Salvador de Bahía Information
General Information:
Country: Brazil
Full Name: São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos (‘Holy Savior of All Saints' Bay’)
State: Bahia
Municipalities: Lauro de Freitas, Simões Filho, Candeias
Area: 706.799 km²
Population: 2,711,372 (2005)
Density: 3836.1/km²
Salvador is located on the Northeast coast of Brazil, and is the capital of the State of Bahia. Salvador is a major export port that lies at the heart of the Recôncavo Baiano region. Currently Salvador’s metropolitan area is home to approximately 3.5 million inhabitants, that make it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Brazil.
A Bit of History
Established in 1549 by Tomé de Sousa, Salvador was the first capital of colonial Brazil and quickly became Brazil’s main sea port and an important center of the sugar industry and the slave trade.
Salvador was the capital city of the Portuguese viceroyalty of Grão-Pará and its province of Bahia de Todos os Santos. The Dutch Republic captured and sacked the city in May 1624, and held it until it was re-taken by the Portuguese in April of the following year.
Salvador was the capital of Brazil until 1763, when it was succeeded by Rio de Janeiro. The city became a center of the Brazilian independence movement and was attacked by Portuguese troops in 1812.
In the 1990s, the old downtown area − the Pelourinho or Centro Historico ("Historical Center") − was cleaned up and restored.
Getting In
By plane:
All major Brazilian airlines offer daily flights to Salvador
Deputado Luis Eduardo Magalhães International Airport
Address: Praça Gago Coutinho, s/nº
Tel: +55 (71) 3204-1323 / 3204-1244 / 3204-1444
E-mail: etaques.cnrf@infraero.gov.br
By bus:
Cutting through the State of Bahia from North to South, Highways (BRs) 101 and 116 connect Salvador with the rest of the country. When you reach Feira de Santana, take BR-324.
Bus Station:
Address: Av. ACM, 4362 – Pitaba. Tel: +55 (71) 3450-4488
Climate
Mean temperature: 25 ºC.
Salvador has a typical tropical climate, with rains falling both during the winter as well as during the summer. In winter, minimum temperatures may drop to approximately 20ºC, while in summer maximum temperatures are in the vicinity of 36ºC. The breeze that blows in from the Atlantic Ocean helps maintain pleasant temperatures even during the warmest summer days. The part of the city located closest to the Atlantic coast is subject to strong winds that blow from the sea.
more information about weather
Beaches
Salvador features numerous beaches along the Atlantic coast and All Saints’ Bay. The most important urban beaches are Itapua, Artistas, and Porto da Barra. The city’s beaches attract local inhabitants and tourists alike, mainly because of the water’s pleasant temperature. On some beaches you will find typical restaurants built in the sand, where seafood and beverages are served. You will also find “bahiana” food stands where you will be able to taste acarajé, a typical Afro-Brazilian dish.
Lugares de interés
"Farol da Barra", from where you will be able to enjoy wonderful sunsets over the All Saints’ Bay.
There are many places to visit and attractions to see, such as the Lacerda Elevator which connects the Cidade Baixa (“Lower City”) with the Cidade Alta (“Upper City”), Alagoa de Abaeté (Abaeté Lagoon), the Project Tamar turtle sanctuary (approximately 100 km from Salvador), the island of Itaparica, Morro de Sao Paulo, the church of Iemanjá, the church of Nosso Senhor do Bomfim, and the Pelourinho (“Historical Center”) where you will have the chance to visit a great variety of churches including Salvador Cathedral, the Convent and Church of São Francisco, and the Church of Nossa Seora dos Pretos.
The Mercado Modelo (“Model Market”) is a good place to go for crafts and other typical souvenirs. The lowest floor of the market − currently open to the public − is where slaves arriving from Africa were kept while they awaited auction. This part of the market has been provided with ramps and walkways so that tourists are able to visit it even during high tide, when it is flooded. Its brick arches serve as the Model Market’s structure, and are harmoniously reflected on the water.
Salvador’s Music
The most popular rhythms of the region are Axé, Pagode, Forró, Arrocha, and Samba. Salvador is also home to an important Brazilian Rock and Pop movement that has caught the attention of many musical producers.
The City of Salvador
Salvador is divided into an Upper City and a Lower City; the cathedral and administrative center are located in the Upper City. The city has preserved many colonial buildings, including Brazil’s first cathedral and its first school of medicine.
Salvador is well known for the African influence in all cultural aspects of the city. Most of the population is of African origin. It is the center of Yoruba Candomblé and of the martial arts dance Capoeira. Because of its more than 350 churches, the city is also known as “Black Rome”. In addition to religion, African influence has extended to food and music. Salvador is well known for its Carnaval celebrations.
|
