Salvador |
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-- see review of Breezes Costa do Sauipe resort
The centuries-old city of Salvador is approx. an hour's drive from the Costa do Sauipe resort complex. Salvador, the capital of Bahia, was founded by the Portuguese in 1549.
| You can explore Salvador on your own by taking a shuttle for about $6; or sign up for an escorted tour that whisks you to town on an air-con bus, stops at several areas, and includes a white-tablecloth buffet lunch with dozens of local specialties. |  |
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The Pelourinho is the "Colonial City" in Salvador, with reportedly the largest collection of baroque architecture in Latin America. Extensive areas have been restored with United Nations help.
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| Bahia is a poor area; expect to be approached by vendors, and be careful with your valuables. |  |
| Many tourists make a pilgrimage to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, (San Francisco), to be awed by the amount of gold on the walls: locals, however, are there to worship, so show good manners, and no camera flashes. |  |
| Behind the church is a monastery; the walls of the loggia are lined with extraordinary Portuguese blue tiles from the 17th century. |  |
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Salvador has an Upper and a Lower city: to the right is a view of the lower from the upper. The large building is a market full of crafts for tourist sales. |
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| View of the upper town from outside the elevator that takes people down to the lower town. |  |
Read about Salvador at About's site for South America for Visitors. Note: "Brazil's best street carnaval is in Salvador de Bahia. In the weeks before Lent, millions of Brazilians head to the streets of Salvador to take part in the annual carnaval."
-- back to review of Breezes Costa do Sauipe resort
All Images (c) 2003 by Teresa Plowright.
