How To Spend 24 Hours In Salvador

Once the capital of the country and now Brazil‘s third biggest city, Salvador is a thriving metropolis with no shortage of things to do. Spending the day in a city with ancient architecture, sweeping beaches, shops, markets, and an array of exotic food is a feast for the senses. Follow our guide for a whistle-stop tour that will take in the best of Salvador’s top spots and leave you wishing you could stay for longer.

Start the day on a high

Don’t rush – you are in laidback Bahia, after all – but do get going before the sun gathers strength. Begin in the cidade baixa (lower city) at the bottom of the Elevador Lacerda. Pile into the Art Deco lift to be deposited 72 metres up infront of the grand and imposing Palácio Rio Branco, one of the oldest buildings in the country. Pick up a delicious morsel from one of the street vendors hawking food in the square outside – try a tapioca pancake or acarajé, a local delicacy of fried black beans and shrimp. Then wander the centuries-old streets, following the sound of music and stopping in at artisan shops.

1. Experience culture and cuisine

Restaurant

Pop into the Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado to learn about one of Brazil’s best-loved novelist, Jorge Amado, and his stories of the city. Having tied a fita do bonfim – a fluttering coloured ribbon wish band – to the railings of the slaves’ church Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos for good luck, make your way to the SENAC restaurant. A big buffet of Bahian food, it is the showcase dining room of the local cooking school and all the chefs and staff are students.

Fitas do bonfim I © Alberto Coutinho/AGECOM/Flickr

To walk off lunch, take a taxi to the Feira de São Joaquim to stroll among the market stalls. It’s rough and ready and frequented by locals, not tourists. The alleys are piled high with Brazilian fruits, spices, nuts, chillies, crafts, kitchenware and even live animals. By now the sun should be more bearable, so make your way to the Barra neighborhood and, having picked up a bowl of açaí from Toca do Açaí, secure a good spot to admire the lighthouse and watch the sunset, cheering as it dips into the water.

Dance the night away

Pit-stop at your pousada before returning to the Pelourinho historic centre of the city to see the nightly Balé Folclórico show (you may need to book in advance). The heady mix of folk and African dance, capoeira and storytelling will leave you spinning. Dinner is next, at Casa de Tereza in Rio Vermelho. A shrimp moqueca is a must, and will have been made with many of the ingredients seen in the market. Step outside afterwards and join the growing revelry on the streets. Enjoy a beer at Boteco do França and sit in the quiet heat of the night, or follow the locals’ lead and join in the samba at Botequim São Jorge. If you’re still in the mood to party, the DJs at Commons Studio Barwill see you through to the early hours.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.