16 Places to Visit in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

From October, 27 to November, 07, 2017, I visited Salvador, the capital of Bahia, and now I list some nice things I have done there 😉

1- Watching the sunset at Farol da Barra.

Salvador has many places where you can watch the sunset. Maybe, the most famous is Farol da Barra. People arrives there early and play the guitar and sing. Then, they watch the sunset, clap their hands and leave. Remember to arrive before 5 p.m. because the sunset is earlier in Northeast.

2- Eating acarajé and abará.

Acarajé is one of the most famous baiana food. It is a fried bean dough filled with vatapá (kind of a cream), shrimp, vinaigrette and chilli. Abará is similar to acarajé, but the dough is cooked instead of fried. I ate at Barraca da Cira, one of the most traditional, and, according to my baiana friend, the best acarajé.

3- Taking an ice cream or a coco espumante at A Cubana.

It is a famous ice cream place and there is one at Elevador Lacerda and another one at Rio Vermelho. Coco espumante is a drink similar to a milkshake and it is very refreshing and delicious.

4- Having a gelato at Mondo Gelato Artesanal.

You can find it at Rio Vermelho and there are different flavours like blackberries and hibiscus or nuts and guava. The ice cream is really good and my favorite was macadamia nut wih caramel.

5- Visiting MAM.

Or Saturdays, there is jazz over there. So, if you like nice music, go there. And you can also enjoy the sunset.

6- Free apresentations.

In Salvador, there are lots of free attractions to attend. When I was there, I saw a musical about Milton Nascimento, a presentation of a band and I went to a festival at Rio Vermelho. All you have to do is to research and enjoy!

7- Cafelier.

It is a coffee house at Pelourinho. There is a beautiful view, the prices are okay and the food is good.

8- Visiting Morro de São Paulo.

I thought about writing a post just for Morro de São Paulo, but I just spent two days over there, so I want to visit it again, stay longer to have more tips. Anyway, even two days is worth. It is a gorgeous place with wonderful beaches and an amazing view. The energy and calm is fantastic and make Morro de São Paulo an awesome place to visit by yourself or with somebody. There are beautiful beaches, great restaurants and caipirinha.

9- Visiting Igreja do Bonfim.

It is one of the most visited place in the city. Go there, tie a ribbons and make three wishes.

10- Going to some restaurant with a view to the see and Baía de Todos os Santos.

I went with a friend on a rainy day and we stayed there eating, talking and enjoying the view. It is a great thing to do.

11- Taking ice cream at Sorveteria da Ribeira.

This is the most traditional ice cream place in the city. There are lots of tastes, but try the  green coconut one. It is amazing.

12- Spending a afternoon at Itapuã.

Actually, you can spend all day, so you can enjoy the beach, visit Lagoa do Abaeté and Vinicius de Morais house.

13- Knowing the Pelourinho.

If you visit Salvador, you have to go to Pelourinho. You can start your tour at Mercado Modelo (or finish it there, if you want to buy gifts), go up with Elevador Lacerda, visiting the churches and museums, go to Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado, have lunch at Sesc restaurant and walk a lot looking at the buildings.

14- Eating at Casa Vidal and Restaurante Carvão.

These were my favorite restaurants in Salvador. Casa Vidal is very expensive, but the food is delicious. You can spend more money this day and save on others. I saw Carvão on an Instagram profile. When I went there, it was restaurant week (an event in which the food is cheaper) and the price was okay. The mil folhas de aipim is really good.

15- Visiting Casa do Rio Vermelho.

It was Jorge Amado’s house and now it is a museum. It is amazing, the exhibit is great and I reccomend you visit it.

16- Visiting museums and forts.

There are lots of museums near from each other. I visited all thar wene not closed in one day: Museu da Arte Sacra, Museu de Geologia, Museu da Bahia, Museu Carlos Costa Pinto and Palacete das Artes. You can walk from one to another, have lunch ar Solar Café, take a piece of cake at Doces Sonhos. The forts are at Barra: São Diogo and Santa Maria have a partnership, you pay to visit one and you can visit the other for free. When I went there, there was a beautiful photo exhibition at Santa Maria. And there is Farol da Barra, which is also a nice place.

These were my indications. For sure, I did not mention lots of places, but maybe I can come back one day and update this post. To finish this text, I want to say that Salvador has surprised me in a good way. I thought I would not like it so much, but I loved the city, specially the culture and the way people live.

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