Salvador da Bahia

... a bit of history

Commonly called Bahia de Todos os Santos, in English "Holy Savior of All Saints' Bay", is the capital of the state of Bahia and is located at its centre, on the Atlantic Ocean. The city (population: 2,400,000) enjoys a favorable climate and, thanks to its history and its beaches, is one of the most interesting destinations for tourists to visit throughout the year. During the colonial period Bahia was the capital as well as the largest port of Brazil and one of the richest cities in the continent. With the discovery of mineral deposits in the state of Minas Gerais, and the shifting of the capital to Rio de Janeiro, the city suffered a long economic crisis which involved both the city and the region until now. In fact, its current economic conditions are not of the best.

Salvador

To visit Salvador da Bahia and to get acquainted with its beauties and mysteries, allows you to experience fascinating discoveries and indescribable emotions. As it happens, words are not enough to describe the charm and magical atmosphere that surrounds Salvador, a city which belongs of its people, its saints and the orixas. Those who have already experienced the 'taste' of Bahia know that it is impossible to resist the pleasures that the city offers its visitors. The tropical flora in all its glory, a culture rich in of popular expressions, a history full of adventure and heroism.

This place was chosen to be the one in which a civilization of peace and brotherhood would be founded. With the government's support, Salvador is now showing a new face, an increased attention to the needs of visitors. The old town has been thoroughly recovered nowadays; beaches are cleaner and the sea is less polluted; streets have been equipped with lampposts, and squares are highly controlled. The airport was expanded and modernized. At the same time, the prefecture of Salvador offers a huge variety of products and services to tourists at ever decreasing costs. Everything is done in order to ensure that tourism becomes an increasingly intense activity, suiting the needs of both Bahians and visitors (who live in the new Salvador).

Bahia is divided into two main areas: the High city, which is the most interesting historically and monumentally, reachable by stairways or via the famous Lacerda, and the Low City (Baixa), the most modern and commercial part. Today Bahia is an important administrative, touristic and cultural center, and is one of the capitals of samba, the famous music that enlivens all carnivals. As for the rest of Brazil, the currency used is the Real, which is divided into Cents and Bahias. The official language is Portuguese. Natural sceneries, climate, the culture, the beautiful people, music, dances and even the language are very different in the Northeast, which has a population of more than thirty million, more than the 20% of the population of Brazil. The Northeast is home to the state of Bahia, with its "maravilhosa" capital Salvador, whose culture, contrary to the other Northeastern states, has deep African roots. The state of Bahia is without any doubt the other face of Brazil, with distinctive features and specific connotations that make it an ever new and attractive destination for international tourism. Jorge Amado, the Brazilian writer who interpreted the secrets of this land better than any other, once wrote that it is pointless to explain Bahia "because its mystery is like an ointment pouring down from heaven and wraps your body, soul and heart completely" . Bahia is just like this: it is the capital of the "Brazilian spirit", a city that knows how to capture you with all its epiphanies of ancient African derivation.

• The wonders of Bahia

The city was founded around the year 1530, when King Joao III of Portugal sent a large group of settlers to garrison this land from the French and Dutch occupants of the area. Twenty years later, when the first governor general was installed, Salvador became the first capital of Brazil. From that moment, while gradually losing its political and economic strength, Salvador Bahia continued to welcome settlers and started introducing slaves from the African continent.

From the outset, therefore, Salvador Bahia has been characterized as a meeting point of different ethnicities and cultures: Indian, Portuguese and African. This encounter has been of full contaminations, the source of the authentic Brazilian identity, whose signs are still visible today in the urban landscapes and in the people of this extraordinary city. The mystical and animistic dimension is an original product of the city's history and is an integral part of everyday life in Bahia. A tradition that dates back to the time when black slaves, unable to publicly worship deities of their Candomblé pantheist religion, operated an original fusion and continued to worship their gods by transferring them into the symbols of Catholicism: behind the image of the Madonna and St. Anthony, for example, were the African Iemanja and Oxunmarè. Another cultural expression related to this period is the Capoeira, a fighting technique that black slaves used to perform covertly as a spectacular martial dance in order to get around the ban of fighting imposed by their owners. The musical backgrounds that accompany the rites of Capoeira and Candomblé have very similar sounds, and beat the time of the ceremony favoring contact with the gods with their insistent rhythm. It won’t be difficult to chance upon a Candomblé session (usually held at night), and it is even easier to come across Capoeira performances at street corners accompanied by the sound of the Berimbau, an ancient one-string instrument.

Besides, religious life in Salvador Bahia is present throughout the year and interesting folk festivals take place every month, usually accompanied by cheerful parades, to name a few: the Boa Viagem procession, which takes place on New Year's Day: the Bonfim festival on the third Thursday of January, the celebrations in honor of Goddess Candomblé, Iemanja, in February; the juninas celebrations in the month of June, dedicated to St. Anthony, St. John and St. Peter, and finally, on December 18th, the Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao da Praia procession, and, most importantly, the Carnival of Bahia, which is one of the most original in the world thanks to its mystical references. Carnival floats move along the streets of Salvador, carrying the famous Trios Electricos, musical bands who make people dance in streets and squares. During those days you'll also be able to see the afoxe (Candomblé worshippers) parading with pictures of their protectors, to whom they make offers and dedicate songs. This event lasts seven days – uninterruptedly from the Thursday to the Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday - in an atmosphere of pure fun.

• Tourist Information

Walking through Salvador in a relaxed way, it will come natural to perceive and be attracted by its innumerable hypnotic calls, ubiquitous in the city’s life, as in music (the famous Joao Gilberto, Baden Powell, and Gilberto Gil were all born here) and dressing and talking styles; in the sumptuous ceremonies and the perfumes of its enticing cuisine, made up of unmistakably African dishes and drinks; in the worshipped icons and in its beautiful architectural dimension. Salvador Bahia is worth a close look at and has to be enjoyed under many aspects: the architectural and artistic evidences of its glorious history, well preserved in the High City and the famous Pelourinho district, which brings together an extraordinary collection of colonial buildings from the XVII and XVIII centuries (according to the UNESCO they are the best preserved in the continent). The ancient district has been recently restored by experts and is one of the best preserved instances of colonial architecture. The city is also rich in panoramic views on breathtaking beaches and tropical islands, and in the joyful atmosphere of nights filled with music and dances.

In the Cidade Alta, next to the Praça da Se, you will have the chance to see the Terreiro de Jesus (where every Sunday a craft market is held, offering beautiful hand-made lace, leather and hide items, paintings, and a lot more), with the famous three churches of Salvador Bahia: The big cathedral, whose central altar is worked in gold foil, the Dominican Church (17th century), and the St. Peter Church (18th century). In the nearby, in Praça Anchieta, you will see the Church of St. Francis, with a charming courtyard adjoining the monastery, which is one the richest baroque churches in the world and hosts a beautiful wooden statue of St. Peter. In the city center you might want to visit the Museum of Sacred Arts: one of the most precious in Latin America. In the central square you will find the house of Jorge Amado, a museum and library dedicated to the most celebrated and beloved Brazilian writer. Nearby you can also visit the small Museo da Cidade, where interesting works of Afro-Brazilian folklore and the Candomblé religion are shown.

From Pelourinho Square you can reach the Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosario dos Pretos, a church built by the slaves for the slaves, as in the past they were excluded from other churches. Of high historical and architectural interest, are the Carmelite Church and the adjoining convent, both built in 1585. The High City is also reachable using the Elevador Lacerda, a huge elevator built in 1930 according to the canons of Art Deco, which climbs up to 85 meters. The Cidade Baixa represents the most modern and commercial side of Salvador Bahia. Here you can plunge into the Mercado Modelo, the most famous market of hand-made products in the city: a picturesque place where, in addition to contracting and shopping, you can watch and enjoy musical and Capoeira performances. A little further you can see the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao which hosts each year, on December 18th each year, one of the most important religious parades in the city.

The beaches of Salvador, especially those on the northern coast, are renowned. Barra, the city beach, is known for its inviting and cheerful atmosphere that its bars and clubs can ensure at all hours. Moving north, you will come across other beaches, surrounded by hotels and coconut plantations. In Pituba you can spot jangadas and swarms, fishermen's traditional wooden sail boats made of logs. Piata and Itapoan (you can't miss the beautiful sunset there) are considered the most beautiful beaches of Salvador. Eighty km away from the city, you reach one of the most beautiful regions of Bahia: Praia do Forte. Here, on 12 kilometers of unspoiled coastline (it features, among other things, an important center for the protection of turtles), the sand is white and dotted with countless coconut palms. Inside the Salvador bay, the Bahia de Todos os Santos, you can reach Ilha de Itaparica, a most beautiful island set in a typically tropical environment, and spend a relaxing day tasting drinks and fanciful seafood. Back in Salvador Bahia, the festive night will be waiting to welcome you with new people to meet, folklore, dance and good music in the premises of the Center and in the other ones scattered along the beach. A holiday in a unique place for climate, folklore, cheerfulness, combining beaches, the sea and the sun with a typically Brazilian nightlife, in complete safety and tranquility.