Sports enthusiasts and spectators will not be disappointed with Salvador offerings. The Bahian capital is the perfect place to learn capoeira, a relatively new sport, and catch an exciting soccer game.

 

Capoeira

 

A Brazilian martial art, capoeira is an ever-present sport in Salvador. When you are in the area of Pelourinho, be prepared to hear the thumping of drums and the sound of berimbau (an instrument similar to banjo) and catch two opponents gracefully spin and kick with that half-fight, half-dance movements.

 

Although there is no clear information about the sport’s origin, many agree that capoeira came from rituals that were brought by the slaves from Angola to Brazil.

 

While a number of tourists are already content with watching the sport, some have also become interested to get first-hand experience with the sport. In Salvador, there are many schools that offer capoiera lessons, most of these are in Pelourinho. One of the top capoeira schools in Salvador is the Mestre Bimba’s Academy (071/3492-3197) which is located in Rua das Laranjeiras 1, Pelourinho.

 

Soccer

 

As expected in a Brazilian city, soccer is very famous in Salvador too. Most of the important games in the city are held in the Octavio Mangabeira Stadium. Built in the 50s, the stadium has a capacity for 80,000 people. Two of the famous local clubs in the city are the Esporte Clube Vitoria and the Esporte Clube Bahia.