Salvador – the capital of Bahia State; among the birthplaces of the Brazilian culture.

The largest city of Brazil’s northeast coast, Salvador was used to be known as the Cidade de São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos or the City of the Holy Savior of the Bay of all Saints. Having an easygoing population and a number of popular outdoor parties make the city regarded as the country’s “Capital of Happiness”.

Aside from the merry-makings, Salvador has also marked in Brazil’s history being its first colonial capital and one of its oldest cities. For a long time, the city was referred to as Bahia or under that name, Salvador da Bahia to distinguish it from other Brazilian cities bearing the same name.

Next, to the cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Salvador is third of the country’s most populous cities, and ninth throughout Latin America.

Geography

Salvador lies on a small, triangular peninsula separating the Bay of Todos os Santos from the Atlantic Ocean. The bay, which had its name after its discovery on All Saints’ Day, forms a natural harbor in the city. For this reason, Salvador plays a major export port at the heart of Recôncavo Baiano. It is a very rich agricultural and industrial region that covers even the state’s northern portion.

The city has a diverse local terrain that ranges from flat to low mountains to rolling hills.

Notable features

Salvador is famous in the country for a lot of things. Among which are its music, architecture, and cuisine that has been attracting several tourists not just from its Brazilian neighborhood from around the globe as well. The city’s metropolitan area is the wealthiest among other cities in the country’s northeast region.

Most of Salvador’s population are descendants of Black Africans, thus, the African influence is apparent in many aspects of its culture. This is also the reason why the city is often regarded as the heart of the Afro-Brazilian culture.

One notable feature of the city to is its historical center called the Pelourinho. Surrounded with Portuguese colonial architecture and historical monuments that date from the 17th to the 19th centuries, the area has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 1985.

There is a lot to discover and experience in the city of Salvador. Exploring the city will give you more and more reason to appreciate its kept-treasures and beauty. This site will help you prepare yourself on what to look forward to when visiting the city.