Where to stay in Salvador de Bahía: The best places
The best areas to stay in Salvador de Bahia are Barra, Pelourinho, Rio Vermehlo, Ondina, Flamengo, Stella Maris or Comercio These are the districts closest to its tourist attractions and beaches.
Salvador de Bahia , in the northeast of Brazil, is known all over the world for its incredible fifty kilometers of Atlantic beaches.All around the peninsula in which its urban area is located, both on the Atlantic front and in the interior of All Saints’ Bay.
The climate of the city can give the traveller, who is not used to Brazilian coastal cities, the feeling of being permanently in summer.the Bahian temperatures range from 28 to 35 °C In winter, they drop to a delightful 24 °C. The occasional rain even improves the atmosphere.
This is also the city of churches of which counts more than 300 in its metropolitan area.
San Salvador is a happy city , that seems to live a perpetual carnival .
The best areas to stay in Salvador de Bahia
San Salvador de Bahia is a city that offers many contrasts between its districts , either by the orography, by the type of urbanization and population, by the age of the neighborhoods or by the proximity or distance to the sea.
Thus, Pelourinho, Comércio and Barra are ideal for those who wish to visit the historical centre and spend the night close by, so as not to miss anything.
In the area of Rio Vermelho , you can find the most exclusive hotels in Salvador de Bahia , especially in the surroundings of the maritime avenue.However, despite the exclusivity of this district, the area also offers cheaper hotels and hostels in the vicinity.
For those who seek to enjoy the sea , water sports, sun and beaches, the best are the hotels located on the main avenues and promenades of the districts of Ondina, Stella Maris or Flamengo .For those looking to cut costs and stay cheaper, you should not lose sight of the holiday apartments on offer in these same areas.
However, there are other options when choosing cheap accommodation in Salvador de Bahia , look for cheaper hotels and hostels in points far from the metropolitan area, for example, in the districts of San Marcos or San Cristobal or even in that of Periperi, to the northwest, overlooking the sea and All Saints Bay.
1.Barra
Barra is a neighborhood in Salvador de Bahia that is located in a ideal location .Barra is on the edge of the Atlantic at the southern tip of the peninsula on which the city sits.An idyllic place for romantics, from its tip you can see both sunrises and sunsets, it is undoubtedly the neighborhood that we recommend for sleep in Salvador de Bahia
The district is a residential area with residents with a medium-high purchasing power .In Barra, there is a wide range of leisure and catering businesses . cafes, bars and restaurants with sea views abound between shopping centres and trendy discos.
In Barra, you should not miss the historic Faro de Barra, the forts of Santa Maria, San Antonio and San Diogo.The beaches of Faro de Barra, Porto de Barra and Santo Cristo are very popular, clean, with clear waters, suitable for diving experiences and offer avenues where you can enjoy walks at any time of the year.
The avenues of the South Ocean, Centenario and Sete de Setembro are fast routes that provide good communications with the rest of the city.The public transportation, preferably bus, guarantees access to the beaches and the connection with the other districts of Salvador da Bahia.
– Accommodation in Barra
2.Pelourinho
Pelourinho is the historical center It is a neighborhood with a very colorful and well preserved architecture, much of it linked to the Portuguese baroque.Pelourinho is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its architecture and in its own right. It is one of the most sought-after areas for to stay in Salvador de Bahia.
This founding neighborhood of the city was chosen as a settlement by the Portuguese because of its high location, 90 meters above sea level, its location on the bay and for being just above the port.Today is one of the most lively and festive areas of the city
Today, the district is a very dynamic place from the cultural point of view In Pelourinho, the Church of St. Francis is a must visit, especially to enjoy its impressive baroque interior decoration.This is a neighbourhood formed by steep and cobbled streets combined in an old urban plot.
The best way to move around is on foot or by taxi.
For those looking for new experiences, in Pelourinho you can visit the Basilica Cathedral , whose sculptures cannot leave anyone indifferent, but also the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography , a place to discover new flavours and exotic dishes.
– Accommodation in Pelourinho
3.Rio Vermelho/Ondina
Rio Vermelho is a district in the south of the peninsula that is located in front of the sea between Amaralina and Indine.
Among its streets, you can find the best discotheques of the city, shops of first class clothes, five stars hotels and bars and restaurants that you have to take into account when you want to know the best of the Bahia’s cuisine: ask for acarajé (in Casa da Dinha) , a kind of fried roll filled with shrimps.
In Rio Vermelho, because of the configuration of its street map, the most recommended is to walk, especially on the Largo da Dinha with the extra live music on the street Ondina is a neighborhood located immediately west of Rio Vermelho, very famous for its beach small (but very quiet), around which are also located the best bars and restaurants in town.
– Accommodation in Rio Vermelho
4.Flamengo/Stella Maris
Flamengo is a coastal neighbourhood northwest of the centre of San Salvador de Bahia.These are residential areas with a medium-high economic level.
The beaches of the seafront of Flamengo and Stella Maris are contiguous and extend further to the Itapua Lighthouse.In the area, you can enjoy water sports on the coast , diving, fishing on the sand bottom, but also other more dynamic activities like kitesurf thanks to the exposure of the beach line to the local winds.
The Flamengo district borders the San Salvador de Bahia International Airport area, which is an advantage for any traveller who decides to visit this area. The BA-099 motorway leading to the airport facilitates fast travel outside the capital.The continuation of this fast track in the Luis de Viana Avenue offers good road connections with the centre of San Salvador and all its districts.
A recommendable activity in the area is enjoying the Baian food in the beach bars.For example, order caruru, shrimp with vegetables; or moqueca de peixe, boiled fish served with manioc puree and broth.
– Accommodation in Flamengo and Stella Maris
5.Commerce
The Commerce district is one of the oldest and most traditional areas of San Salvador de Bahía of the city.
One, is the Mercado Modelo , built in neoclassical style in 1912.The Mercado Modelo is visited by 80% of the travelers who come to San Salvador.Here, you can buy all kinds of handicrafts and, in the restaurants of the area, you can enjoy some of the most popular sweets, such as cocada, made of sugar, coconut and milk.
Another unmissable attraction in Commerce is the Elevador Lacerda , an elevator built in 1873 that allows a panoramic view of San Salvador from a viewpoint located 72 meters high.
In the area, there are also options for visiting original permanent exhibitions, such as the Tile Museum or the Museum of Sacred Art which contains many works of art from the more than 300 churches of the capital.
The Avenida Lafayete Coutinho , which serves as a promenade next to the port, is full of cafes and restaurants .In any of them, you should not miss one of the most original local dishes, the casinha de siri, crab served in its own shell.
Avenida Lafayete Coutinho and Joana Angélica are two main routes that facilitate mobility in the area and the connects with other districts of the city.
– Accommodation in Commerce
6.Itapua
Itapua is a district of the southeast of the Bahian peninsula , northwest of the urban center.the Avenida General Severino Filho and, its continuation, the rua Professor Souza Brito are the two main routes of the district and those that offer better options to move along the district and reach any neighborhood of San Salvador without problems.
To discover the city, for example, to see its beaches The same as Itapua, Ipitanga, Pedra do Sal or the Itapoan Lighthouse, all adjacent.
Itapua is a residential area with low houses and an economy oriented to tourism. Its cafes and restaurants are famous popular at the foot of the sand where it is possible to water the salads with dende oil, a direct legacy of the Africans brought to the city as slave labor.
In the place, you must see the Lighthouse of Itapua, very picturesque, next to the military area, or the Church of San Francisco de Asis whose architecture seems to come from a children’s story.If you want to combine your stay with the beach it is a good place for to stay in Salvador de Bahía
– Accommodation in Itapua
7.Caminho das Arvores
This district is one of the most select .It is situated to the east of the city centre and was first developed in 1974.
The neighborhood is located between two very important commercial spaces of the city, the Salvador Shopping and the Shopping da Bahia , a set of shops where you can comfortably shop.
If you like elegant neighborhoods and shopping, this area can be a good alternative for to stay in Salvador de Bahia
– Accommodation in Caminho das Arvores
8.Morro de São Paulo
Morro is one of the five towns on the island of Tinharé, a place in the north of a very small territory (5 kilometers long) that is very popular among Bahians to spend a few days of vacation .Morro and Tinharé are located 272 kilometers south of the center of San Salvador de Bahia and a few meters from the Brazilian coast of Valença.
Morro and the island of Tinharé offer paradisiacal surroundings, especially its beaches .Here you can go snorkelling on coral reefs, play beach volleyball and go on jet ski trips along the coast.
In the area, you can find pousadas where you can stay, but also a campsite for more informal stays.Don’t miss the Portuguese Castle of São Paulo. A ferry regularly connects San Salvador de Bahia with Morro de São Paulo .
– Accommodation in Morro de Sao Paulo
Cheap accommodation in Salvador de Bahia
The cheap accommodation in San Salvador de Bahia can be found following three conditions: One, by locating them in neighbourhoods far from the urban centre but without leaving its metropolitan area.Two, looking for them between the third and fourth streets of almost any of the beach areas and three, taking as a reference the holiday accommodation.
The most distant neighbourhoods from the centre of San Salvador that can serve as a reference can be those of São Marcos, Cajazeiras or the Periperi on the coast of All Saints Bay.The districts with the most advantageous offer of cheap hostels and small hotels in the interior streets are, without a doubt, those of Rio Vermelho or Engenho Velho da Federaçao, between the Vasco da Gama and Anita Garibaldi avenues.
As for the vacation rentals , the most economical offer is that of the family houses in the beach neighborhoods: Amaralina, Pituba or Ondina.
– Cheap lodging in Salvador de Bahia
Apartments in Salvador de Bahia
The best thing about this city, with its beautiful climate, are its beaches.And the best of all the options to enjoy them, to sleep in Salvador de Bahía in apartments near the sand, the Atlantic and the lively day and night life offered by its promenades, full of restaurants and leisure businesses.
The neighborhoods of Barra, Ondina, Rio Vermelho, Amaralina, Pituba, Costa Azul, Boca do Rio or Itapua are the keys to make the experience of a stay in San Salvador de Bahia unforgettable.
– Apartments and villas in Salvador de Bahia
San Salvador de Bahia, a happy, warm, friendly and inviting city.
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