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Things to Do

Things to do in Salvador: museums, beaches, music and the bay

A first trip to Salvador works best when you mix three things: the historic core with context, at least one museum or cultural centre that explains Afro-Brazilian Bahia, and time by the water.

Percussionists of a bloco afro playing drums in front of a colonial wall in Salvador.
Aerial view of a crescent of sand with colourful umbrellas beside calm bay water.
First trip

Beaches in Salvador

Bay-side or ocean-side changes everything: water, waves, crowd and atmosphere.

Percussionists of a bloco afro playing drums in front of a colonial wall in Salvador.
Essential

Music & Carnival

Salvador is a music city every month of the year, not only in Carnival week.

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

Museums & Culture

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

A schooner anchored in the calm turquoise water of the Baía de Todos-os-Santos.
EssentialVerify before visiting

Bay & Islands

The bay is the reason the city exists. Give it a full day, and check the sea conditions.

Percussionists of a bloco afro playing drums in front of a colonial wall in Salvador.
Research in progress

Experiences

What to book, what to skip, and how to tell the difference.