Salvador

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Salvador is proud to be the first capital of Brazil. In fact it was the capital of the Portuguese Empire from 1549 till 1815 when the capital was transferred to Rio de Janeiro.

It was occupied by the Dutch (Piet Hein) in 1624 and 1625 when a Spanish-Portuguese fleet succeeded in recapturing the city and...the colony ! It played afterwards a key role in the Portuguese resistance against the Dutch.

The Pelourinho is the historical center of Salvador, a UNESCO heritage site. It has been restored, only partially in my view. A few of the pics will tell you more.

Coming from the South of Brazil, there are 2 things that struck me, the visible Portuguese heritage and the population melting pot with a strong African influence.

The bay where Salvador is located (Bahia de Todos os Santos) is the second largest bay in Brazil covering 1,223 square Km.

It has beautiful beaches, the Porto da Barra beach was elected the 3^rd best beach in the world by an English newspaper in 2007.

We stayed in the Barra neighbourhood from where we explored the city by taxi, they are cheap. A trip to Pelourinho cost about 20 real or 6 euros.

Enjoy the pictures.

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Photos

Terreiro de Jesus
View of the Cathedral and the old faculty of Medecine, now a museum.

Church od St Francisco
covered in gold and precious jacaranda wood (kind of ebony)

Nice Portuguese heritage
The restoration of this beautiful building has probably already been paid...

Forte da Barra
The lighthouse is located in the fort

Restaurante Pereira
We enjoyed a nice lunch in this somewhat upmarket restaurant.

City and beach view
The Barra neighbourhood is situated at an angle with beached at both sites.

Pousada Estrela do Mar
Relaxing ousite our room, on our little terrasse