Things to do in Salvador

Culture · Cidade Alta, historic centre

The UNESCO-listed colonial core — pastel townhouses, the gilded interior of São Francisco, and the drumming of Olodum on Tuesday nights.

Local tip: Pelourinho itself empties of locals outside events. Walk north along Rua Direita do Santo Antônio instead: the same architecture, working guesthouses and bars, residents rather than tour groups, and the bay view from the fort at the end.

Nightlife · Coastal, mid-city

The bohemian quarter — Largo da Mariquita and Largo de Santana, the acarajé stands, live music and the city's densest concentration of bars.

Local tip: The two acarajé stands at Largo de Santana are the famous ones and they are genuinely good, but the queue is shortest before six. The 2 February Iemanjá festival starts here at dawn and is the most extraordinary thing in the Salvador calendar after carnival.

Landmark · Between Cidade Alta and Cidade Baixa

A 1873 public lift dropping 72 metres between the two halves of the city, landing beside the crafts market on the bay.

Local tip: Ride it for the view down onto the Baía de Todos os Santos, then keep walking to the Mercado Modelo's lower level and the ferry terminal. Locals use the lift as ordinary transport, which is the point — it costs a few centavos, not a ticket price.

Nature · Across the bay, by ferry from Bom Despacho

The largest bay on the Brazilian coast, with an island of beaches, mangroves and quiet fishing villages an hour from the centre.

Local tip: Take the lancha from the Terminal Náutico rather than the car ferry if you are on foot — it is faster and the approach to the island is the better view. Go on a weekday; Bahians fill it at weekends.

Nature · North coast, about 80 km

A former fishing village with the Projeto Tamar sea-turtle station, and the start of the protected coastline running north to Sergipe.

Local tip: Everyone stops at Praia do Forte. Keep driving another forty minutes to Imbassaí or Praia do Forte's northern neighbours and the beaches are the same water with a tenth of the people.

Nature · Central Salvador

A lake ringed by sculptures of the orixás, beneath the Arena Fonte Nova, and the city's largest inner park up on the ridge.

Local tip: The Dique is best at sunset when the orixá sculptures are lit and the running track fills. Parque da Cidade on a Sunday morning is where Salvador actually exercises — it is free, safe, shaded and almost never mentioned to visitors.