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History & architecture

A two-day route through colonial Salvador, from Pelourinho and São Francisco to Bonfim and the forts.

Colourful colonial facades and a baroque church tower on a cobbled street in Pelourinho, Salvador.
Pelourinho, in Salvador's Historic Center, at the end of the afternoon. · Editorial placeholder image — replace with licensed photography.

  1. Day 1

    Historic Center & Pelourinho

    • Start at Praça da Sé and walk to Terreiro de Jesus.
    • Catedral Basílica, then the churches around the square.
    • Largo do Pelourinho and Igreja do Rosário dos Pretos.
    • Igreja e Convento de São Francisco.
    • One museum — the Museu Afro-Brasileiro is the highest-value choice.
    • Elevador Lacerda down to Mercado Modelo, with the bay view from the top.
    • Dinner in Centro, Rio Vermelho or Santo Antônio.

  2. Day 4

    Bonfim, Cidade Baixa & Afro-Brazilian culture

    • Igreja do Bonfim and the Itapagipe peninsula.
    • Museums and cultural attractions in the lower city.
    • Optional: Forte de Santo Antônio Além do Carmo and its capoeira connection.
    • Evening in Santo Antônio.

Confirm museum, church, fort and cultural centre schedules before leaving your accommodation, and check sea conditions for anything on the water.

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Colourful colonial facades and a baroque church tower on a cobbled street in Pelourinho, Salvador.
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Historic Center & Pelourinho

The colonial core, walked in the right order — with the history that the facades do not tell you.

Colourful colonial facades and a baroque church tower on a cobbled street in Pelourinho, Salvador.

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A short, curated list — quality over quantity, with the context each place gives you.

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