Salvador has a large hotel structure, effective communication net and customer services within the best international patterns, including some resorts. It has tourism agencies that guide the tourists on rides about the city and on attractions around the country. The convention center is able to host large events.

The city of Sao Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos was founded in 1549. But since the first years of the XVI century, after the Portuguese discovered new lands, the place where the urban area was later erected had been known already. It called the attention of sailors in that bay that the place was so favorable for the anchorage of ships.

In that same year, Salvador became the first capital of Brazil until 1763, when the colonial administration was moved to Rio de Janeiro. During that period, the city played an important strategic role in the defense and colonization of the territory. That is why the Portuguese tried to erect a fortified city on top a hill.

The construction of the new metropolis followed well-defined plans that may be recognized in the urban space that nowadays is occupied by the Historical Center -main public and religious buildings were protected in the higher part of the city. Even though, Salvador underwent the Dutch occupation for some months in 1624. A new attack of the same Dutch in 1638 was not successful. Invaders were repelled immediately.

The Salvadorian population (in Portuguese, Soteropolitena, adapted from the Greek soteropolis, "city of salvation", according to Aurélio dictionary) is formed by the same mixture of ethnic groups that mark the base of the Brazilian people -Blacks, Indians and Europeans. In Salvador, the biggest port for entering slaves brought from Africa since the middle of the XVI century, the African cultural influence always prevailed. It is noticeable in religion, arts, food, and in many other aspects of the life of Salvadorian people.

Religious syncretism is mainly expressed in candomblé (Brazilian voodoo), which mixed rites brought from Africa by slaves with Catholicism. Churches in Salvador receive followers of candomblé, like in Nossa Senhora do Bonfim, where every year women from Bahia dressed in typical costumes and do the cleaning of the steps. In candomblé grounds with ceremonies open to the public, it is possible to help babalorixás, ialorixás and iaôsto (fathers, mothers and daughters of the saints) invoking, by means of dances and singing, orixás, entities that personify the forces of nature. Other symbol of the African culture in Salvador is capoeira. Original from Angola, it was used by slaves as a form of defense and attack. Nowadays is a very popular combination of fight and dance. Capoeira members swing from side to side and hit acrobatic blows using mainly their legs. Meanwhile, the other members surround them in a circle and sing accompanied by percussion instruments like berimbau, agogôs and atabaques.

Walking along the Historical Center, especially through old alleys and squares of Pelourinho neighborhood, is to observe constructions of the XVIII and XIX centuries: old big houses formerly belonging to sugar barons, beautiful baroque churches and majestic public buildings that serve as stage for the people who preserve its cultural roots and take them to the streets, sharing them with visitors. Capoeira, acarajé, patuá, candomblé, atabaque, moqueca, bobó and berimbau are some of the words that manifest the cultural riches of Salvador and that may be better understood by simply answering a question that is part of a song by one of Brazil's greatest composers, Dorival Caymmi: "have you been to Bahia yet?"

And it is also on the streets that Salvadorians make their parties. Salvador lives every year an intense calendar of popular events. Mostly in the period between New Year's Eve and Carnival, the city becomes venue of great celebrations, which reveal the deep religious feeling and happiness of its inhabitants.

Salvador has its cosmopolitan side. One of the most sought-for Brazilian destinations by tourists from all regions in Brazil and abroad, the city receives visitors with a diversified network of accommodations that is constantly modernizing.

Pelourinho
It’s the synthesis of city history and culture. Unesco designated this historical center as Cultural Patrimony of Humanity because it keeps the major America baroque architectonic collection – there are 600 restored buildings.

Mercado Modelo (Modelo's Market)
The major craftsmanship pole in Salvador. Built in 1861 to be an customhouse, nowadays it has 259 tents which offers every kind of popular production in leather, straw, tissue, wood, laces, semiprecious stones and silver, besides candies, fruits in syrup and craft drinks. The sunset at Farol da Barra Beach One of the postal cards on the city, not only because of the natural beautiful scenery but for the enchantment of seeing the lighthouse superposing sun’ on bay waters.

Lagoa do Abaeté (Abaeté Lake)
Walking on the white sand and wetting your feet in the dark water of this enchantment lake enclosed by dunes where you can drink some coconut water and breathe some peace.

Popular Manifestations
Passed on from generation to generation, the popular manifestations are a strong cultural trait of Salvador. City folklore gathers artistic elements made by the people for the people, always emphasizing the traditional character of these performances, such as: capoeira, afoxé, Folia de Reis, Maculelê and Samba de Roda.

Terreiro do Gantois (Gantois Terrene)
One of the most known and traditional candomblé terrenes within about 2000 existing in Bahia. It’s located near the city center, in a well-urbanized, safe and easily accessible area. You can climb up Colina Sagrada (Sacred Hill), and ask the blessing of the city patronal, Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. From Nosso Senhor do Bonfim Church, you get a spectacular sight of Todos os Santos Bay, that’s located at Ribeira neighborhood and that’s the local of the baianos’ peregrination.

Baiana Food
Highly influenced by African food, it’s the most typical on Brazil. Moquecas (stewed fish, shrimps and other sea foods very spicy), bobó de camarão (stewed shrimps with manioc sauce), sarapatel (made with little pieces of pork) and vatapá (made with peanut cream) are some of the most famous dishes served in specialized restaurants. You cannot miss the chance of eating a delicious acarajé, typical delicacy from Salvador. With their cooky sheets placed in the sidewalks, baianas prepare this little cake with beans paste, vatapá, shrimp and hot pepper.

Itaparica
The island in front of Salvador has wonderful primitive beaches. You can get there by ferryboats and by boats. Depending on the kind of ship, it may take from 30 to 90 minutes.

Costa do Sauípe (Sauípe Coast)
In a large area in front of the sea, at Barra do Rio Sauípe beach, there are five big hotels from international companies, inns and sports and leisure complexes. Golf field with 18 holes with professional structure, suite of tennis fields and other modalities, and a nautical center with boats, canoes and windsurf boards. There are also cavalcade and equitation center. Besides the accommodation, the visitor can chose to spend one day and enjoy the equipments common to all hotels. Costa do Sauípe is 110 km far from the Salvador center, and it’s 76 km far from the airport.

Beaches

The Salvador coastline is one of the longest in Brasil. There are 50 km of beaches distributed between the High City and the Low City, from Inema, in the railroad suburb to the Praia do Flamengo, on the other side of town. While the Low City beaches are bathed by the All Saints Bay waters – the country’s most extensive bay, with 1052 km of reflecting waters – the High City beaches, from Farol da Barra to Flamengo, are bathed by the Atlantic Ocean. The exception is Porto da Barra, the only High City beach located in the All Saints Bay. The capital’s beaches have enormous ecological diversity because of this difference. There are calm inlets, ideal for swimming, sailing, diving and underwater fishing, as well as open sea inlets with strong waves, sought by surfers. There are also beaches surrounded by reefs, forming natural pools of stone, ideal for children. A stroll to Praia do Forte (Forte Beach) It’s amazing the emotion of watching an enormous sea turtle appearing on the waves, walking into the sand, preparing its nest and putting there its eggs to grow up. After a time, these eggs get mature and become several little turtles, which come back to the sea seeking for life. This happens at Praia do Forte, where exists a sea turtle preservation project developed by Brazilian government supported by scientific institutions and private entities. You can get there by Estrada do Coco (Coco Road), a coastal road where you can see other beautiful beaches, such as Arembepe, where there are hippies from 70’s. Rent Your Car Online Travel-Junky in coöperation with AutoEurope For over 50 years, Auto Europe has been a leader in worldwide car rental services. In recent years, we have expanded our services to include over 4,000 car rental locations worldwide.

Salvador is 1550 km far from Brasilia, 1730 km far from Rio de Janeiro and 1960 far from São Paulo. It has a totally automated modern airport that receives all portage aircrafts in a safe, comfortable and quick way to passengers. Receives buses from the main capitals on Brazil. The main access roads are BR-101 and BR-116 that binds Salvador to the north and south of the country.