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Best of Salvador da Bahia
Pelourinho
Pelourinho whose name means pillory in Portuguese is the old heart of Salvador and the main remnant of the colonial period, because of its colonial houses and winding cobblestones streets. The historic core of Salvador was designated World Heritage by UNESCO in 1985, because of the rich history of its churches, squares and beautiful colonial buildings. Perhaps the main attraction in Pelourinho is the main square named “Terreiro de Jesus”, where it is also located the cathedral of the city which was constructed in the XVII century; near the cathedral is the ancient Medicine Faculty which has become the Afro-Brazilian Museum. Now Pelourinho has been renovated and is full of bars, restaurants and small stores; therefore it is the main tourist zone in Salvador da Bahia. Besides, every Tuesday Pelourinho hosts a great party night called bençao (blessing) which was originated by a religious feast that was celebrated in the “Igreja do Santo Antonio” (Saint Antonio Church), the “bençao” is celebrated especially in summer when the parties are biggest and lasts more. Pelourinho has also several nice bars like “O Cravinho” where, it can enjoy cachaça, the national liquor.
There are freelance tours guide available in the neighborhood for around R$50 ($28.5) and they last in average 4 hours. Pelourinho is without doubt a nice place to visit.
Pelourinho Neighborhood
Basilica Cathedral
This former church constructed in XVII century by the Jesuits is the main building in “Terreiro de Jesus” square in the Salvador de Bahia’s Downtown. The church saves impressive craftsmanship works. Its main altar is a master art piece, which is composed by 18 columns covered by gold. The church owns also several altars made of cedar wood and covered by thin layers of gold. One of the most important pieces of art that saves this cathedral is the sculpture of “Christ the Savior” which is the greatest carving sculpture in Brazil; this sculpture as well as the rest of the temple were made by talented slaves in the colonial period. These slaves introduced into their work, elements of their own beliefs like fishtail and other decorations in honor to the sea’s goodness “Yemanja”. The cathedral of Salvador da Bahia opens every day from 8:00 to 11:30 and from 14:00 to 17:30. It is located in the “Terreiro de Jesus” square in the historic Pelourinho district. The church hosts also every Sundays at 11:00 baroque concerts of the Bahia’s Symphonic Orchestra. Admission costs R$2 ($1).
Main Altar in the Cathedral of Salvador da Bahia
San Francisco Church
It is one of the most beautiful and impressive churches of Brazil. It was constructed by rich sugar traders at the beginning of the XVIII century. The church of baroque style is luxury decorated with gold which can be appreciated almost everywhere inside the church. The history says that, the sugar barons of Salvador used 100 Kg (220 pounds) of gold to decorate the temple. Nevertheless, gold is not the one attraction of this amazing church; there are also many wonderful pictures and sculptures, mainly the sculptures whose eyes literally shine thanks to an impressive effect achieved by the local artists. Besides, the church's façade is decorated with yellow and blue tiles and its amazing ceiling is one of the most beautiful in Brazil. There are several powerful reasons to consider this church as the most beautiful of Salvador da Bahia. The church is located at “Terreiro de Jesus” and you can visit it from Monday to Sunday from 8:00 to 17:30 and Sunday from 7:00 to 12:00. Admission costs R$3 ($1.7).
Saint Francis Church
Elevador Lacerda (Lacerda Elevator)
It is without doubt one of the greatest landmarks of Salvador da Bahia. The city is divided in two parts; there is a high zone and a low zone. The famous Lacerda elevator connects both parts, it can take you from "Praça Tome de Souza" in the high part to "Praça Cairu" in the low part in 20 seconds. This elevator is 70 meters (230 feet) high and is one of the highest and biggest public elevators in the World. It can transport around 120 passengers per trip and almost 50 000 per day. It is the best and cheapest way to visit the “Mercado Modelo” (Model market) and the harbor. The first elevator built here was constructed by Jesuits in 1610 and it was a manual rope and pulley elevator, which allowed transporting more rapidly passengers that arrived to the port. In 1868 that former elevator was replaced by an iron structure, that was also replaced in 1928 by a electric system. Besides, at top of the elevator there is a excellent view of the “Todos os Santos” bay. This elevator named in honor to its original designer works every day from 5:00 to midnight and admission costs R$ 0.10 ($0.05).
Lacerda Elevator
Museum of Religious Art
It is located in the former “Santa Teresa de Avila” convent, which was founded in the XVII century. This building is considered one of the main examples of the colonial architectural style in Brazil, therefore it was declared Human Heritage by UNESCO in 1985. The museum is relatively small but wonderful. It owns the best religious art collection of Brazil, which is composed by oratorios, jewelry, sculptures, oil painting, works of cabinetry and much more. Most pieces of art in the museum were created in the XVII and XVIII centuries. It highlights the collection of paintings made by the priest “Agostinho da Piedade” who painted beautiful pictures like “Santa Ana Mestra” or “Nossa Senhora de Monserrate”. Another important piece in the museum is the “Cristo” (Christ), a marvel sculpture made by the natives from Goa.The museum also owns an extended collection of silver items that includes cups, chandeliers and other religious devices, in addition to a complete furniture collection. The museum is located at 276 “Rua do Sodré” in the Pelourinho neighborhood: you can visit this place from Monday to Friday from 11:30 to 17:30. Admission cost R$5 for adults and R$3 for student; children under seven years old don’t pay.
Praia do Forte
It is a nice fishing village which has become ecological beach resort; it is located 80 Km (50 miles) north Salvador da Bahia (1.5 hours approximately). It offers diverse ecosystems, beautiful beaches, amazing estuaries, dunes, lakes, mangroves, coconuts and exotic wildlife. Here it is the TAMAR project, which protects the sea turtles; there it can observe several kinds of sea turtles and other sea life in their natural habitat. This place hosts over 220 bird species. Besides, this entire zone is surrounded by many rivers and the jungle, therefore “Praia do Forte” is an excellent site to practice rafting and hiking, in addition to diving in the sea. The beach is really wonderful and the village is very nice; it has many small shops, restaurants and Cafes where it can buy excellent handicrafts eat a good meal or drink a delicious “caipirinha”. Praia do Forte is a great place to visit, if you are in Bahia.
Farol da Barra (Lighthouse)
It is located at end of the Barra peninsula , which owns nice beaches and the best view of sunset in Bahia . The lighthouse is situated on top of a small hill in the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the “Todos os Santos” bay (all saints bay). The lighthouse is located inside an ancient fort built in 1534 to defense the former capital of the Portuguese empire in America. Inside the lighthouse work an interesting museum about the first years of Salvador. The view from the lighthouse is absolutely wonderful mainly in the sunset. Therefore, many people arrive to this place every day half hour before sunset to witness this marvel natural spectacle.
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