It was a hot and steamy day in Salvador which is not surprising given its proximity to the equator. We docked at the port at 10:30 in the morning. The port area is the commercial section of the city which has ca. 2.5 million inhabitants. We only saw a small section.
In contrast to the buildings on top of the hill, the once decorative colonial buildings near the port are quite dilapidated. Hopefully one day they will be restored to their former glory.
Some cute statues near the port.
We took the 1874 funicular railway (Plano Inclinado Gonçalves) from to port level to Cidade Alta. The funicular was restored in 2014 after being unused for three years. It now carries over 10,000 passengers a day.
As the first capital of Brazil, from 1549 to 1763, Salvador de Bahia witnessed the blending of European, African and native cultures. It was also, from 1558, the first slave market in the New World, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations. Today it is the heart of the country’s Afro-Brazilian community. A lot of the art and street art reflects the African culture.
The Cathedral Basilica was built by the Society of Jesus as part of a large Jesuit monastic and educational complex. The current church is the built on the site, and was consecrated in 1654.
Many of the city’s Renaissance buildings have been preserved and are part of UNESCO World Heritage site. Many of these buildings are situated where the very first buildings were built but subsequently destroyed or decayed.
The centerpiece of the Cidade Alta is the Pelourinho. Cobblestone streets make walking difficult, but taking it slowly in the heat and humidity we loved the brightly painted colonial buildings. Pelourinho is not just for tourists – Cultural centers and schools of music, dance and capoeira pack these pastel-colored 17th- and 18th-century buildings. Thanks to UNESCO funding, restoration work is ongoing.
I love the murals and the colors.