| Page Views: 4,136 Last Visit to Salvador da Bahia: October, 2001 | Colonial city with a dark history by toonsarah - last update: Jan 27, 2008 |
| Pelorinho, Salvador da Bahia |
This city in the north east of Brazil had a very different atmosphere to the other places we stayed. Here you are much more aware of Brazil’s colonial past and its links, through past involvement in the slave trade, to Africa.
São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos, to give it its full name, was founded by Portuguese settlers as the first capital of colonial Brazil. It quickly became its main sea port and an important centre of the sugar industry and the slave trade. Its rich cultural heritage owes much to the latter: an estimated 1.3 million slaves were imported into Bahia before slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, double the number imported into the entire United States of America.
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| Lady in traditional Bahian costume |
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Nowadays this dubious past is evident in the diverse ethnic mix of the population, the music, dance and cuisine. It also results in a very different atmosphere from that of Brazil’s more southern cities, at once both more exciting but also slightly intimidating. Although the city has worked hard to improve things in recent years, it remains true that you are more likely to be a victim of crime here (mainly street robbery) than elsewhere in the country.
We had no problems like this, though we avoided the worst areas, but we did get a lot of hassle from people wanting to sell us unwanted souvenirs on the streets, which for me rather detracted from my enjoyment of the wonderful architecture of the old Pelorinho district. Nevertheless a visit here will give you a more rounded picture of Brazil and will bring colour to many of the images you probably have of the country, especially in music and dance.
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We only spent a couple of nights here, moving on north to a beach resort on the Bahia coast to give us a relaxing end to our holiday.
Our visit was some years ago now. I’ve done my best to check that all my info is up to date but I appreciate things may have changed. Please do let me know if you spot any errors or discover changes that I should correct.
~~~o~~~ | | | Tile in São Francisco Church, Salvador |
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| Pros: | "A different side to Brazil" | | Cons: | "You will be hassled here, unlike other parts of the country" |
toonsarah's Salvador da Bahia Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 4 - Photos: 9 | | | | Restaurants | Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2 | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
 Comments for toonsarah about Salvador da Bahia | | | | |
calcaf38 Sat Feb 28, 2009 18:38 UTC
Thank you for rating my Paris page. I love your Salvador da Bahia recollections. Thank you for sharing. | sourbugger Wed May 14, 2008 12:50 UTC
what a great page, one of the best i've read in ages. | deecat Fri Apr 4, 2008 16:14 UTC
Another "top-notch" page filled with brilliant photographs, descriptive delights, and historic facts. I did not know that this was a world Heritage UNESCO site! Moqueca sounds wonderful. | TheWanderingCamel Thu Apr 3, 2008 12:24 UTC
MrL worked in Bahia for several months way back before we were married. I wish I'd had the chance to visit then. leyle |
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