The Best of Salvador, Brazil in 24 Hours

Salvador, Brazil (not El Salvador!) caught our eye during our Brazil trip planning for a couple reasons. Number 1, the city was influenced by Portuguese and African culture, which makes the architecture and food incredibly interesting. Number 2, it’s lesser-visited than Rio de Janiero, which makes the trip more authentic and private. After having spent only 24 hours in Salvador, we can report back that the city did not disappoint. Read on for everything you need to know before visiting, as well as our 24 hour (or longer) itinerary with all our lessons learned.

Planning Your Trip

How Much Time to Spend in Salvador, Brazil

With the size of Brazil and all the things to do, we recommend limiting your time to Salvador to only a day or two. For us, because of our itinerary and the way the flights worked out, we were only able to spend 24 hours in the city. In retrospect, it was plenty of time to see the top spots and eat food, but it was not enough to spend an afternoon on the beach or see a museum.

We recommend 24 hours to see the top destinations, and adding a half day or more if you want to spend time at museums or at the beach.

How to Get to Salvador, Brazil

Unless you live a few hours from Salvador, we recommend flying. We’ve heard of busses that can take you between cities in Brazil, but Brazil is HUGE, and driving/bussing would take way too long.

Where to Stay in Salvador, Brazil

This one is easy, a Pelourinho is where you should stay to optimize your time in Salvador, and for the best cultural immersion. Pelourinho is like the historical neighborhood of Salvador, where you’ll find all the beautiful architecture inspired by Argentina and Africa.

For the full experience, we recommend staying in a Pousada, the Portuguese word for “inn” or “bed & breakfast.” A Pousada, back in the day, was a term used for a family-run business offering rooms for travelers. You’ll find Pousada’s all over a Portuguese-speaking country, but in Salvador, the rooms have retained their charm.

We were a bit late when booking our accommodation during a peak travel season, so had to settle for Luna Bahia. The stay had all the charm that was promised, but it wasn’t as clean as we would’ve liked. We would recommend finding a better-rated, slightly more expensive Pousada further in advance. There are also plenty of hostels inside Pousada’s if that’s more your vibe.

Where to Eat (and Drink!) in Salvador

When it came to food in Salvador, we had nothing but positive experiences at the restaurants we researched and picked. The first thing we did is research what food we had to eat in Salvador, and pick our restaurants from there. The main dish of Salvador, moqueca, is fortunately served at almost every restaurant. Food was super important to us, which is why we created a whole post on Best Food of Brazil: Complete Guide to What and Where to Eat and Drink in Brazil. But specifically for Salvador, bookmark these restaurants:

Portal do Pelo

If you eat anywhere in Pelourinho, make it Portal do Pelo. For two reasons: 1) this was one of the best meals we had in all of Brazil – the moqueca was mouth watering and 2) the back patio is very cute and has live music/shows in the evenings. We went for the moqueca miste – a mix of seafood and fish, but they have other vegetarian and meat options as well.

O Cravinho

If you research where to drink in Salvador, you will quickly find O Cravinho, and for a very good reason. The house-made liqueur is one of THE BEST liqueurs we have ever had. And, it tastes so good its very dangerous. Cachaça is the national liqueur of Brazil, a fermented sugar cane flavored with spices and fruits. At O Cravinho, it’s spiced with cloves and lemon and absolutely delicious. Get the little pint, it doesn’t cost that much more and will get you and a partner the right amount of tipsy for the night.

Acarajé

Acarajé is the most popular street food in the state of Bahia and therefore, Salvador, Brazil. The base is fried black beans formed into a thick pita-shape, stuffed with spicy shrimp. We watched it get made fresh in front of our eyes for the full experience. There are a bunch of street vendors serving acarajé, so it’ll be easy to grab one as an afternoon snack or light lunch.

Dona Mariquita

On the list of best restaurants we ate at in Brazil is definitely Dona Mariquita. Again, for two reasons: the food is amazing and the ambiance is authentic. The restaurant is decorated and the staff is dressed in African-influenced attire, just like the cuisine. Bahian cuisine is a mix of Portuguese and African cuisine and Dona Mariquita offers a range of traditional dishes. We opted for the xinxim, a African-spiced chicken curry, and the sarapatel, a stew of animal parts you don’t want to know about. We chose these two dishes because they were listed on another blog as some dishes you have to try in Salvador. Tapioca is everywhere in Brazilian cuisine, so we got the tapioca pudding for dessert and it was delicious!

Mercado do Peixe (Rio Vermelho)

Thought Mercado do Peixe translate to fish market, this area in Rio Vermelho is a collection of restaurants, bars, and shops near the beach in Rio Vermelho. If you’re staying in Rio Vermelho, which has more of a beach town vibe, than this is a great spot for a night out.

How to Get Around in Salvador

Salvador has a bus and train system, however, we found that Ubers were a plenty and were relatively cheap (at least, compared to Chicago). For the most part, we stayed in three main areas: airport, Pelourinho, and Rio Vermelho. We Ubered between these three main areas, and walked around in each. An Uber from the airport to Pelourinho was less than $9 USD. Split between two people and half the time it takes for public transport, this was worth it for us. Renting a car was out of the question, as the roads in Pelourinho are narrow and unpaved and a car just wouldn’t have been worth it.

Top Things to Do in Salvador

For a complete list of everything to do in Salvador, we’ve bookmarked them all in the Google Map below. We do this for all of our destinations, so check out our full list on our Travel Maps page!

1. Explore Pelourinho

The absolute must-see of Salvador is the neighborhood of Pelourinho. Think of this as the old town of Salvador. The picture above looks unreal – but it’s easy to see from the Largo do Pelourinho (the main square). The neighborhood of Pelourinho is buzzing with activity: restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, and the best of all – street performances.

Definitely plan on spending some time in Pelourinho. Since we stayed in the neighborhood, we walked around 2-3 times and never got bored of it. You should easily budget an afternoon and meal in the area.

2. Explore Rio Vermelho

Rio Vermelho is another neighborhood in Salvador that has more of a beach town vibe compared to Pelourinho. It’s another great place to stay, where you’ll have access to better and nicer beaches and more “modern” restaurants. There’s a “Mercado” or “market” in Rio Vermelho that is great for nightlife and dinner called Mercado do Peixe (also known as the Red River Fish Market). It’s not actually a fish market, however, but a collection of restaurants and bars.

3. Mercado Modelo

Mercado Modelo is worth an hour of exploring. Walking distance from Pelourinho, you can take the Elevador Lacerda (below) down to sea-level, where there is a giant hall dedicated just to this market. The market has multiple levels of shops filled with textiles, trinkets, and food. We loved walking around and exploring all the artwork that had African and Portuguese influences. From Mercado Modelo, you can also look out into the bay and see São Marcelo Fort in the water.

4. Elevador Lacerda

This public elevator, known as Elevador Lacerdo, is a huge and famous elevator that takes you from street level to sea-level in Salvador. When we first researched the Elevador as an attraction, it seemed like a tourist trap. After having ridden it 4 times, we don’t think the cost justifies it being called a “trap.” It costs only ~0.19 R to ride the Elevador. And, it takes you quickly down to sea level to see the bay and Mercado Modelo. The line isn’t super long, the price is super cheap, and the best part – the views from the top at sunset – are gorgeous. We thought it was worth the ride and recommend it on a 24 hour visit in Salvador, Brazil!

5. Boat Ride in Bay of All Saints

One thing we did not have time to do, but was recommended to us, was taking a boat ride in the Bay of All Saints. This sounds like a romantic or relaxing thing to do around sunset on the water. But, with only 24 hours in Salvador, we didn’t have time to budget this. If you’re spending a few days, consider making this one of your evening or afternoon activities!

Travel Tips: Safety, Money, Water

For a complete list of travel tips in Brazil, check out our post 10 Brazil Vacation Tips The Top Travel Blogs Missed! Specific to Salvador, here are a few we recommend reading prior to a visit:

• Ubers are safe and affordable! We paid on average $5-10 USD in Salvador to go to the airport or from Pelourinho to Rio Vermelho
• Most places take credit card, but cary cash if you’re going to do some street shopping or shopping at the market.
• Keep your smart phone and camera tucked away in a backpack that you wear on your front. Pickpockets are serious in Salvador and Brazil in general. We recommend this cross-body bag from Amazon (paid link).
• Tap water can easily upset tummies, so get bottled water. You’ll want cash for street vendors for this one!

24-Hour Salvador, Brazil Itinerary

If you’re going to spend around 24 hours (or slightly more) in Salvador, here’s how we would budget your time. Let’s assume you arrive in the morning and have an afternoon and morning-after to spend your time.

Arrival Day: Afternoon

First, head to your Airbnb, pousada, or hotel to drop of your luggage. Then, we recommend spending the afternoon in Rio Vermelho (bring your swim suit!). If you’re staying in Pelourinho, grab a quick and affordable Uber to the other neighborhood. If you’re staying in Rio Vermelho, consider flipping the itinerary so you’re first afternoon is in Pelourinho.

Lunch: Dona Mariquita

If you’re hungry and have time for it, enjoy lunch at Dona Mariquita. We recommend getting the xinxim at a minimum, to experience the Africana and Portuguese cuisine fusion. If you’re feeling daring, you can try the classic sarapatel. Any of the other dishes will not disappoint, and you can’t go wrong with a moqueca.

Afternoon: Explore, Beach, and Acarajé

At your leisure and however you want to break down the time, spend the afternoon strolling around the streets of Rio Vermelho. There’s not as much to see as Pelourinho, so it wont take more than an hour. Afterwards, head to a beach to relax. Praia do Rio Vermelho is probably the closest if you don’t want to have to walk too far.

If/when you get hungry for an afternoon snack, you can find a street vendor serving acarajé (the classic street food of Salvador). But, save some appetite for the evening. The Mercado do Peixe opens around 11 AM everyday, so if you’d rather spend your afternoon drinking or need a heavier snack, you can chill at a restaurant there.

Arrival Day: Evening

We recommend spending the evening in Pelourinho, which is why we recommend staying there or switching up the itinerary if not. For dinner, head to Cuco Bistro (or a restaurant nearby). This is the perfect spot in Salvador because there is usually live music or a performance in the square. At Cuco Bistro, the fish is always good, as is a moqueca, or Bobo (a creamy shrimp moqueca – check out our post Best Food of Brazil: Complete Guide to What and Where to Eat and Drink in Brazil for more details).

After dinner (or before, whichever you prefer), head to O Cravinho to enjoy their famous liqueur. This is a must-do in Salvador if you’re an alcohol drinker. So, be sure to make time for O Cravinho!

Departure Day: Morning

Explore Pelourinho

For your last day, or for at least a half-day, we recommend exploring Pelourinho. For the most part, you’ll be walking down the streets and enjoying the architecture, street vendors, and street performers. But, there’s a few stops you should hit along your walk:

• Largo do Pelourinho: for views of Pelourinho and street performances
• Centro Historico de Salvador, Bahia: a main square for architecture and street performances
• Igreja e Convento de São Francisco: a beautiful church with Portuguese-style lavish decoration
• Elevador Lacerda: famous elevator to take you down to sea level, also has great views of the bay from above
• Mercado Modelo: busy market with shops and food
• Museu de Arte Sacra

Lunch: Portal do Pelô

For lunch, leave space in your stomach and time for Portal do Pelô. Select one of their moquecas (it’s enough for 2-3 people) and enjoy!

Extra Time

If you have extra time, here are a few other things you can do in the area:

• Boat ride in the Bay of All Saints
• Bahia Museum of Modern Art
• Explore the neighborhood of Bonfin
• Spend more time at the beach
• Eat at more restaurants: try Ré Restaurante Dona Suzana

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