The people of Salvador are known for their talent to transform pretty much anything into a party! Pelourinho bursts with life every night, especially on Tuesday, called the "blessing" nights, where you can see and hear 5 different bands performing outside mostly for free within a 4 block radius. A must-see is the number one, possibly most famous bloco of Brazil, Olodum, who perform every Tuesday night at Praca Teresa Batista at 8 p.m. Your best bet with Pelourinho however is to simply explore and see what band, restaurant, social gathering, performance or club happens to catch your eye or ear. The city bursts with Afro-Brazilian life and when you leave this multi-dimensional city you will feel the rhythmic beats of axe and samba da roda music still pulsing within your skin.

Samba de Roda, or "circle samba" as the name implies, is a form of Samba from the Bantu word "semba" who brought this music and dance over from Africa. Samba circles consist of smiling, clapping, hip shaking people stomping their feet while someone in the middle of the circle struts around. Once that person recedes, another comes in and shows off their skills. The magical thing about these circles is that people break into them randomly at any point in time and in any place- especially in the rich night of party-filled streets. Such groups as Grupo Barravento and Conexao Negra have brought this music style to the forefront in recent years.

Another popular style of dance among Salvadorians is the forro, which is a partner dance with a salsa and samba influence. A great place to see some forro is the Praca Pedro Arcanjo in Pelourinho, on Thursday nights.

Located in the beach area of Rio Vermelho, this is one of the top spots to hear popular Brazilian bands of all different genres: from jazz and blues to MPB.
Rua Borges dos Reis 9, Rio vermelho

This is the center of the Bahian Symphony Orchestra and the Ballet de Castro Alves. It also hosts popular Brazilian musicians.
Praca Dois de Julho, Campo Grande

Residing here under one single name are actually two different theater companies and one modern dance company "Viladanca." Live music concerts are offered as well.
Passeio Publico, Gamboa de Cima
www.teatrovilavelha.com.br

Make sure to stop in the Routoristo office in Pelourinho where you can pick up a weekly and monthly listing of events going on about the city.

Thirty miles of beach area provide for a lot of beautifully tanned and glistening bodies amidst surfers, volleyball games, sandcastles, drinks, kids, couples young and old, and many barracas- beach kiosks- that sell cold beer and snacks.

The most popular beach is the Porto de Barra, which gets very crowded on the weekends with all kinds of people. Next to the light house (farol) is the Farol da Barra beach, with a typical thatched-roof hut for the barracas. The end of this beach is a popular place for surfers. The Piata beach is very wide with fairly calm waters and lots of coconut palm trees lining the beach. Another beautiful beach is the Flamengo beach, also lined with palm trees and also very interesting and varied barracas, such as the very popular Barraca Cabana do Sol.

Salvador Overview

   City Tours
   Architecture
   Museums

   Beaches:
   Beaches in Salvador
   South of Salvador
   North of Salvador

   Lodging
   Shopping
   Entertainment
   Dining
       Restaurants

   Celebrations:
   Carnaval
   Festivals

   Neighborhoods:
   Pelourinho

   Safety

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