Salvador: Sites of Interest

The Historic Center of Salvador de Bahia

As the first capital of Brazil, from 1549 to 1763, Salvador de Bahia witnessed the blending of European, African and Amerindian cultures. It was also, from 1558, the first slave market in the New World, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations. The city has managed to preserve many outstanding Renaissance buildings. A special feature of the old town are the brightly colored houses, often decorated with fine stucco-work.

To visit this historic architecture, turn down Rua Alfredo de Brito, the small street that descends into the Pelourinho district. Pelourinho means 'whipping post', and this is where the slaves were tortured and sold (whipping of slaves was legal in Brazil until 1835). The old slave-auction site on Largo do Pelourinho (also known as Praça José de Alencar) has recently been renovated and converted into the Fundacão Casa de Jorge Amado (Jorge Amado Museum). According to a brass plaque across the street, Amado lived in the Hotel Pelourinho when it was a student house. The exhibition is disappointing, but you can watch a free video of Dona Flor or one of the other films based on Amado's books. The museum is open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Next door is the Museu da Cidade. The exhibitions on display include costumes of the orixás of Candomblé, and the personal effects of the Romantic poet Castro Alves, author of Navio Negreiro, and one of the first public figures to protest against slavery. The museum is open from 10 am to 6 pm Tuesday to Friday and from 1 to 5 pm on weekends.

Afro Brazilian Museum

The Afro Brazilian Museum has a fantastic display of the history of Capoeira, with an exhibition of the sacred costumes of the orixa's (gods). It is small but an excellent collection from both Africa and Bahia. If you like the beauty of African art, there is a surprising amount ranging from pottery to woodwork, as well as superb ceremonial Candomblé apparel. Other highlights include wooden panels representing Oxum (an orixá revered as the goddess of beauty) that were carved by Carybé, a famous Argentine artist who has lived in Salvador for many years.

Carlos Costa Pinto Museum

The Costa Pinto Museum has a fine collection of colonial furniture, antique jewelry, and clusters of gold and silvers amulets given to female slaves.

Baixa City (Low City)

Beautiful sunsets and ocean views confront you as you descend down to the lower city into the souvenir filled Mercado Modelo. Filled with stalls and restaurants with many cheap snack bars in Cidade Baixa and the area is worth exploring, but it's not much a place for good souvenirs.

The Lacerda Elevator

The Lacerda Elevator, was rebuilt in 1928. It features electric elevators that truck up and down a set of 85m vertical cement shafts in less than 15 seconds, and carry over 50,000 passengers daily. Things weren't always so easy. At first, the Portuguese used slaves and mules to transport goods from the port in Cidade Baixa to Cidade Alta. By 1610, the Jesuits had installed the first elevator to negotiate the drop. A clever system of ropes and pulleys was manually operated to carry freight and a few brave souls.

São Joaquim Market

Here you will find an authentic Brazilian market with pottery, art and souvenirs. To get here take either the Ribeira or the Bonfim bus heading north from the bus stop beside the elevator base station. Get off after the Pirelli Pneus store on your left, after about 3km. Mercado São Joaquim is a small city of waterfront barracas (huts) open all day, every day except Sunday. It's not exactly clean, and you are eventually bound to come across spontaneous singing and dancing at barracas where cachaça (sugar-cane rum) is sold.

Tomé de Souza

The Palácio Rio Branco was built in 1549 to house the offices of Tomé de Souza, the first governor general of Brazil. This plaza in the center has several beautiful and important sites. Although it's not officially recognized or protected by the Brazilian historical architecture society SPHAN.

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