discover its incredible riches with us.

Does the word “tropical” make you dream ? Come and experience everything it evokes !

Salvador de Bahia - colored peppers BrazilSalvador de Bahia has a quintessential exotic climate, the Atlantic tropical climate. There is no dry season here because the sky, generous like its inhabitants, has decided never to leave this region without water, the elixir of life that makes everyday life less difficult. However, with an average annual temperature of about 25°, the sun is what one remembers from a stay in Bahia. If one day the sun isn’t visible in the sky, it remains in the heart of every Bahianese and brightens their day.

This climate has given rise to a tropical vegetation, rich, ubiquitous and lush. It is one of the particularities of this great metropolis with its most varied cuisine, all under temperatures that awaken the senses.

The ocean breeze helps to maintain a pleasant climate even on the hottest days.

Salvador de Bahia - Brésil

A few words about Salvador de Bahia

A legendary and must-see destination

Salvador de bahia - Flag of BrazilThere are cities whose name alone makes you dream. Cities full of fantasies, dreams, symbols, loaded with stories and adventures. It is the case with Salvador de Bahia: an emblematic city if ever there was one, evocative of tropicality, colors, diversity, sensuality, flavors, multiculturalism, music, dance, religion, architecture… Perhaps the densest concentration of Brazilian cultures which can be found.

“Você já foi à Bahia nega ? Não ?! Então vá!” (Popular expression meaning something like, “Have you ever been to Bahia, man? No? Then go!”)

Art is omnipresent and is expressed through the eyes, but also through sounds, movements, smells… Salvador has seen the birth of many artists who have made it famous such as Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso… and many musical works sing of its beauty.

A rich history for a wonderfully colorful culture

Brazil - Salvador de bahia - Bracelet igreja bonfimSalvador is one of the oldest cities in America. For nearly 250 years, it was the first official capital of Brazil. It is the cradle of the most profound Brazilian culture, born from slavery and constantly reminds us its rich and heavy history. Here the population sings to Afro rhythms, dances capoeira in the streets and voodoo traditions are still well alive. The name of the most emblematic district “o Pelourinho” reminds us how much African culture and slavery have shaped the city and beyond that even built a whole country and a whole nation.

The modest but powerful fort of this quintessential colonial city reminds us of the challenges Salvador faced and of how coveted it was at the time. Many pirates, privateers and colonial armies, tried to storm this incredibly rich port bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and hidden by the protective enclosure of the Bay of All Saints. Here the saints hold an important place, preponderant in daily life and popular festivals. That is because of how much religious syncretism is rooted in the rich and mixed popular culture of the city. The candomblé is the most striking example of that.

A gastronomy that reflects the city’s image

Salvador de Bahia - Brazil - Fruit and Vegetable MarketLet’s not forget the cuisine here as it is a reminder of the riches of Salvador: Acarajé, vatapa, bobó… So many names reminiscent of Afro-Brazilian culture. Tasting them is the best way to literally take in the flavors of this spicy city.

Salvador, its beaches, its region

To state the obvious, Salvador is a coastal city. Beach activities are plentiful and many beaches (Itapuã, dos Artistas, Porto da Barra) will allow you a less cultural but very pleasant dive! The more distant surroundings of Salvador are also to be discovered, such as the Chapada Diamantina for lovers of landscapes, hiking and canyons… Wildlife enthusiasts will not be disappointed: a short trip to Praia do Forte for example is the opportunity to observe a marine turtle reserve.

Our expertise

The most beautiful gateway to the Nordeste

Brazil - Salvador de bahia - Reconcavo, cigar workerSalvador is a perfect bridge between the quiet and heavenly wonders and the stronger and untamed side of the Brazilian north-nordeste. It shows a different face and appears less tamed and more authentic than other places. The state of Bahia can constitute the main part of your trip between its capital, its coast, its islands Boipeba and Morro de São Paulo and its interior, the Recôncavo, the Chapada Diamantina. If you choose to discover Rio and southern Brazil as a priority then Salvador will be an ideal stopover without having to spend too much time on the plane. Since it is located in the south of the Nordeste, it is a great opportunity to get a taste of the region and its potential. Such a stopover will certainly give you the idea for future trips dedicated solely to the North-Nordeste. You can count on our team to offer you support in this process !

Why you should visit Salvador de Bahia

  • Do no miss the pearl of the Black Atlantic which long was the capital of Brazil
  • Discover a culture and a city where some say there are as many cults as there are days of the year!
  • Enjoy the many aspects of its cuisine
  • Experience its historical center: the Pelourinho, especially for the must-see Afro-Brasileiro Museum which has a vast collection of pieces that connect these cultures
  • Your gateway to the Northeast of Brazil and the ideal starting point for its discovery.
  • More than a capital, a syncretic city that will awaken all your senses

Information and anecdotes

Carnival of Salvador

The Salvador Carnival wins over the Rio Carnaval! If not by beauty, at least by popularity. it is the largest popular street festival in the world, a record made official by the Guinness Book of Records, No less! Millions of people take to the streets to dance, eat, drink, have fun… And once again, African roots emerge and danceable rhythms (samba-reggae, axé…) will take you to another continent.

Caramuru

It is thought that the presence of Europeans in this region dates back to the sinking of a French ship between 1509 and 1510. The only survivor was spared by the Tupinambas Indians (who gave their French name to the Jerusalem artichokes). They nevertheless killed his companions. The Portuguese man Diogo Alvares Correia lived among the Indians who gave him the nickname Caramuru after a fish, perhaps because he was found on the beach in the middle of the rocks. His other nickname, The Thundering Man with a Noisy Death comes from the legend which has it that when about to be devoured during an cannibalistic rite, he frightened the Indians by killing a hen with his musket.

To go further…

Read Jean-Paul Delfino’s description of Salvador de Bahia in our “Travel diaries” section : terra-nordeste.com/en/salavador-de-bahia-seen-by-jean-paul-delfino/