Pelourinho, Salvador de Bahia, Brazil: No 183 from the 1000 places to see before you die book

Egg yolk yellow, crimson red, tropical aquamarine, vibrant purple…not the shades you would normally see houses painted. Yet in the old city of Salvador de Bahia, a World Heritage site since 1985, a jumble of partly and fully restored  17th and 18th century houses have been given a vibrant colour makeover, which is only enhanced by the filigree iron railings and random Banksy style paintings on some of their walls.

The city, founded on the back of the slave trade and retaining its African roots with a Portugese twist, is easily the most fascinating of the Brazilian cities Ive seen so far on this trip.  Home to some 2.7million people and the third largest city in Brazil, it has the largest black population outside Africa as a result of being a key port in the West Indian slave route as well as a major user of slaves for the  nearby sugar plantations.  More than 80% of the inhabitants have black African ancestry and this African cultural heritage has became intertwined with that of the Portugese such that today there is a fantastic blend  especially noticeable during their carnevals (see my subsequent article).

I’d arrived late on a Tuesday - Mass night it turns out- which is party night!! Deeply Catholic, the city is full of churches, including one whose interior is all gold leaf. The streets were full of people gossiping and partying, spilling out of bars onto the cobbled streets clutching beers and caipirinhas while drum and percussion bands played – a warm up for the forthcoming Carneval. A dramatic transformation from the daytime I discovered the following day when the area seemed largely to hold tourist related shops and hotels but with few inhabitants.

I’d arrived late on a Tuesday - Mass night it turns out- which is party night!!  Deeply Catholic, the city is full of churches, including one whose interior is all gold leaf. The streets were full of people gossiping and partying, spilling out of bars onto the cobbled streets clutching beers and caipirinhas while drum and percussion bands played – a warm up for the forthcoming Carneval.  A dramatic transformation from the daytime I discovered the following day when the area seemed largely to hold tourist related shops and hotels but with few inhabitants.


I was staying at an amazing hotel- the one mentioned in the book for its character I was informed by my concierge service Quintessentially that it wasn’t in the best area of town and recommended a different place. A former friary, the Pestano Convento was now beautifully restored and gracing a Leading Small Hotels of the World badge.  A stunning centre courtyard full of tropical plants was flanked by slender white columns and ornate filigree stone. Constructed pre cement days in 1586 you could still see bits of shell in the sea sand used for the construction.

Of course, the best hotel in town also attracts the best hookers!!

And so I was, quietly enjoying my pineapple caiprinhi one evening in the hotel while awaiting a friend who was picking me up to see a bloco (street party) later on, when all of a sudden “heavies” swarmed in. You know the type- black suits, black shirts, sunglasses on, standing back to the wall and spreading out their “its better if you leave” aura. When the body count had gone over ten I decided it was time to leave …but then the first girl was escorted into the bar.


Now Brazil is, as we all know, is famous for plastic surgery. Personally  I don’t think blogs should be like some self indulgent, life long masturbation session as you follow me around the world quite a few times - so a few facts as we go along the path of 1000 places to see before you die is beneficial to stop such a trend. In August 2010, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery published the first global study of plastic surgery (note that this counts surgical and non surgical processes) and the top 3 by number of total procedures was USA, China then Brazil.

I have to admit seeing some gravity and “natural gifts” defying tits n ass while I was there but in fact, when it comes to Brazilian women, even if their faces aren’t perfect they seem to get away with it due to a few commonalities … short hair doesn’t seem to exist on women under 50…so glossy blowdried tresses falling below the shoulder is the norm, short skirts no matter what the age,  killer heels despite the cobblestones and a passion for bustiers or white or fluorescent bras under unbuttoned shirts, oversized handbags, loads of accessories, dresses or short short short shorts only……  You get the picture!  I wonder what theyd think of the comment a fellow boarder of mine once said to me when I was about 15…….. “Let the men see you in tracky (tracksuit) pants and without makeup - after that everything is an improvement!!”

Anyhow, turns out this girl (and a few others) were “dial-in”- pre-ordered for (…or should that be ….by???!!)  an easily recognisable African head of state who was having dinner at the hotel. Sadly as he and his goons could probably hunt me down through the web, I shall resist doing a name and shame.

Salvador is actually the headquarters of capoeira- that rather odd- to- watch dancing style of martial arts. The form emerged as a way of slaves defending themselves and a hope for survival should they escape- however such practices were banned so the addition of music and dance to the martial arts allowed its real purpose to be hid. The word incidentally translates to “chicken coop.”

Anyhow, thoroughly recommend the hotel- even despite the pool being in the middle of the priory and the “dial-ins”- the breakfast alone made the place worth the cost.  Another great find was Paraiso Tropical Restaurant  a short drive away from Pelourinho in Resgate.

Amazingly fresh food using produce from their extensive gardens- their moqueca de beto (the owner’s name) was sublime. And at the end of the meal-  a complimentary fruit platter. My Brazilian friend struggled to find English names for some of the fruits which Id never seen in my life before (apparently not that common in Brazil either which is a great sign)…but the ones I recognised included jackfruit, custard apples, mangoes, nectarines, papaya and pineapple to name but a few.

Now….the summation…should it go or should it stay in the 1000 places to see before you die?  Well….it is a UNESCO World Heritage site so yes on that basis alone….If you’re in Brazil while Salvador is having  one of their many  carnevals?- definitely worth flying up to;  Are you thinking you need to see the top 50 in the book?- Pelourinho wouldn’t be in that list- but would be in the top 5 places to see while you are in Brazil I feel. It was for me easily the best place in Brazil I’d seen given its diversity (not to mention the shopping!!).

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