• Salvador's giant Carnival, the biggest of the world, according to the Guiness book of records, lasts for one week and is extremely popular with Brazilians and tourists alike.

• At the center of the Cidade Alta there are the two large squares Praça da Sé and the Terreiro de Jesus which are connected at the corner by the cathedral. The latter is probably the most lively part of town, with food carts and stalls through the day and revelers in the evening hours.
• Museu Afro-Brasileiro — A museum that documents the slave trade and subsequent development of the city.
• Largo do Pelourinho — A fairly small triangular plaza, is among the oldest parts of town. You can guess from its name meaning "plaza of the pillory" what went on around there.
• Mercado Modelo — The city's main market located in the lower town is and a good place for crafts and other souvenirs. In the adjacent square you can often see young men performing capoeira, the famous martial arts dance which originates from the area.
• Igreja do Nosso Senhor do Bonfim — A small church located in a neighborhood to the north, is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in all of Brazil. The colorful votive ribbons or fitas of Bonfim are an easily recognizable item throughout Brazil and even beyond. Children outside the church will (for a small fee) tie them around your wrist and tell you to make a wish for each one. If the ribbon wears off naturally, the wish will come true; if you cut it off before then, it won't. You can get to Bonfim by city bus in about fifteen minutes.
• Abaeté Park — A protected state park around the lake with same name. The lake is famous because of the stark contrast between the dark water and the very white sand dunes. There is a entertainment area with a lot of bars and live music.
• Solar do Unhão — The best place in Salvador to watch the sunset. It is an old style house located at the Baía de Todos os Santos. Inside there is a small museum (Museu de Arte Moderna) with local art pieces. Sometimes on Saturday afternoons there is a jam session.

By plane

The Salvador's Deputado Luis Eduardo Magalhães Int'l Airport is one of Brazil's main airports, all biggest Brazilian airlines have flights to the Bahia capital city. The city also receives flights from the main hubs of Europe, South America and United States.

Scheduled Airlines:

• TAM (All Brazil, Paris, Miami and Buenos Aires).
• Gol (All Brazil and Montevideo).
• Ocean Air (All Brazil).
• BRA (All Brazil and Lisbon).
• Web Jet (Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Curitiba).
• Passaredo (Vitória da Conquista, Barreiras, Brasília and Ribeirão Preto).
• Abaeté (Guanambi and Barreiras).
• TAP (Lisbon).
• Condor (Frankfurt).
• Air Europa (Madrid).
• Livingston (Milan).
• Iberworld (Madrid)

The airport is 28km from the city centre (via Paralela express way) or 32km (via seaside). Two kinds of taxis are available in the airport, the executive taxis (Coometas and Comtas), and the normal taxis. Executive taxis are pre-paid, they have a table of prices rather than a meters. The other taxi option would be the normal taxis which are metered. A third option would be the executive minibuses which depart every 20 minutes to the Praça da Sé, in downtown near Pelourinho via the seaside, stopping in famous beaches like Ondina, Pituba, Amaralina and Itapoã, the fare is R$4. Another option is the urban buses that go to many parts of the city, for the tourist the options are Lapa, Campo Grande and São Joaquim buses, the best thing is ask the driver before taking an urban bus, the fare is R$2. Linha Verde executive buses go to Praia do Forte and depart often from the airport.

By bus

Salvador's long-distance bus station is in the middle of the new city, 14km from downtown. Salvador is accessible via scheduled buses from all around the country and from Paraguay. Inside the bus stations there are taxis (local taxis and executive taxis) and local buses which can all take you to many places in Salvador and the metropolitan area. Executive buses in the Iguatemi Station can be accessed from the Iguatemi Mall by way of a busy walkway. Bus travel in and out of Salvador can take a lot more time than expected. Count on an average speed of 50-60 km/hr when planning your itinerary.

By boat

Salvador is a common stop on international cruise routes and was once visited by the Queen Elizabeth 2 during her sailing career. Note that the docks area can be dangerous. This area is linked to the Pelourinho historic centre by the Elevador Lacerda, and to the city by urban buses and executive buses to Iguatemi.

By foot

The old city center can be easily explored on foot. To get between the upper and lower sections, take the Elevador Lacerda or the cable car, remember to take small change as the fare is just R$0.05. The streets between the two are considered dangerous even during the day.

By bus

City buses, as in other Brazilian cities, are constant and confusing. Fares are normally R$2, with air-con "expresses" (really no more express than any other bus!) charging R$3 or R$4. Remember to board in the back!

Know your landmarks and neighborhood names. Any large shopping area will have a complimentary frequented bus stop, and the major intercity terminal, Lapa, is next to Shopping Lapa. If you are trying to make your way out of Pelourinho, you can either take the Elevador Lacerda down to the Comercio and find buses for just about every route, or walk to the Praca da Sé bus stop just south of the elevator, which has a much smaller selection of buses passing through, and many options of executive buses.

Buses are safe to ride at night, as long as you are on a frequented (i.e. coastal) route and dress/act inconspicuously. Service stops at midnight and begins again around 4:30-5AM. There are a limited number of lines that provide night service from midnight-4AM.

By taxi

Salvador cab drivers must be competing with those in Rio for spots on Formula 1 racing teams. They will certainly get you where you're going quicker than the bus! However, as buses stop running after midnight, do be prepared to haggle quite a bit with taxistas who refuse to use the meter, especially if you've decided to explore far from your bed. Executive taxis (white and blue) don't have meters, and the prices are on a table, it's more expensive than city taxis, but they are much more comfortable, they are in stops in the main shopping malls, the airport, bus station, ferry-boat station and big hotels.

If you plan to buy popular art, crafts and clothing, check the small stores at the Old Town or head to the Mercado Modelo (Model Market). Locals like to shop at American-style shopping malls.

• Shopping Center Iguatemi
• Salvador Shopping
• Shopping Barra
• Shopping Itaigara
• Shopping Center Lapa
• Shopping Piedade
• Bahia Outlet Center
• Aeroclube Shopping & Office

The Terreiro de Jesus is a great place to sample the local cuisine from street stalls, served by Afro-Brazilian baianas in their traditional white dresses. In Salvador you will find many fast-food places like Burger King, McDonald's, Subway or Pizza Hut.

Be sure to try acarajé, small fritters made from black-eyed peas and onions fried in palm oil slathered with spicy vatapá (shrimp paste).

Budget

• Acarajé da Cira, Largo de Itapuã, 3249-4170. Fresh acarajé daily from 10AM-11PM. There is also another location on the Largo da Mariquita in Rio Vermelho.

• Acarajé da Dica, Rua J, Castro Rabelo, Pelourinho. Open T-Sa 3PM-11PM, Su 10AM-1AM.

• Health Valley Brasil, Rua Direita da Piedade (in the city center). Vegetarian restaurant run by an African couple. Serving typical dishes based around ginger. Very popular with the local alternative crowd. Buffet including fruit juice and desert costs R$8.

• Quiosque de Amaralina, Ave Otávio Mangabeira, Amaralina. Serving acarajé near the beach from 4PM to midnight.

Mid-range

• Bistrô PortoSol, (on a cross-street near Porto da Barra). Small, cozy Austrian-Hungarian restaurant run by an Austrian and his wife. Simple accommodations decorated with posters of classic Hollywood movies. Quite delicious.

• Companhia da Pizza, Rio Vermelho (on a cross-street near the Pestana Bahia and Blue Tree Towers hotels). One of the city's most popular pizza restaurants.

• La Figa, Rua das Laranjeiras 17, Pelourinho (near Terreiro de Jesus). Italian restaurant with fresh pastas around R$35 for two people, appetizers around R$10, and deserts. The new owner changed the name in June 2007 (It was previously known as La Lupa), but the high quality, good service and good atmosphere remain the same.

• Maria Mata Mouro, Pelourinho (near São Francisco church). Small, with only twelve tables but the service is great. Try the shrimp.

• Meridiano, Ave Tancredo Neves (in front of the Casa do Comércio building). Gourmet cuisine at moderate prices. Excellent service.

• São Salvador, (on the grounds of the Salvador Trade Center). Buffet with a refined atmosphere.

• Sankofa African Bar e Restaurante, Pelourinho, Rua Frei Vicente, 7. African food and drinks with exotic flavors at very reasonable prices. Less than $R15 per person including one drink.

• Hostel galeria 13, Pelourinho, Rua da ordem terceira no 23.The new european owner offers Pelourinho a much needed variety of international dishes & spanish tapas.The menu includes a great selection of very original vegetarian meals from around the world.You can enjoy your meal in the unique morrocan chill out room or in their patio garden.They also offer those great juices with a touch of ginger 'refreshing',or maybe a caipirinha with water melon.The quanties are very generous an the prices are extremely fair,max 'R$9.50' for a chilli con carne.oh yeh the vibe is incredible!

Splurge

• Amado, Ave Contorno. Contemporary cuisine.

• Barbacoa, Ave Tancredo Neves. Fine meat dishes and some of Salvador's best feijoada in a refined atmosphere.

• Boi Preto, Boca do Rio (in front of Aeroclube Plaza Show near the Convention Center). One of the best churrascarias in town. Full buffet and salad bar plus unlimited fine cuts of meat.

• Casa do Comércio, Ave Tancredo Neves, 11F (in the heart of the financial district). A good place to eat well and take in a panoramic view of Salvador.

• Marc Le Dantec, Pier Sul Apartment Service, Ondina. The best French restaurant in the city.

• Mistura, Itapoã. Specializing in fish and international cuisine.

• Trapiche Adelaide, Comércia. Voted among the best fine dining in the city, with a fine view of the Bay of All-Saints.

• Yemanjá, Ave Otávio Mangabeira 9292, Pitubá, 231-5570. Long held nationally and internationally as the standard in typical Bahian cuisine.

Bars

• Bar da Ponta, beside the Trapiche Adelaide. A place to see and be seen, drink, and have a fantastic view of the bay.

• Beco dos Artistas, near Campo Grande. One of the gay and lesbian areas of the city, with a diversified crowd. The area has various bars, a nightclub, and a restaurant.

• Bohemia Music Bar, Jardim Brasil. The comfortable atmosphere, live music, and a varied menu make this a popular pick-up spot.

• Chuleta, Vale do Canela (near the UFB campus and the neighborhoods of Graça and Vitória). Boteco frequented by university students, famous for its cheap beer and for the meat snack from which the bar takes its name. Open air, plastic tables.

• Largo de Santana, Rio Vermelho. This busy street has various bars and restaurants, and some of the best acarajé in town.

• Mercado do Peixe, Rio Vermelho (at the seaside in front of the Blue Tree Towers Hotel). One of the best after-hours spots, Mercado do Peixe is a real Salvador institution. It starts to get busy after 3AM when everywhere else is closing. With simple accommodations and plastic tables, various stands stay open offering moquecas and regional appetizers, in addition to drinks. During the day it is, as its name suggests, a traditional seafood market.

• Sankofa African Bar e Restaurante, Rua Frei Vicente, No 7, Pelourinho, [1]. In the middle of the Pelourinho. Live bands (salsa, samba, reggae, zouk, semba) and DJ's spinning African, Brasilian and world music. Tasty African dishes and drinks are also offered. African flags, maps, and artworks adorn the walls. The top floor has a projection system showing films and documentaries.

• Hostel galeria 13, Pelourinho, Rua da ordem terceira no 23.The new native English speaking owner has travelled & worked in many famous bars & clubs around the world you will get a chance to check out his knowledge of drinks.They offer great juices with a touch of ginger 'refreshing',or maybe a caipirinha or roska with water melon already being boasted the best in Brasil,a big Claim take him up on it.You can enjony your drinks in the garden or the most original spot in Pelourinho,the Morrocan "chill out" room.

Nightclubs

• Dolce, on the first floor of Shopping Boulevard 161, Itaigara. Very busy club, attracting a somewhat older crowd.

• Fashion Club, Ave Octávio Mangabeira, 2.471, Pituba, 71 3346 0012. Once the most vibrant nightclub in Salvador, Fashion Club has taken somewhat of a backseat since the opening of Lotus. Prices, however, are around half of what you would pay at Lotus.

• Lotus — Without a doubt, the most popular nightclub in Salvador. Attracts mostly upper class locals, due to its elevated prices. This is where the beautiful people of Salvador go. Lotus is the sister location of the homonymous New York club.

• Off Clube, Rua Dias Dávila, 33, Barra, 71 3267 6215. The main gay and lesbian club in town. A variety of events attracts locals of all social classes.

• Rock in Rio Café — Now considered the third best nightclub in town. The major attraction here is the pagode bands that play.

• Zauber Multicultura, Ladeira da Misericórdia, 11, Edifício Taveira, Comércio, 71 3326 2964. Combining music and visual arts in one of the most important historic areas of the city. The space bridges between the old (architecture) and the new (decoration). Find out what is going on before you go, and take a taxi, as the location is in a rather dangerous and prostitution-plagued area of the city.