12 Best Things to Do in Salvador: Golden Churches, Bay Sunsets & Acarajé

Salvador rewards travellers who pair its monumental Portuguese baroque churches with its living Afro-Brazilian street culture, oceanfront swimming coves, and bay islands. Here are the twelve essential experiences that define Bahia's capital.

1. Golden Baroque Churches of the Upper City

1. Step Inside the Golden Nave of São Francisco (1708 to 1723): On Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco in Pelourinho, this Franciscan convent church is the pinnacle of Luso-Brazilian Baroque, with its cedar woodwork covered in gold leaf and framed by 1737 Portuguese azulejo tile panels.
2. Examine the Carved Stone Facade of the Third Order of São Francisco: Next door, the 1703 facade carved by Gabriel Ribeiro is the single example of Spanish Plateresque sandstone relief architecture in Brazil.
3. Walk Down Largo do Pelourinho and Visit Rosary of the Black People: Admire the sky-blue 1704 Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos, built by enslaved and freed Africans, and visit the Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado.

2. Elevador Lacerda and the Lower City

4. Ride the 1873 Elevador Lacerda to Mercado Modelo: Drop 72 metres in 30 seconds from Praça Municipal to the Lower City, browse the 1861 Mercado Modelo, and step into the Basilica of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia, shipped in pre-cut lioz limestone blocks from Lisbon in 1736.

3. Coastal Forts, Beaches, and Sacred Hills

5. Swim at Porto da Barra and Watch Sunset at Farol da Barra: Swim in the calm bay water of Praia do Porto da Barra, then walk along the promenade to the 1534 Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra for sunset.
6. Tie Three Wish Ribbons at the Basilica of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim: Travel to the Itapagipe Peninsula to visit the 1754 hilltop basilica, tie a fita do Bonfim with three knots, and inspect the Room of Miracles.
7. Watch Sunset at Ponta de Humaitá and Forte de Monte Serrat: Five minutes from Bonfim, the 1583 polygonal fortress and lighthouse at Humaitá Point command a 180-degree view back toward the Upper City skyline.

4. Bahian Gastronomy, Literature, and Modern Art

8. Taste Freshly Fried Acarajé and Clay-Pot Moqueca: Order a moqueca de camarão e peixe for lunch, and join locals at dusk in Rio Vermelho for a crispy acarajé fried in dendê oil.
9. Tour Casa do Rio Vermelho (Jorge Amado's Home): Walk through the garden and kitchen of 33 Rua Alagoinhas, where novelist Jorge Amado and Zélia Gattai lived for four decades.
10. Stroll Santo Antônio Além do Carmo and Solar do Unhão (MAM): Combine the colonial townhouses of Santo Antônio with the waterfront sculpture park of the Museum of Modern Art.

5. Palm-Lined North Beaches and Bay Islands

11. Relax at Itapuã and Stella Maris: Head up the coast to the tide pools of Praia de Itapuã and Flamengo.
12. Sail to Ilha dos Frades or Morro de São Paulo: Take a schooner across All Saints' Bay to Ponta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe on Ilha dos Frades, or ride the catamaran to car-free Morro de São Paulo.