The first capital of Brazil was our very first stop on the South American continent.
After six days of crossing the ocean, the muggy heat of Salvador de Bahia welcomed us. We found ourselves caught in a sweet mix of tropical rain and warm air.
Back in Europe, rain usually means cold weather. Here, it clings to your skin, dances to the music, and never makes any apologies.
Our first discoveries in Brazil!
We disembark in the early morning, our bodies still a bit stiff after being cooped up for almost a week, carrying a bag overflowing with dirty laundry.
Before we even think about exploring the city, our number one priority is finding a laundromat (laundry service on the boat was incredibly expensive, so we decided to skip it and handle it ourselves).
Easy enough in theory, but not so simple in practice…
So here we are in a central laundromat, staring at a machine that stubbornly refuses to take our card.
As it turns out, everything here requires a CPF (“Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas”), a personal tax number we had absolutely no idea existed.
Brasilia
Salvador
de Bahia
The payment terminals don’t always recognize foreign cards, and ours obstinately refuses to go through. After fifteen minutes of struggling, a Brazilian couple decides to pay for us. When we offer to pay them back, they decline and walk away.
A simple gesture, but one that instantly dispels the stereotypes about Brazil and its people.
We walk out with our arms full of clean laundry and our hearts a little lighter.
Around 11 o’clock, we hop into a taxi heading towards the Centro Histórico, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Even in the rain, the colorful streets of the Pelourinho are bright and cheerful.
Pelourinho, the beating heart of Salvador
This neighborhood is steeped in the heavy history of colonization and the slave trade. Yet today, it radiates life, and the locals we spoke with are proud of its look and the history it carries. The pastel yellow, pink, and blue facades, the rhythms of samba, and the aromas of street food all come together in perfect harmony, a true way of life.
We visited the Catedral Basílica de Salvador (for 10 R$), where we admired the gold-leaf sculptures. Right across from it sits the Église et couvent de São Francisco, likely one of the most opulent buildings in the country: every wall, ceiling, and pillar seems to be covered in gold.
The historic center, packed with cultural treasures
A little further along, you will find the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos, built in the 17th century. This church was the only one that Black people and freed slaves were allowed to attend. Its history is a powerful reminder of the city’s past, but also of the warm, multicultural spirit that fills the air here today. Even if you aren’t religious, we highly recommend stepping inside these buildings (all UNESCO World Heritage sites) to take in their beauty, connect with their history, and get a real feel for the city.
The surrounding streets are an absolute explosion of color and music. You’ll see street vendors, kids dancing, and always hear that distant, hypnotic beat of the drums.
It’s a living, breathing chaos—pure, raw emotion.
Here is what we recommend you see:
- Catedral Basílica de Salvador
- Église et couvent de São Francisco
- Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
- Centro Histórico de Salvador
Where to eat:
- Restaurante Cafelier (Google Maps link), a historic café with stunning bay views
- Restaurante Boteco Agada, a great local spot with very reasonable prices
Museum entry fees are budget-friendly, at around 10R$ (about 1,60€).
Just watch out for guides charging inflated prices on platforms like GetYourGuide, for example!
Visit duration: Plan for 3 to 5 hours to wander and soak it all in at your own pace through the narrow streets.
From the upper town to the lower town
After wandering through the Pelourinho, you’ll reach the Praça da Sé, a key landmark in the old town.
The sun breaks through the clouds for a moment, lighting up the facades while the echoes of drumbeats drift in from the nearby square.
From there, head down using the Elevador Lacerda, one of the world’s very first urban elevators. Opened in 1873, it connects the upper and lower districts of the city. While it once stood as a divider between social classes, today it simply connects the locals in their daily lives.
In the lower town, the air gets more humid, and saltier.
The Mercado Modelo welcomes us with its stalls packed with crafts, jewelry, drums, colorful fabrics… a true tropical treasure trove. Behind the market, a wide esplanade pays tribute to capoeira, the danced martial art that was born right here in Salvador. The majestic statue looks out over the bay.
Even in the rain, the city keeps its warmth and its pride.
As the sky closes in, the light turns golden, almost melancholic. We catch a last glimpse of the Pelourinho facades from the dock before heading back on board. The street music lingers for a few more minutes, like an echo of the Brazil we have only just begun to discover.
Next up: Heading for Búzios.
Summaries
