Understand
History
Founded in 1549, Salvador was the capital in the heyday of the slave trade. The legacy remains today in its large black population, and the resulting culture in many ways outshines the rest of Brazil -- in music, many of the greatest names from the mid-20th century to the present hail from here, such as Dorival Caymmi, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso. In literature, the late Jorge Amado was also from the region. It's a vibrant, exciting city, and its people are quite friendly.
Orientation
Salvador is located on a peninsula which shields the large Baía de Todos os Santos ("Bay of All Saints") from the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the third largest in Brazil, sprawling for dozens of kilometers inland from the coast. Most visitors head for the coastal neighborhoods that cluster around where the bay meets the ocean.
A 100m cliff runs along the entire bayshore, dividing the city into Cidade Alta, up on the cliff, and the Cidade Baixa down by the bay. The former features Pelourinho, the old city center that packs historical sites, colonial architecture, museums, restaurants, bars, hostels, artesanal shops, and music/dance/capoeira academies into a convenient, if tourist-swarmed, set of winding cobblestone streets. The latter features a commercial center with lots of bus traffic coming in from all over Salvador.
Outside of this area, there are many beach districts that stretch from the tip of the peninsula northeast along the Atlantic coast. The Barra neighborhood at the tip of the peninsula is the main alternative jumping-off point to Pelourinho, and a little further to the northeast are the hip neighborhoods of Rio Vermelho and Amaralina, which feature a nightlife less geared to the foreign tourism industry. A decent bus ride beyond these is the neighborhood of Itapuã, which has an energetic beachside nightlife and relatively few foreign visitors. Northward from there are kilometers and kilometers of gorgeous beaches, all accessible by bus.
The bayshore coast north beyond Pelourinho features a more tranquil atmosphere and a locally patronized, though less scenic, beach life. The interior of Salvador is where the "new city" has developed, full of residential neighborhoods, shopping megaplexes, and knotted highways--all of which can be quite alienating without actually having a friend to show you around.
Get in
By plane
Salvador is one of Brazil's more popular tourist destinations, and well-served by air. The airport is some 20km out of town. Express buses will take you into town, making a loop through the old city as well as the beach districts. Bus costs about 4 Real and leaves from one block past Praca Municipal off Av Chile. It takes ~1 hour to reach the main City (da Silva).
By bus
Salvador's long-distance bus station is in the middle of the new city. You can take express coaches, taxis (roughly R$25), or local buses to the old town.
By boat
Salvador is on the agenda for some cruise ships, including the Queen Elizabeth II. Note that the docks area can be dangerous.
Get around
By foot
The old city center can be easily explored on foot. To get between the upper and lower sections, take the Elevador Lacerda or the cable car. The streets between the two are considered dangerous even during the day.
By bus
City buses, as in other Brazilian cities, are constant and confusing. Fares are normally R$1.50, with air-con "expresses" (really no more express than any other bus!) charging R$3 or R$4. Remember to board in the back!
Know your landmarks and neighborhood names. Any large shopping will have a complementary frequented bus stop, and the major intracity terminal, Lapa, is next to Shopping Lapa. If you are trying to make your way out of Pelourinho, you can either take the Elevador Lacerda down to the Comercio and find buses for just about every route, or walk to the Praca da Sé bus stop just south of the elevator, which has a much smaller selection of buses passing through.
Buses are safe to ride at night, as long as you are on a frequented (i.e. coastal) route and dress/act inconspicuously. Service stops at midnight and begins again around 5:30 or 6 a.m.
By taxi
Salvador cab drivers must be competing with those in Rio for spots on Formula 1 racing teams. They will certainly get you where you're going quicker than the bus! However, as buses stop running after midnight, do be prepared to haggle quite a bit with taxistas who refuse to use the meter, especially if you've decided to explore far from your bed.
See
Do
Buy
If you plan to buy popular art, crafts and clothing, check the small stores at the Old Town or head to the Mercado Modelo (Model Market).
Locals like to shop at American-style shopping malls, such as Iguatemi Shopping, Itaigara Shopping and surrounding area and Barra Shopping.
Eat
The Terreiro de Jesus is a great place to sample the local cuisine from street stalls, served by Afro-Brazilian baianas in their traditional white dresses.
Restaurants
The outlying districts have a good selection of restaurants; Chinese joints seem especially plentiful in Barra.
Cafes
Bahiacafe.com in the Pelourinho area, has good food excellent coffee a decent internet connection. The juices are good too.
Maria Mata Mouro is one typical restaurant from Salvador, it is in Pelourinho near Sao Francisco church. The shrimp is the best meal from the city. The restaurant is small with twelve tables but the service is great
Sleep
Salvador's lodging options are basically divided between the hotels in the Cidade Alta and those in the beach districts. There are also hostels in Pelourinho that are reasonably priced, but noisy at night.
Stay safe
As with other large Brazilian cities, Salvador is notorious for street crime; muggings and knifings are rife. Avoid travelling through the city by yourself at night. Salvador is particularly bad, and is notorious as a tourist trap.
Eventhough you think it might be safe, the sun is out and there is people about, you can still get mugged. When you go to the police they are pretty lax, so it is best to avoid the possibility altogether.
Peoples with a darker complexions will have an advantage over those with pale skin- blacks are likely to blend in well, darker peoples (like arabs) may be able to pass off in many places but whites are particularly targeted. AVOID carrying any kind of satchel or bags, as this is a mugger magnet! When you go to the beach, best to go in slippers and shorts, or bikini + light clothing- it might look ok, but chances are you will get robbed at some point if carrying anything that could be of any value.
Often there is heavily police guarded areas, but just outside of that area is the muggers waiting for the tourists.
If you come to this city, try to find a host who can also help serve as a guide on how to conduct yourself to stay on top.
Get out
For a nice day trip, catch the ferry to the laid-back island of Itaparica.
Salvador is also the gateway to many other nearby attractions such as:
Salvador (meaning "saviour" in Spanish and Portuguese) is normally an indirect way of naming Jesus. It can be:
Places
People
Institutions
Other meanings
See also
