Salvador of Bahia, the most “African” city in Brazil

Salvador was once the capital of Brazil. After the prohibition of slavery, many descendants of African slaves settled here, making Salvador a colourful and multicultural city. As in so many other cities in Brazil, you are warned of all the robberies that can occur here. Even my Airbnb host said you do not go out after eight PM without taking an Uber. It is easy to see where you probably should not walk at night, but I did not experience any problems in this vibrant city. Salvador was visited during my four-week-long journey through Brazil.

Thanks to Google-maps

I am so old that I remember when we had to buy a new map for every big city we visited. When I moved a few years ago, I got rid of at least 50 city maps from all over Europe that I had bought when I was on Inter-rail in the 1980s. For example, when I arrived in Salvador, I arrived at the bus terminal. It is easy to plot where you want to go on Google Maps, and they tell you the bus and time for everything. However, not everything is updated. When I arrived at the square in the picture above, I was supposed to take the lift to the higher level of the city, but sadly, the lift was out of service for maintenance.

After I had walked up and installed in the place where I was going to stay, I found out about Elevador do Taboão. Salvador is a hilly city, and I could use one of the Funiculare that the city has. You get a fantastic view when you get to the top. I also had a nice view from my room window.

The mix of Brazilian and African culture

It is common knowledge that Brazilians love music and their samba. As soon as they hear music, they start dancing, and I am pretty sure this comes from their African inheritance. I was in a shopping mall, where a band was playing in the food court, and at least half of the people there were up on their feet, dancing. It was fascinating to see. Musicians and dancers perform in the street and many places.

Igreja e Convento de São Francisco

This church and convent from the early eighteenth century is one of Salvador’s most precious architectural inheritances. The convent’s collonaded courtyard has the most fantastic mosaic paintings. These paintings do not have religious motives but more everyday issues, like greed, envy, and human vices. The church stands out for its rich and opulent interior. The inner walls and ceiling are highly decorative and dazzling in gold.

The historical centre of Salvador

Most of Salvador’s historical and colonial buildings are concentrated in one area. You can see Baroq churches almost anywhere you turn; the buildings have often been painted very colourfully. Many of Salvador’s souvenirs and art effects are inspired by African art. Large areas of the historical part are also mainly for pedestrians, making it a pleasant area to frequent as a tourist.

So much more

When you arrive in a big city, the tourist places are all within walking distance from each other, and time is limited. You can easily forget to explore different parts of the city. Salvador also has a modern part with shopping malls and McDonald’s, but it’s a bit away from the old part. Being a city along the ocean, it also has plenty of beaches. I was taking the bus from my hotel to the airport, and it was constantly beached on one side for one hour of driving. You can get the old colonial vibes and beach life in one package here.