10 Best Places to Visit in SALVADOR 2026 | Brazil Travel Guide 🇧🇷

Capital of the state of Bahia and the largest city in northeastern Brazil, Salvador was the first town in the colony of Brazil. Today this old town is filled with the 17th and 18th century colonial buildings that have earned it a UNESCO World Heritage designation. In this video we're going to be taking a look at the top 10 rated tourist attractions in Salvador. Before we begin, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more awesome travel guides and make sure you hit the notification bell so that you know when we publish a new video. So now let's cut to the chase. At 10, Igreja Nossa Senhora de Rosário dos Pretos. Construction of this beautiful baroque church began in 1704, when the King of Portugal gave the land to the Irmandade dos Homens Pretos, Brotherhood of Black Men. As many of the workers were slaves and can only work at night after their regular labor was finished, the building progressed slowly for almost a century. It wasn't until 1870 that the façade now painted sky blue and towers were even begun. The church was for the black population, both slaves and freed slaves who were not allowed to worship in the city's other churches. Inside you'll find 18th century statues of black saints and behind the church is a slave cemetery. Next up at 9, Mercado Modelo and Cidade Bahia. At the base of the Elevador La Cerda, Salvador's commercial and business center stretches along the harbor and at the foot of the elevator is the Mercado Modelo, a business marketplace that's a popular place to visit for both tourists and locals. The building, which was renovated into a market, was the original 1861 customs house where slaves were housed when they arrived in Salvador. Today it's a bustling center with restaurants on the upper floor. Opinion is divided whether it's a trap for unsuspecting tourists who are quoted higher prices than locals or an excellent place to see and buy good quality local art and craft works. Bargaining is expected. Also near the elevator is the imposing Baroque church of Nossa Senhora de Conceição de Praia, built between 1739 and 1765 of pedra de leões, a marble-like stone brought from Portugal as ballast in the sailing ships that transported Brazilian products back to Europe. The ceiling painting on the nave, done by José Joaquim da Rocha in 1773, is a masterpiece of Trompelolê. In the church is a museum of sacred art. Several museums are in this neighborhood, including the Museu de Arte de Bahia, the Carlos Costa Pinto Museum, displaying furnishings and jewelry of the 17th to 19th centuries, and the Sola da Unhão, a colonial building housing the Museum of Modern Art. The Palácio de Aclamação, former residence of the governor of Bahia, has beautiful gardens and a luxurious interior open to the public as a museum. At eight, it's the beaches. Salvador sits on a peninsula that separates the large natural harbor of Bahia de Todos Santos from the Atlantic Ocean. Both the bay and ocean coasts are lined by white sand beaches where locals go to hang out, picnic, surf and swim. The beaches on the bayside are protected and good for swimming, while those on the open ocean provide plenty of waves for surfers. Closest to the city center is Porto de Barra, the site of Bahia's first European settlement and a popular hangout for locals, and Praia do Farol de Barra, which has rocky pools near the lighthouse and good surf conditions at the far end. In a lively neighborhood with lots of restaurants near the beach, Praia do Rio Vermelho is popular. South of the city are three coastal islands of which Tinhare and Boipepa have long palm-lined beaches sheltered from the Atlantic surf. Praia do Farol de Itapoa, near the beautiful Abatei lagoon, has huge dunes and wide protected beaches of white sand. As anywhere, it is advisable to leave nothing of value unattended on the beach. And now at seven, Farol de Barra. About five kilometers from the city center, overlooking one of Salvador's best beaches, the lighthouse of Farol de Barra is a historic landmark, but also one of the favorite places to visit for locals because there are so many things to do here. Not only can you climb to the top for views of the city and All Saints Bay, but there are places to eat, beach umbrellas and lounges for rent, and a fort with the Nautical Museum of Bahia. The museum is filled with nautical instruments, shipwreck salvage, maps and model ships. The fort itself is Brazil's oldest military building, dating from 1534. Farol de Barra is a favorite place to go to watch the sunset. And next up at six, Igreja do Senhor de Bonfim. One of Bahia's most popular churches is the Igreja do Senhor de Bonfim, built 1745-54. The church's ex-voto room contains thousands of offerings, giving thanks to Senhor de Bonfim for miracles performed. It's also the scene of a colorful festival. In late January, an enormous procession of people make their way from Nossa Senhora do Conceição de Praia to the church to Senhor de Bonfim, where they wash the steps leading up to the entrance. On the Monday following this washing, the Festa de Bonfim is celebrated with typical local food and drink, Samba da Roda dances, and performances of Capoeira, a uniquely Brazilian martial art that combines acrobatics and dance. And now at five, Igreja de Ordem Terceira de Carmo. The original Carmelite church on this site was built from 1580 onward, but burned in 1788 and was rebuilt 40 years later. Its architecture is classic Baroque, with elegant lines and twin bell towers, but it is best known for its stunning sacristy, a room almost completely lined in gold. This little-known treasure now houses a museum of sacred art, the most outstanding of which is the cedarwood sculpture Christ in Chains by Francisco Manuel das Chagas, known as Ocabra, a slave who became a notable sculptor in the 18th century. The statue, carved in 1710, is set with more than 1,000 rubies, each representing a drop of Christ's blood. The architectural and decorative features of the large and beautiful convent next to the church have been carefully preserved as a luxury hotel. At four, Catedral. On the Terreiro de Jesus, adjoining Praça da Sé, is the Catedral, originally the church of the former Jesuit college, which was built between 1604 and 1656. The facade was faced with stone brought as ballast from Portugal, and the interior was decorated in Baroque style in the 18th century. The side chapels off the nave are especially interesting for the variety of art in the altarpieces, which date from the late 16th century through the mid-18th century. The sacristy is richly furnished and decorated in a Baroque style with 17th-century azulejos, Portuguese pictorial tiles, and painted ceiling panels. At one time, the Jesuit seminary was the largest of its kind outside Rome, and it's interesting to tour for its cloisters and quarters. Also on the Terreiro de Jesus are the 1709 church of São Pedro dos Clerijos and São Domingos de Gusmão, a 1731 Dominican church with a Rocco facade. At three, it's Elevador La Cerda. The upper and lower towns are linked by steep streets and a number of lifts, including the Plano Inclinado de Gonçalves, a funicular, and the Elevador La Cerda, a dramatic freestanding elevator that has become a landmark of Salvador. Built in 1930, the Art Deco elevator links Praça Cairo in the harbour area with Praça Tomé da Sousa in the historic old town. From the terrace formed by the upper plaza, Praça Tomé da Sousa, there is a superb view of the lower town and the harbour. On Praça Tomé da Sousa are a number of 17th-century buildings, including striking white Palácio Rio Branco, one of Brazil's most historic palaces and formerly the seat of the Bahian government. And now at number two, São Francisco. In a city known for its strikingly ornate churches, São Francisco stands out as the most highly decorated, its interior awash in gold-covered wood carving. The gilding of the high altar is so ornate that it took two years to complete. The church mingles Mannerist and Baroque styles and was built between 1708 and 1750. The ceiling is painted in scenes and themes associated with the Virgin Mary and the choir combines elaborate wood carving with Azulejo tiled pictures. The walls of the adjoining square cloister are also faced with superb Portuguese Azulejo pictures. Directly next to the friary church is the impressive carved façade of the Igreja da Terceira Ordem de São Francisco, Church of the Franciscan Third Order. Statues of saints and angels and other sculptural decoration covering the face of the church, along with the sumptuous decoration of the interior, outdoes the Portuguese and Italian Baroque, resembling the Spanish Churigueresque style so popular in colonial Mexico. And finally, at number one, Pelourinho. Salvador's Cidade Alta, which was the governmental and residential centre when the city was the capital of the colony of Brazil, sits on an escarpment 85 metres above the shore. At its heart, in the district known as Pelourinho, is the finest ensemble of 17th and 18th century colonial buildings in Latin America, so outstanding that it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Rua Gregorio de Matos are the Museo da Cidade, with life-size candomblé figures used in ceremonial dances, and the Abelardo Rodrigues Museum, containing sacred art and folk art housed in a 1701 mansion. Also in the Pelourinho quarter is the Casa do Benin, devoted to the culture of the Old Kingdom of Benin, now southern Nigeria, from which most of the slaves were shipped to Bahia. And there you have the top 10 rated tourist attractions in Salvador. Did you like what you saw? Let us know in the comments down below. Share this video with your friends and don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more fantastic travel guides. See you next time!