worldaltem: DAY 53 3/8/2023 Salvador, Brazil 7:00-5:00

Day 51 was a Sea Day, 3/6/23. Our stop to Vitoria, Brazil was cancelled as an agreement could not be reached.

Day 52 has become an extra day in Salvador Brazil, 3/7/23.

Day 53 was our originally scheduled day in Salvador.

Day 53 Wed. 3/8 Salvador, Brazil 7-5:00

Highlights of Salvador (SSA-001) 8:45

March 08, 2023 Our wifi is not working in Brazilian ports or out to sea for 5-6 miles. It's very annoying not having internet access.

Port: Salvador

Tour Length: Half-Day (Approximately 4 hours)

Tour Description

Travel through Salvador’s Lower Town by coach, taking in the key sights and varied neighborhoods.
See the marina where the locals moor their yachts and the historic lighthouse-topped fort that still guards the bay.
Leave the coach behind to tour UNESCO-listed Upper Town on foot, walking with your guide along cobbled streets lined with fabulously-preserved colonial landmarks.
Visit the Mercado Modelo and take some free time to stroll its stalls brimming with Afro-Brazilian crafts.

Explore Brazil’s first capital and encounter sleek modernity, Afro-Brazilian heritage and a historic Upper Town loaded with Colonial-era landmarks. A scenic drive through Lower Town brings you past the yacht-rich city marina and along the coast to the fashionable Barra district. Here the 1698 Fortress of San Antonio and its rooftop lighthouse still guard the bay despite the scarcity of invading navies or pirates. The Pelourinho neighborhood, heart of the city’s UNESCO-listed historic center, sits some 280 feet above all this on a sheer escarpment; you’ll have to leave the coach behind to tour this cobbled wonderland. Your guided walk up here stops to admire the statuesque 17th-century Cathedral Basilica and the Church of São Francisco, encrusted with adornment inside and out. A slight downhill walk brings you to one of the city’s oldest and most historically significant squares – the site of Brazil’s earliest slave market, with a pillory still standing where harsh public punishments were inflicted. Rejoining your coach, enjoy a spin through the Victoria district and some residential areas en route to the Mercado Modelo. Browse the stalls of this inviting handicrafts market created in a restored customs building that once housed slaves.

Salvador is located in the northeast region of Brazil and is recognized for its cuisine, music and architecture. African influence has made it a center of Aftro-Brazilian culture. Salvador is one of the oldest cities in the Americas and was one of the first planned cities in the world. Geographic characteristics impacted development. There are two levels - Upper Town and Lower Town. Colonial architecture and historical monuments helped the center city to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

Broken Cross/Upper Town in Salvador

One of the biggest Carnivals in the world also helped the municipality to become the “City of Music”. In 2020, population estimates were about 2.9 million. Salvador is a port city and a tourist center. The city hosts large companies and cultural, political, educational, sports events and organizations. The economy benefits from being an important port and an international trading center. There is an oil refinery, a petrochemical plant and other industries.

Salvador is the second most popular tourist destination in Brazil. There are 80 km/50 m of beaches on Salvador’s coastline, one of the longest for cities in Brazil. The beaches range from calm inlets perfect for swimming, sailing, diving and fishing. The open sea inlets have strong waves popular with surfers. The temperatures range in March is on average from 74 to 87.