About Salvador

Bahia is a friendly and fascinating state, and in Salvador, the State capital, it is easy to lose yourself with so many unusual things to see. There are no less than 365 Churches, one for every day of the year. The most ornate of all is the Church of São Francisco, and at the Bonfim Church the African and Christian religious beliefs meet.

Apart from the churches, tourist attractions include the Pelourinho, the Lacerda Elevator, Castro Alves Square, and a shopping spree at the "Mercado Modelo", a huge covered market. On the streets women dressed up in their traditional African dresses sell spicy foodstuffs - Caruru and Vatapá, Muqueca, Acarajé and Abará. There are also some very fine restaurants. Just forty minutes from Salvador by ferry or schooner lies Itaparica Island with nice beaches and cozy corners.

South of Salvador are the towns of Ilhéus, the cocoa boom town and home of writer Jorge Amado's Gabriela Clove and Cinnamom, and Porto Seguro, where the Portuguese first landed and the official birth place of Brazil.

You can get to know the São Francisco River, one of Brazil's principal waterways, and Paulo Afonso Falls - a natural oasis in the arid interior. Bahia has the longest - and certainly the most enchanting coastline in Brazil. Its sea is always warm, and the beaches are sunny nearly all year round.