A Day in Salvador’s Historic Centre

Colourfully painted heritage buildings surround the cobblestone square in the heart of Salvador’s historic centre. Whether you love to feast your eyes on old architecture, people watch in a lively square or have lunch in an outdoor patio, you will find all of that and more in this lovely Old Town.

As we wondered through the historic district there seemed to be a never ending supply of streets lined by beautifully restored heritage buildings. Founded in 1549, Salvador was the capital of what was then called América Portuguesa and is now called Brazil. Established only 2 years after the colonial town of Olinda, Salvador was deemed to be important even before it was built. The Portuguese king decided that the land over looking Baía de Todos-os-Santos (All Saints Bay) be the location of the first capital in their new land. This decision also makes it the first planned city in the country. It held a prominent position for a long time since it remained the capital for almost 200 years until it was moved to Rio.

All Saints Bay, Salvador
All Saints Bay, Salvador

Salvador’s history has resulted in a fabulous historic centre and an easy place to spend a day. The perfectly restored Portuguese colonial buildings combine to form one of the best historical centres we have visited in any country.

Terreiro de Jesus (Yard of Jesus)

Formally named, Praça 15 de Novembro (November 15th Square) the main square in the city is more commonly called Terreiro de Jesus. Taking the most prominent position in the square is Basilica Cathedral of Salvador. It was originally built as a Jesuit church and is why the square is nicknamed Terreiro de Jesus (Yard of Jesus). Like many Jesuit churches, this 17th century building is a little understated from the outside.

Terreiro de Jesus
Terreiro de Jesus

These initial impressions change though as soon as you enter the sanctuary where you are overwhelmed by glitter. At the front is a large golden alter and along each wall are equally impressive golden alcoves. Not to be outdone, the 3-dimensional ceiling has ornate wooden panels and ceramic-looking sculptures all painted in gold. It’s one of the most wonderful ceilings we’ve ever seen.

Basilica Cathedral of Salvador
Basilica Cathedral of Salvador
Basilica Cathedral of Salvador
Basilica Cathedral of Salvador
Basilica Cathedral of Salvador
Basilica Cathedral of Salvador

In front of the cathedral, the treed square is filled with visitors eating ice cream and açaí on park benches. Typical black and white Portuguese tiles cover the ground and the square’s border is fringed by colourful heritage buildings. It is a feast for your eyes.

Terreiro de Jesus
Terreiro de Jesus

There are a lot of churches in Salvador’s historic centre. On this square alone are three. Across from the cathedral are two beautiful 18th century churches that in any other city would be the main attraction.

Terreiro de Jesus, Salvador
Terreiro de Jesus, Salvador

Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco (Cross Square of St. Francis)

We stopped for lunch at one of the patios on the picturesque Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco. This small square is more like a wide cobblestone street on the side of the Terreiro de Jesus. A large cross at one end gives the square part of its name.

Igreja de São Francisco
Igreja de São Francisco

At the other end of the small square, the stone front of San Francisco Church takes your eyes away from the colourful buildings along the side. The best kept secret though is just around the corner. Hiding beside the church is an older, more impressive chapel. The façade of this chapel is breathtaking with intricately detailed stone designs. Most people don’t walk down the side street and are missing this impressive building.

São Francisco Chapel
São Francisco Chapel

The small streets and alleys extending out from Terreiro de Jesus are every bit as charming as the main square. Colourful buildings with faux balconies and old-style signs line the streets. Many of the buildings today are shops selling paintings, pottery and local jewelry.

Historical Centre, Salvador
Historical Centre, Salvador
Historic Centre, Salvador
Historic Centre, Salvador

Largo do Pelourinho (Pillory Square)

Only a short block away from Terreiro de Jesus is another brilliant square. Pelourinho Square is set on the slope of a hill. Its cobblestone streets streets, triangular shape and buildings painted in vibrant colours give it a unique feel.

It’s not all about the pretty buildings though. The word Pelourinho represents a horrible part of Brazil’s history. Pelourinho translates in English to pillory. These wooden, stock-like structures would keep the heads and hands of slaves contained while they were being publicly whipped; their punishment for some misdeed. Most of the whipping was done in this square. Pelourinho is the name of the square, but is commonly used to refer to the entire Old Town.

Largo do Pelourinho
Largo do Pelourinho
Largo do Pelourinho
Largo do Pelourinho

When Salvador was established, the main industry in the area was sugarcane. By the 1600s Brazil was the largest provider of sugarcane sugar to Europe. This meant that the Portuguese required a lot of manual labour. Initially they enslaved indigenous people for their workforce but there weren’t enough so they brought slaves from Africa. In total 1.3 million African slaves were brought to Bahia, the state that Salvador is now the capital. Brazil has the dishonourable distinction of not only bringing the most African slaves to it shores but also of continuing slavery for a longer period of time than anywhere else in the world.

Pelourinho Square doesn’t hide from its history and is now one of the most popular parts of Salvador to visit. The building that immediately drew our attention when we reached the square was the beautiful blue Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos. Translated to English it means The Church of the Third Order of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black People. Even though slave owners forced their slaves to become Christians, and likely to build the churches, they didn’t allow the slaves to attend their churches. Because of this a large group of slaves and freemen saved their money and raised donations. After almost 20 years they had enough money to build their own church. Its history is both disheartening and uplifting at the same time. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see inside, but the décor is supposed to be remarkable.

Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos

The African slaves continued many of their ancestral traditions while in Brazil. Over the centuries African and Portuguese cultures merged to have a uniquely Salvadorian flavour. The obvious one to an outsider is the music. Calypso-like music can be heard in restaurants and coming from open shop windows. Another sign of Afro-Portuguese culture are the bright, full skirts, petticoats, lace tops and headscarves worn by Baianas de Acarajé women. Acarajé is a fried fritter and female slaves sold the fritters to make money, hoping to buy their way to freedom. Today Baianas de Acarajé can be seen working in many businesses in the historic district. In this heat it must be sweltering to wear so many layers of petticoats, but they are proud to represent their heritage. They reminded us a little of the Palenquera women selling flowers in the heritage district in Cartagena.

Baiana de Acarajé, Salvador
Baiana de Acarajé, Salvador
Baianas de Acarajé, Terreiro de Jesus
Baianas de Acarajé, Terreiro de Jesus

Ladeira do Carmo

From Pelouinho Square the cobblestone street, Ladeira do Carmo, climbs up to the community of Santo Antonio on the top of the hill. The homes with typical Portuguese azulejos tiles makes it one of the prettiest streets we found. Its curves and incline add another layer of charm to the already cute street.

Largo do Pelourinho
Largo do Pelourinho
Historic Centre, Salvador
Historic Centre, Salvador
Historic Centre, Salvador
Historic Centre, Salvador
Historic Centre, Salvador
Historic Centre, Salvador

With over 300 churches in Old Town, we knew we would see more than the five we had already seen. Climbing up Ladeira do Carmo, we found a few more. Most were in good condition, but as we approached Boqueirão Church we were put off by its shabby look and spray painted walls. Inside though, it was another story with a stunning, ornately designed interior.

Igreja do Santíssimo Sacramento
Igreja do Santíssimo Sacramento
Igreja do Carmo de Salvador
Igreja do Carmo de Salvador
Igreja do Boqueirão, Salvador
Igreja do Boqueirão, Salvador
Igreja do Boqueirão, Salvador
Igreja do Boqueirão, Salvador

Not all of the streets in the historic district have been restored and they reminded us that it wasn’t long ago that Pelourinho was poverty stricken and in extreme disrepair. Prior to the 1990s, locals wouldn’t go to Old Town as it was considered dangerous. Since then the government began restoring historic Salvador and it is a big draw for locals and tourists. Even with all the tourists in the area though, it is not advised to travel beyond the restored streets.

Praças da Sé & Tomé de Sousa (Foundation & Thomas de Sousa Squares)

On the other side of Terreiro de Jesus we found two more connected squares. Praça da Sé and Praça Tomé de Sousa weren’t as vibrant as other parts of the centre, but were still host to a few beautiful buildings. One is Palácio Rio Branco which was the former seat of the governor before Brazil achieved independence from Portugal.

Palácio Rio Branco
Palácio Rio Branco

From the edge of Praça da Sé you can look out to Baía de Todos os Santos (All Saints Bay). A little off shore is an island fort. São Marcelo Fort was built in the 17th century, and in the mid 1800s it was used as a jail for political rebels.

Forte de São Marcelo, Salvador
Forte de São Marcelo, Salvador

Beaches

Our main reason for visiting Salvador was to visit its UNESCO World Heritage centre. Being located on the coast in Brazil, you had to know that there would also be a few beaches. As city beaches, they may not be the nicest to swim in but do have pretty settings. Praia do Farol da Barra (Lighthouse Beach) is bookended by Santo Antônio da Barra Fort and Morro do Cristo. The 17th century fort and its lighthouse make a nice picture atop a rocky point. At the other end, a collection of palm trees below a grassy hill adds a unique look to the small beach.

Farol da Barra
Farol da Barra
Morro do Cristo
Morro do Cristo
Morro do Cristo
Morro do Cristo
Praia do Farol da Barra
Praia do Farol da Barra
Cactus,Praia do Farol da Barra
Cactus,Praia do Farol da Barra

Watching the sun set behind the light house was really special. Salvador is one of only three cities in Brazil where you can see the sun set on the Atlantic Ocean.

Sunset, Praia do Farol da Barra
Sunset, Praia do Farol da Barra
Sunset, Praia do Farol da Barra
Sunset, Praia do Farol da Barra

Further down the coast, is another small beach, Praia do Porto da Barra. There isn’t much to see in the small Santa Maria Fort but from it we had great views of Barra Lighthouse.

Praia do Porto da Barra, Salvador
Praia do Porto da Barra, Salvador
Barra Lighthouse, Salvador
Barra Lighthouse, Salvador
Santa Maria Fort, Salvador
Santa Maria Fort, Salvador

How to get to Salvador

As the capital of the state of Bahia, Salvador is easily accessible by plane, car, or bus. Within the city we found Uber the easiest way to get around. This may sound obvious, but it is very easy to mix up foreign words. We made this mistake and selected the wrong address for our hotel. The Uber driver knew it was wrong, and knew where we needed to go, but he said we had to make the change on the Uber app. Of course, this change had a fee attached.

Where to stay in Salvador

Salvador seems to be a city that is still in transition. Even in the neighbourhood of Barra, which is one of the safest neighbourhoods in the city, favela-style housing was located on the other side of the main street. We stayed in this district and didn’t have problems, but it was a little unnerving. There are quite a few boutique hotels in Pelourinho (Historic Centre), but we were told that at night it is not safe to walk anywhere.  

Salvador
Salvador

Coming Next – Discover Ouro Preto’s Golden History

To read about our other adventures in Brazil click here.

For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca

To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.

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102 comments

  • My neck would be sore from looking up and gawking at the beautiful ceiling of the Basilica Cathedral of Salvador – it’s so beautiful and unlike anything I’ve seen before! It must be an amazing experience to walk through the stone streets full of colourful and century-old mansions from the 16th to the 19th centuries, not to mention the ever-present musicality, peculiar churches and plazas that have played a significant role in the country’s cultural and political history. Thanks for sharing, Maggie and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    • Aiva, it was the most beautiful ceiling I’ve ever seen. The rest of the historic district was also gorgeous and one of the nicest ones we’ve seen anywhere. I think the combination of the buildings, the odd shaped squares and the cultural atmosphere really put it at the top. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • Wow, such spectacular intricacy in that basilica and chapel. And the buildings are so colorful. This may be the prettiest city you’ve shown us from Brazil. The history you shared is interesting but so sad. It’s good the city doesn’t hide from it. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I think it was the prettiest historic areas in a large city that we saw on our trip. The next one coming up is very cute as well. I knew that Brazil had a history of slavery, but didn’t realize how extensive it was. Salvador was a great city to learn more about their history because they don’t try to hide it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • My gosh, so many churches and cathedrals! I wonder about their patrons and the present costs of upkeep. I do like the colorful streets and awesome beaches. The Barra lighthouse and fortress structure look interesting.

    Liked by 1 person

    • The lighthouse and the fort was such a unique feature to have on a beach. It made it much more picturesque. That’s a good point about the upkeep of the churches. There are certainly a lot of them in Brazil and their maintenance costs must be huge. Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • The Basilica Cathedral is absolutely stunning especially its ornate ceiling Maggie. I learned a lot through this post about the UNESCO heritage centre of Salvador and the more I read your posts on South America, the more I would like to visit some day.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you! The ceiling in the cathedral is incredible. The rest of the historical area has been renovated so well has a great atmosphere. It would be one to keep on your South America list! Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • You’ve really done Salvador justice, show-casing its lovely colonial architecture and beautiful churches! We were there in 2001, maybe a little too early in its recovery from the dangerous years of the 1990s. I remember being impressed by the São Francisco Chapel and seeing Pelouinho Square, but a lot of our visit was marred by unnervingly aggressive hustlers wanting to sell us rubbish or by over-insistent Baianas de Acarajé women wanting money to pose. We also got ripped off by a taxi driver on the way from our hotel to the old city, which didn’t help our impressions. I guess things have calmed down with more tourists now visiting?

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    • Thanks Sarah, I can imagine that being there too early in its transition would dampen the experience. I’ve been in those places in other parts of the country. Today Salvador is one of the best historic centres we’ve been to, both the quality and amount of streets that have been restored and the lively atmosphere. We didn’t see hustlers, although I’m sure there were some and the Bainanas de Acarajé were not at all pushy in fact the lady that we took the picture of was happy to pose and didn’t even want a tip. It is a busy place with tourists and the first place on our trip since Manaus where we actually saw foreign tourists. Thanks for sharing your experience, Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • Thank you for your beyond lavish offering of Salvador churches…of course I was ecstatic at your gobsmackingly gorgeous photos of
    Basilica Cathedral of Salvador! Wow, a three D ceiling and gold embellishments! Wowza. I would have spent the whole day in there!
    Loved the baroque style (I’m guessing) of that hidden gem, Sao Francisco Chapel.
    I appreciated your candor on the historical truths that birthed Salvador.
    Great sharing. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

    Liked by 1 person

    • There were so many things to look at inside the cathedral but the ceiling stole the show for me! As well as the chapel. Salvador doesn’t hide its history as much as many places, although I’m sure the use of pillories were only one of the atrocities. The cultural mix gave the city a unique and lively personality. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Suzette, Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • This may be one of my favorite cities you’ve visited so far. The buildings are ornate and colorful and the scenery and beaches are lovely!

    Liked by 1 person

  • That basilica is stunning. You always think “just another church” when you see the outside, but the interior is gorgeous. The whole old town is simply stunning. Love the colours and the people streets. I can see why it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and why you wanted to visit. Thanks for sharing Maggie. ALlan

    Liked by 1 person

    • Salvador has a beautiful historic centre and that church was such a great surprise. We don’t often enter churches but are so glad we went inside this one. Thanks for your thoughts. Maggie

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    • Thank you, the Basilica has such an incredible interior, so glad we decided to visit the inside. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Lyssy! Maggie

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  • Beautiful and very historically interesting. I like the fact that they didn’t try to hide their history of slavery. I had seen a documentary about Portugal, which was one of the biggest players in the slave trade and they have no physical historical landmarks to show present this aspect of their history, so this resonated with me.

    Liked by 1 person

    • We only found out that Portugal brought so many slaves and for so long when we visited Salavador. Otherwise you’re right, their history doesn’t let you know. I’m sure things were much worse than we read, but the fact that the square and often the entire historic area is named after a pillory is better than most cities. Thanks for adding to the story, Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • I think I’ve fallen in love with Salvador. There’s not much else to say that you haven’t already said, but the cathedral, the colorful buildings, the other churches, the bay, the history – all fascinating! I would love to see inside the Basilica Cathedral of Salvador in person, but your photos show it off in spectacular fashion. Thank you for sharing this amazing city.

    Liked by 1 person

  • What a past! And hopefully a better future. Extraordinary architecture, Maggie. I’ve seen my share of Portuguese churches but there are some wonderful ones here.

    Liked by 1 person

  • Thank you for another fascinating post about a city/area I had never heard about. Salvador has an interesting history, some of it very disturbing. I really like the vibrant colors of the buildings that line so many streets. 300 churches sounds like a lot. Out of curiosity, I looked up Rome, and while there is no total listed, several internet articles mention at least 900!

    Liked by 1 person

  • Over and over again your posts from Brazil (and Bolivia come to that) and your destinations, have substantial wow factor. Terrific sounding places that just cry out to be visited. Regarding slavery – they have it right. We shouldn’t bury this history any more than we should celebrate it. Awful as the history is, it is vital to understand exactly how our cultural histories evolved….. and to avoid anything approaching a repeat. Sadly it seems, when it comes to war at least, the human race doesn’t learn.

    Liked by 1 person

  • Wow, that ceiling of the Basilica is simply amazing! And just look at the São Francisco Chapel – the detail is quite something. Love the colourful buildings (even though some of the places have quite a sad history behind them). And the photos of the beach are beautiful – like the one of the setting sun behind the lighthouse.

    Liked by 1 person

    • The ceiling was incredible, I couldn’t stop looking at it. The rest of the heritage area is very well restoresd and it’s a great place to explore. Maggie

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  • I really love the vast array of churches and the different artistic beauty of them. The Basilica Cathedral though is probably my favorite- so unassuming on the outside but absolutely stunning on the inside with all that gold detail. Great tour of the original capital city 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  • Reblogged this on Mitch Teemley and commented:
    My Featured Bloggers this week are Maggie and Richard of Monkey’s Tale, “An Adventure Travel Blog.” And adventurers they are! Canadian writer Maggie and photographer Richard are avid climbers, skiers and hikers, so they spend lots of time in their own magnificent Rockies. But they’ve also traveled to pretty much every place else on earth, including Antarctica! Enjoy this photo essay of Salvador, the historic heart of Brazil.

    Liked by 1 person

  • Salvador looks very much like a city we’d enjoy exploring with its colourful buildings and squares. The history is quite troubled, that was a difficult part to read. The churches are impressive too, the São Francisco Chapel facade is a masterpiece. I do like city beaches as they seem fairly devoid of crowds. Gorgeous sunset!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I think you two would really love Salvador. Although it has an awful history, like many colonial towns, its residents have embraced their combined heritage and formed a unique culture. The beaches are nice to look in their small coves, but no one comes to Salvador for the beach 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  • The Basilca Cathedral and Igreja do Boqueirão are phenomenal! I loved the street pictures. There weren’t many cars and no traffic lights in the historic area. You’ve shown us a lovely place to visit. Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you Nancy, it was one of the busiest tourist cities we had been in Brazil, but still not like a busy European or American site. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • Looks like they cleaned it up a lot since I visited during Carnival in 1980. Carnival there was more of a participation event than in Rio, where it is a parade as far as I know.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’m curious to how it looked jn 1980! They didn’t start to restore the area until the 90s. The rumor was that even locals wouldn’t go because it was so rough. How was it?

      Liked by 1 person

      • No problem at all! We had a good time there, and people were friendly for the most part. One time, some beggars got aggressive, but there were also a couple of Brazilians they were hassling. The Brazilians apparently knew martial arts, and when the beggars started to get physical, they were quickly disposed of. We had a very cheap camera at the time, and most of the photos we took were of Carnival. I tried inserting a few more into my post “Latin American Journey”, but could somehow only add them there at the end.

        Liked by 1 person

  • The old town in Salvador looks so vibrant with all those colourful historic buildings. It’s wild how many churches there are. The city beaches look picturesque. I love how there’s even a lighthouse!

    Liked by 1 person

  • Salvador sounds like a town I would like to visit some day, I love all the colourful colonial style buildings. It is amazing how golden all those South American church altars can be, impressing with their lavish wealth. But I guess not all 300 churches were in such great condition as the cathedral.. What a wonderful tour🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • There were many churches that hadn’t been restored but they still had amazing interiors. So much wealth went into that cathedral though, it definitely stands out. The rest of the buildings have also been restored so well, it is a great historic area. Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • I have absolutely loved all your Brazil posts, it looks like a total adventure of a life time. Salvador looks another postcard city full of colour and beautiful buildings 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  • I think this is my favorite post from Brazil – that Basilica! It is wonderful that so many buildings have been saved or restored and I am glad that the community is thriving. The lady’s dress was so pretty, as was she. Thank you for sharing this, Maggie.

    Liked by 1 person

  • Your description of Basilica Cathedral of Salvador reminds me of Bom Jesus Basilica in Goa, India which from the outside looked a little austere, but inside — especially the altar — was very ornate. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, since both are Jesuit churches.

    I can see why you think the historical center of Salvador is one of the best you’ve visited in any country. Around Terreiro de Jesus alone there are already so many beautiful Portuguese-era buildings, including those churches. While the architectural styles and the color schemes in the old town do remind me of what I saw in Goa and Macau, the way they painted Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Petros is particularly interesting for the contrast between the light blue and the original color of the stone.

    You’ve made me really want to go to Salvador now, Maggie!

    Liked by 1 person

    • You would absolutely love Salvador Bama! It is similar to Goa, but so much more. The historic area is very large, all of the buildings are from that era and most are restored. The Basilica was a little overwhelming inside with so much gold, but I really loved the blue Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos. I wish we could have seen inside it. Start planning your trip!! Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

  • You gotta hand it to the churches with ornate art. They have good taste. I respect being able to create good art out of gold, and not just use the gold to tackily decorate things like Donald Trump’s bathroom or whatever

    Liked by 1 person

  • Once again, the charm of the Portuguese colonial architecture makes this article worth reading. What a pity for the country that such beauty is accompanied by so much insecurity.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, there is a growing divide between rich and poor. The growing middle class is great for that population, but unfortunately brings with it crime. This historic centre has some of the best examples of Portuguese colonial architecture that we have seen in Brazil.

      Liked by 1 person

  • Wow thank you for the incredible history and beautiful pictures! What elaborate, historical and intriguing places! Wow – thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

  • One of my favourite things to do when I’m travelling is to visit churches because you’re never quite sure what you’re going to find, but that seemingly unassuming cathedral is something else. The ceiling and those alcoves are just spectacular! So incredibly beautiful. Your photos of the sunset over the beach and the ocean are also gorgeous.

    Like

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