I finally visited Salvador, Brazil—known as the Blackest city outside of Africa—thanks to Buoyant Travel! I had an unforgettable time and am excited to share a Salvador, Brazil itinerary inspired by their expertly curated experience.
This was my second trip with the Black-woman-owned travel company (read my Ghana blog post), and so happy I joined. We went in November, which is informally known as Black Consciousness Month in Brazil. When you attend any Buoyant trip, you’ll receive a gift bag filled with goodies highlighting the country and/or something Black-owned. Also, as an alum of Buoyant, I received a complimentary bottle of champagne and an alumni shirt!
If you’re a Black woman looking for Black-centered travel experiences around the world, check out Buoyant’s upcoming trips.
Why Visit Salvador, Brazil
Where to Stay
Canto Hotel
Located in the Rio Vermelho neighborhood, this boutique hotel is so cute, providing bohemian vibes close to the water.
FOOD
Canto’s complimentary breakfast buffet was good and included traditional Brazilian breakfast options like tapioca and pão de queijo. Their restaurant is popular with locals for dinner, and I understand why (please try their bruschetta appetizer if you can).
Also, Canto’s bar serves some really delicious drinks. I enjoyed their Itaparica drink which includes Brazil’s most popular spirit—cachaça—passion fruit, ginger cream, and simple syrup.
AMENITIES
There’s a rooftop pool with a pool and a stunning view of the coast.
In the room, I love that they provide robes and have a TV with local stations (I love watching TV internationally). Also, their shower pressure is strong with very hot water. The only negative is that the rooms have no windows, so it’s very dark. This wasn’t a big issue, as I naturally wake up early, but something to note.
Where to Eat
Ó PAI Ó
Owned by Black Brazilian actor, Érico Brás, Ó PAI Ó is located in the Pelourinho historic center. They serve Afro-Brazilian dishes, including feijoa and moqueca. At Ó PAI Ó, I tried dadadinho de tapioca and galinhada for the first time and both were absolutely delicious.
Zanzibar
We came to this Black-woman-owned restaurant for our welcome dinner and the entire experience was amazing. We got a caipirinhas-making demonstration (please try their passion fruit version) and tried traditional Afro-Brazilian food. From the acarajé and moqueca de peixe to the mariscada and cocada, everything we tried was so delicious.
Latitude 13
For our street food tour day, we started at this woman-owned coffee shop. We got to try a cup of expresso and their couscous with plantain and mozzarella dish. I’m not a huge coffee drinker but fell in love with their signature cocktail, the caipirinha de café—or coffee caipirinha. In fact, I finished my entire drink which is very rare of me to do with any coffee-related drink.
Latitude 13 has different store and kiosk locations, but this specific location has a gallery exhibition on-site.
Recôncavo Culinária e História bar restaurante
With delicious traditional Brazilian cuisine, and even a beautiful art exhibition upstairs, Recôncavo is a must-visit. During our street food tour, we got to try their:
- Queijo Coalho com mel de caju (curd cheese with cashew honey)
- Bolinho de Carne Defumada (cassava dough, stuffed with shredded smoked meat and breaded with granulated tapioca)
- Bolinho de Charque (fried dumpling stuffed with shredded dried meat)
- Feijoada do Recôncavo (black bean stew served with rice, farofa, vinaigrette, and oranges)
- Xangó Defumado (fried fish from fishermen’s kitchens in the Recôncavo region of Bahia, served with farofa and vinaigrette)
Açaí do Monstro
You can’t come to Brazil and not have an açaí bowl. Although it’s more popular in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and the northeastern coast, you can try it in Salvador. At Açaí do Monstro, you can pick the flavor of your base and your toppings, then pay based on weight.
Sal Bar de Praia
A great place to eat and drink while relaxing by the beach. Although the weather was overcast with some rain, the experience here was amazing. Our waitress, Grayce, was adorable, attentive, and so happy to try her English skills on us!
We ordered a range of dishes from fish and chips and vegan ceviche to fried fish and cocada mole. The cocada was delicious and came complimentary of Grayce!
Where to Play
Pelourinho
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pelourinho is one of Salvador, Brazil’s main districts in the historic center. In Portuguese, Pelourinho translates to “whipping post” because it was home to one, where enslaved Africans were publicly punished. During slavery, the center was a slave market used for buying and selling enslaved Africans.
Today, the neighborhood is filled with nightlife options, restaurants, museums, shops, and even get a blessing. In 1996, it was the filming location for Michael Jackson’s music video for his song “They Don’t Care About Us.”
Regina Navarro BellaOyá
When visiting Pelourinho, you should stop by Regina’s shop. It conveys the ancestral and diasporic identity of Black people through clothing. Regina can also do readings, including identifying your Candomblé orixá based on your birth date. My reading was very affirming and literally brought me to tears.
Boat Day
A Buoyant trip isn’t complete without a boat day, and that’s how we ended our trip in Salvador. It was amazing seeing the skyline, watching other boaters in the water, and experiencing the sunset.
Beach Favela Day
For our first full day, we headed to the Gamboa de Baixo community to time by All Saints Bay, and then tour the favela above.
First, we went to Bar da Mônica to swim, eat, and drink with the locals. We ordered caipirinhas (try the passion fruit), and ate some delicious fried fish, with black-eyed peas, farofa, and white rice.
After eating, drinking, and swimming, we toured Gamboa de Baixo to learn about their community and history.
BOMBAR
We went to the bar for one of their themed nights and had an amazing time. We danced with locals and listened to a mix of Afro-Brazilian, hip-hop, and even reggaeton music. They have an outside area and an upstairs dance floor to enjoy. If you go, please order their delicious la roska del bombar drink which includes strawberry and passion fruit.
AFROPUNK Bahia
This annual two-day festival has been held in Bahia since 2022 and features music, art, food, fashion, and more. AFROPUNK is a celebration of Black culture and artists where Black people can express themselves in the rhythm of the diaspora. Seeing Erykah Badu perform was definitely the highlight, but I also enjoyed listening to and learning about, popular Afro-Brazilian artists.
Additional Info
- Bring Brazilian Real (Brazil’s official currency) with you, but also be aware that some establishments only take credit/debit cards. I also experienced some places not having enough cash to provide change. So try to have exact payment, but also know that most places, outside of some street vendors, accept cards.
- Not many people speak English in Salvador, so knowing some key Brazilian words and phrases is helpful. You can also download and use Google Translate in real time.
- Because of the country’s large Afro-Brazilian population, you can find natural hair salons and products in many drug stores, malls, etc. As a Black woman who wears her natural hair, it was refreshing seeing Afro-Brazilians embracing their curls and coils.
