62 Best Sights in Salvador and the Bahia Coast, Brazil

The baroque Church of the Third Order of St. Dominic (1731) houses a collection of carved processional saints and other sacred objects. Such sculptures often had hollow interiors and were used to smuggle gold into Portugal to avoid taxes. Asian details in the church decoration are evidence of long-ago connections with the Portugese colonies of Goa and Macau.

The largest of 56 islands in the Baía de Todos os Santos, Itaparica was originally settled because its ample supply of fresh mineral water was believed to have rejuvenating qualities. Its beaches are calm and shallow, thanks to the surrounding reefs, which are avidly sought by windsurfers, divers, and snorkelers. The main port of entry on the north of the island is the town of Bom Despacho, where the ferries from Salvador dock. If you plan to travel to either the Maráu Península or Boibepa by bus, boat, or car from Salvador, you will need to pass through Itaparica. The drive from Salvador to the island via highway takes about four hours, while regular ferries departing from the Terminal de São Joaquim take approximately 40 minutes and are the easiest way to access the island.

If you are looking to explore, the best beaches are near the villages of Vera Cruz, Mar Grande, and Conceição, the latter almost entirely owned by Club Med Itaparica.

Alongside buses and taxis, small Volkswagen vans (called kombis) provide the most convenient local transportation around the island. You can hail vans and hop from beach to beach along the 40 km (25 miles) of BA 001, the coastal highway that connects Itaparica village on the north part of the island to the mainland via Ponte do Funil (Funnel Bridge) on the southwest side.

A 15-minute hike takes you down to the mouth of the Lapa Doce cave, where you will see a stunning collection of large stalagmites, stalactites, and columns. Access is only possible with a local guide, included in the price of admission along with a flashlight for navigating in the dark and exploring the unique frescoe-like coloring and natural sculptures. Local guides only speak Portuguese, so if you are looking for greater insight, plan to go with your own guide as part of a longer day experience. Because it's so accessible, Lapa Doce is especially recommended for children.

Once the "whipping post" for runaway for slaves, this square now serves as the cultural heart of Salvador's Historic Center, with regular live music performed in front of the colorful colonial buildings. The four public stages are named after characters in Jorge Amado novels; a museum on the acclaimed author, who lived from 1912 to 2001, borders the upper end of the square. While summer months see performances nightly, year-around Tuesdays and Sundays are the days not to miss for music in the Pelourinho. The small plaza commemorates the day in 1888 when Princesa Isabel, daughter of Dom Pedro II, signed the decree that officially ended slavery.

Set on the bay in Cidade Baixa, this crafts market was once the holding pen for slaves between the 17th and 19th century as they arrived off the boat from Africa. Today it's a convenient place to buy handicrafts, although don't expect a great deal of variety or innovation—this is a market for tourists rather than locals. Bargaining is expected here for goods like cachaça (sugarcane liquor), cashews, pepper sauce, cigars, leather goods, hammocks, musical instruments, and semiprecious stones. Head up to the the alfresco terrace on the top-floor restaurant to enjoy a cold beer while watching the boats set off for Morro do Sao Paulo.

Next to the Catedral Basílica, this palatial pink building has a collection of more than 1,100 pieces relating to the city's religious or spiritual history, including pottery, sculpture, tapestry, weavings, paintings, crafts, carvings, and photographs. There's an interesting display on the meanings of Candomblé deities, with huge carved-wood panels portraying each one. The other museum that shares the building is the Museu Arqueologia e Etnologia (Archaeology and Ethnology Museum). Both have information booklets available in multiple languages.

A collection of more than 3,000 objects gathered from around the world by the Costa Pinto family, including furniture, crystal, silver pieces, and paintings, is on display at this museum. Included in the collection are examples of gold and silver balangandãs, chains with large silver charms in the shapes of tropical fruits and fish, which were worn by slave women around the waist.

Housed in a former Carmelite monastery, the museum and the adjoining Igreja de Santa Teresa (St. Theresa Church) are among the best in Salvador. An in-house restoration team has worked miracles that bring alive Salvador's golden age as Brazil's capital and main port, told through thoughtfully cared-for collections of religious objects, although lacking in English translations. See the silver altar in the church, recovered from the fire that razed the original Igreja da Sé in 1933, and the blue-and-yellow-tile sacristy replete with a bay view. Access can be tricky to find due to the lack of signs; look for it on Rua Santa Thereza, near the taxi point.

The Ordem Terceira de São Francisco, on the north side of the Igreja de São Francisco complex, has an 18th-century Spanish plateresque sandstone facade—the only one in Brazil—that is carved to resemble Spanish silver altars made by beating the metal into wooden molds.

See where it all began at this neoclassic beauty, constructed on the site of Brazil's first government building. Dating back to 1549, the Palace reopened in 2010 after an extensive, two-year restoration and today stands as a cultural center, housing Salvador's Chamber of Commerce, the Cultural Foundation of the State of Bahia, and the state tourist office. On the first floor there's a small memorial museum depicting the last two centuries of local history. Stop by for one of the guided visits around the Palacio's elaborate chambers, led by local graduates every half hour. Get a great view of Cidade Baixa and the bay from the east balcony.

Swim or snorkel in the crystal clear (and safe) waters of the Papa Gente, a 3-meter- (10-foot-) deep natural pool formed by reefs at the ocean's edge. Located 1½ km (1 mile) from Projecto Tamar, walk north along the beach when the tide is low and look out for a coconut vendor, who sits in front of the path that leads to the pools and has masks and snorkels for rent. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Established in 1985, the 1,520-square-km (593-square-mile) national park is one of the most scenic places in Brazil. Here you can find crystal clear creeks, rivers with abundant rapids and waterfalls, and more than 70 grottos and caverns. There are also the tall peaks of the Sincorá Range; the highest point is Barbados Peak (2,080 meters/7,000 feet). The flora and fauna of the area, which include many varieties of cactus, orchids, and bromeliads, and more than 200 bird species, have been the subject of two extensive studies by the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew in England. The best time to visit the park is in the dry season, from March to October, but expect high temperatures during the day (rarely above 36°C/100°F). From May to July, temperatures might drop to near 10°C (45°F). The park does not have a visitor center, but there's a small ranger headquarters in the town of Palmeiras.

One of the nicest beaches along Avenida Oceánica is Praia Corsário, a long stretch packed on weekends with a younger crowd. Strong waves make it popular with surfers and bodyboarders, while swimmers should proceed with caution. There are kiosks where you can sit in the shade and enjoy seafood and ice-cold beer. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; toilets. Best for: partiers; surfing.

Clean sand, simple kiosks, and a beautiful view make this long stretch of golden sand a favorite among good-looking locals and surfers drawn to the strong waves. Buses, which run regularly from Barra and the City Center, take just over an hour; the journey is well worth it if you are looking for a serious beach day. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

This popular beach in Barra draws a wide variety of sunseekers from across the city and is a convenient option if you're staying in the hotel districts of Ondina and Rio Vermelho, where rock outcroppings make swimming dangerous and pollution is often a problem. Chairs and umbrellas are available for rent, and you can purchase food from one of the many restaurants lining the promenade. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; toilets. Best for: partiers; surfing; sunset.

Frequented by the artists who live in the neighborhood, the Itapuã Beach has an eclectic atmosphere. There are food kiosks—including Acarajé da Cira, one of the best places to get acarajé (a spicy fried-bean snack). Although the coconut palms and white sands remain idyllic, it is advisable to be watchful of your belongings. Inland from Itapuã, a mystical freshwater lagoon, the Lagoa de Abaeté, and surrounding sand dunes are now a municipal park. Itapuã's dark waters are a startling contrast to the fine white sand of its shores, but it's not suitable for swimming. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; parking. Best for: walking.

One of the northernmost beaches in the Salvador municipality, Praia Stella Maris's long stretch of sand is ever-popular with families in spite of the strong waves. The myriad of food-and-drink kiosks, serving delicious salty snacks and água de côco (coconut water), get busy on the weekends. The airport is located just 10 minutes away. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; toilets; parking (fee). Best for: surfing; walking.

The headquarters of this nationwide turtle preservation project, established in 1980, has turned what was once a small, struggling fishing village into a tourist destination with a mission—to save Brazil's giant sea turtles and their hatchlings. Five of the seven surviving sea-turtle species in the world roam and reproduce on Brazil's Atlantic coast, primarily in Bahia. During the hatching season (September through March), workers patrol the shore at night to locate nests and move eggs or hatchlings at risk of being trampled or run over to safer areas or to the open-air hatchery at the base station. It is here that you can watch adult turtles in the small swimming pools and see the baby turtles that are housed in tanks until they can be released to the sea, something you can take part in between December and February. The headquarters also has educational videos, lectures, and a gift shop. Thirty-three other Tamar stations on beaches across Brazil protect about 15 million hatchlings born each year. If you are looking for a more intimate experience, seek out one of the smaller bases, as this project is certainly the most commercial.

If you have a couple of days to visit Praia do Forte, spend one of them exploring the Reserva de Sapiranga, spread over 600 hectares (1,482 acres) of Atlantic Forest that contains rare orchids and bromeliads. The reserve is a sanctuary for endangered animals. Kayaking is possible on the Rio Pojuca, which flows through the park, and Lago Timeantube, where more than 180 species of native birds have been sighted. Whether you explore by foot, bike, or Jeep, going with an agency, such as PortoMar, is recommended. This local operator also oraganizes zip-lining experiences.

One of the region's most popular hiking trails runs along a section of Rio Lençóis called Rio Serrano. It's surrounded by exuberant forest, now protected as municipal park. The reddish-color water is due to organic matter from the forest floor. You can bathe and relax in several natural pools—they look a bit like hot tubs—formed on the rock-strewn riverbed. There are also three waterfalls scattered around the surrounding hills, best accessed with a local guide. To reach the easily accessible trailhead to the river, head up the hill after Hotel de Lençóis.

Double-decker tour buses run by Salvador Bus travel around the Upper and Lower Cities and to the beaches. There are two different routes: one that traverses the center of Salvador, and one that connects the beaches of Stella Maris and Itapuã. A R$50 wristband lets you hop off and on as many times as you like.

Ferries to the island run daily from the Terminal Marítimo São Joaquim. Tickets cost R$3.95 during the week and R$5.20 on the weekend. The ferries run from 5 am to 11 pm and last 40 minutes.

This wide plaza lined with 17th-century houses sits in the heart of historic Salvador. Where nobles once strolled under imperial palm trees, there's a crafts fair on weekends. In the afternoons, a group of locals practice capoeira—a stylized dance-like fight with African origins—to the sound of the berimbau, a bow-shape musical instrument.