Pelourinho Guide: Salvador's Colonial Old Town

Most of Salvador's colonial sights sit within a few cobbled blocks of Pelourinho, listed by UNESCO in 1985. Its name means "whipping post", after the pillory where enslaved people were publicly punished. After decades of decline, it was restored in the 1990s, and today its pastel houses hold shops, restaurants, music schools and cultural centres.

A walking route

Start at Praça Tomé de Sousa, at the top of the Lacerda Elevator, for the view over the bay. Walk north through Praça da Sé to Terreiro de Jesus, the old town's main square, where the cathedral stands and the Afro-Brazilian Museum occupies the former medical school. From there, it's a short walk to the Church and Convent of São Francisco, where almost every surface of the nave is covered in gilded carving. Next door, the Third Order church has an elaborately carved sandstone façade.

Continue downhill to Largo do Pelourinho, the sloping square at the heart of the district, with the blue Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black People, built by and for enslaved and free Africans. The Casa de Jorge Amado, dedicated to the novelist, stands at the top of the square. Stop for lunch nearby, and let our food guide tell you what to order. Beyond the square, climb up to Santo Antônio Além do Carmo for quieter streets, capoeira schools (our things to do list says where to watch a proper class) and views over the bay.

Music and evenings

Pelourinho is liveliest in the evenings and on Tuesdays, when Olodum's drummers traditionally play. The Balé Folclórico da Bahia performs in a small theatre here, and there are regular concerts in the squares. Show and concert programmes change from season to season, so confirm dates locally before you plan an evening around them.

Staying safe

The main streets and squares are patrolled by tourist police, and you'll feel comfortable there by day and in the early evening. Don't wander off into empty side streets, and never walk the steep lanes down to the Comércio district. After dark, a car to the door is the safer way out of the old town.