Salvador de Bahia is a city in northeastern Brazil that is brimming with art, culture, and culinary offerings. It boasts 17th-century architecture, is fringed by powdery beaches, palm trees, and turquoise waters, and is laden with street parties and festivals throughout the year. Founded as the first capital of Brazil, Salvador is known as the heartbeat of Black culture in the country and is the birthplace of samba, capoeira, and candomblé – an Afro-Brazilian religion that centers on orishas or orixás (deities) and blends West African traditions with Catholicism.
With all this African influence and heritage, and over 80% of the local community identifying as Black, Salvador is considered the Blackest city outside of Africa. That presence of Blackness is felt in many aspects of the experience – from the cuisine, to the street art, to the everyday vibe. It is ancestral and familiar, yet present. It’s the reason why events centered in Black Brazilian culture and innovation, like Feira Preta, choose Salvador, and traveling Black music and culture events like Everyday People and Afropunk make a stop here on their international tours.
I had the recent pleasure of visiting Salvador and was blown away by its rugged beauty, bohemian charm, vibrant energy and complex, layered history. It now holds an indelible place in my heart and mind, for the intangible magic it possesses just as much as the tangible experiences.
To deepen my experience, I interviewed four travel experts on the area: Kent Johnson, Co-Founder of Black & Abroad; Luma Nascimento, Vice President of Bloco Afro Os Negões; Ronnell Perry, Owner AfroBuenaventura; and Briona Lamback, a journalist and Founder of Buoyant Travel.
Getting There
Salvador (SSA) is a 2-hour and 30 min flight from São Paulo (SAO) or 4-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro (RIO.) From the moment you leave the airport and drive through the arched bamboo that forms a canopy tunnel over the road, you exhale and get the sense that you’re in the right place.
Where to Stay
For a luxury accommodation, Hotel Fasano Salvador is a great stay in a prime location. WISH Hotel, a local favorite, offers standard amenities and a revered spa experience. Alternately, there is an abundance of home rentals and bed and breakfasts available throughout the city.
Some of my Favorite Things
My days were spent wandering the streets of Barra and Rio Vermelho, visiting restaurants like Amado, Dona Suzana and Antique Bistro that took me to different pockets of the city, unwinding at the stunning Blue Praia Beach Club, and bar hopping in the historic Santo Antônio Além do Carmo district on Saturday nights while taking in the beautiful architecture of the area.
But I’ll admit, with my five-day trip I feel like I just scratched the surface of Salvador. So, I connected with some locals and frequent visitors of Salvador, Bahia to share their perspectives and why it should be at the top of your travel list—and at the top of my list to return!
Luma Nacimento – VP of Bloco Afro Os Negões and creator of PresentYZmo
EBONY: What do you think makes Salvador such a special place?
Luma Nacimento: Salvador is a place where the Black presence is not organized solely for survival, but as a reinvention of civilization. Here, culture does not function as a prop: it sustains the social and economic structure of the city. Whether through religion, aesthetic codes, gastronomy, entrepreneurship, or music, there is a collective Black intelligence that expresses itself.
It is a city marked by profound contradictions: predominantly Black, scarred by historical violence, but at the same time extremely creative, spiritual, energetic and magical.
EBONY: What experience is a must?
Luma Nacimento: The São Joaquim Market. It is one of the largest open-air markets in Latin America and a great way to understand the city, and a symbolic gateway to the African continent. Also, the beaches of Salvador are beautiful and meaningful. Here is where I highlight the Afro blocos—a Carnival group that celebrates African heritage and Black identity—during Carnival. For me, watching and participating in these parades is like both research and tapping into memory – where history, aesthetics, and politics open up to movement.
EBONY: What’s one of your favorite restaurants?
Luma Nacimento: D’Veneta, in the Historic Center. I’ve been going to since childhood. I recommend the escondidinho (a casserole), which comes in different versions and perfectly reflects the mix of local cuisine and comfort.
EBONY: What’s a tip for visitors?
Luma Nacimento: Salvador is historically divided between the Upper City and the Lower City, and the Lower City is the area that the spirit of everyday life is most strongly revealed. It’s home to many terreiros (places of worship), lively vendors, small restaurants, gardens and much of the work of independent artists.
Kent Johnson – Co-founder of Black & Abroad
EBONY: What do your guests love most about Salvador?
Kent Johnson: Salvador expands what Brazil means for many of my guests. Usually, what they’ve seen or understand to represent Brazil is really just a small representation of Rio de Janeiro. Salvador lets them truly see Brazil’s Blackness as an expectation and standard allows them to connect more of the dots of the diaspora.
EBONY: What experience is a must?
Kent Johnson: Don’t leave without trying acarajé. Evolved from West African akara, it’s a stuffed fritter made from black-eyed peas, seasonings, and onions. And spending at least one sunset at the beaches on Barra. Also, make sure to stop and see the Orisha statues in Tororo Lake.
EBONY: What are some tips to help guide travel to Salvador?
Kent Johnson: While visiting during Carnival at the beginning of the year is top tier, November is also a great time to visit Salvador, as November holds their Black Consciousness Day (the 20th) and the month is full of celebrations that highlight Brazil’s Black history.
Ronnell Perry – Owner AfroBuenaventura
EBONY: What’s your favorite neighborhood?
Ronnell Perry: Rio Vermelho. It’s known as the city’s bohemian area, full of clubs, bars, plazas, and top restaurants. It’s a bit out of the way—with pockets of quiet—yet I can still access the party vibes by walking just a few blocks.
EBONY: What experience is a must?
Ronnell Perry: Visiting Casa de Iemanjá, the shrine dedicated to the deity Iemanjá (the goddess of the sea and protector of mothers), is a must-do activity. She’s celebrated here with a huge festival that draws hundreds of thousands of people each February 2nd. Not only does it give you a glimpse into Afro-Brazilian spirituality, but it allows you to see local fishermen in their natural element.
I also highly recommend attending a captivating performance by the Balé Folclórico da Bahia. In just one hour you’ll see the orixás come to life in beautiful costumes, plus local dances like samba and capoeira.
EBONY: A gem in the city that you recommend?
Ronnell Perry: I enjoy getting lost in the Museu Nacional da Cultura Afro-Brasileira (National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture), just steps from the usual tourist hotspots in the historic district. Its exhibitions showcase brilliant local and national artists that help visitors understand Brazilian identity through the lens of its Blackness. Tip: it’s free on Tuesdays.
EBONY: What’s one of your favorite restaurants?
Ronnell Perry: You will eat the best fried fish south of the equator when you dine at Negro’s Bar. The restaurant’s eccentric owner, Jamaica, serves up the best crispy fried fish and sweet caipirinhas.
Brona Lamback – Journalist and Founder of Buoyant Travel
EBONY: What is a must-do cultural experience?
Brona Lamback: Getting a spiritual cleansing by the Baianas in the historical center, Pelourinho. One of my favorites is by an elder who walks around with a cart full of herbs, which he hand-picks before each cleansing. He does it right there in the streets, wishing blessings of prosperity and abundance over your life. It feels deeply ancestral and unique to Salvador.
EBONY: What’s your favorite restaurant?
Brona Lamback: A trip to Salvador isn’t complete without eating at Black-woman-owned ZanZibar, serving delicious African and Afro-Brazilian cuisine, and views of All Saints Bay from their patio. Order the moqueca, a coconut-based stew from the region. It’s one of my favorites in the city.
EBONY: What’s a hidden gem that you love?
Brona Lamback: On a colorful cobblestone street in Santo Antônio, there’s a small, Black-owned vinyl shop called Caveira Discos. I love taking my guests there for a private listening experience and crate-digging for records.