Salvador Night Life

A must is the Pelourinho, located within the Colonial City. Declared part of World Heritage by UNESCO, it has become the largest cultural and leisure center in the city since the majority of the area has been completely restored by the State Government. With the implementation of the project Pelourinho Day and Night a wide variety of high quality shows and attractions on a permanent basis are presented. There are even activities for children.

In Quincas Berro d'Agua, Tereza Batista and Pedro Arcanjo Squares musical groups perform a variety of styles including jazz, blues, bossa nova, "Brazilian Popular Music" (MPB), samba and chorinho. In Jubiaba Square visitors can participate in live rehearsals of local carnival groups such as "Indios and Afros". On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, musicians perform on Pelo street corners. On Sundays it is the kids' turn to enjoy themselves with a variety of activities at Terreiro de Jesus.

For those who want to enjoy the build up to Carnival, the best night-time options are the rehearsals of the Afro-Carnival groups Ara Ketu and Olodum. The rehearsal of Olodum - the group that burst onto the international scene when it recorded with Paul Simon - attracts thousands of people, and it all happens on Tuesday evenings and Sunday afternoons in Pelourinho Square. The rehearsal of Ara Ketu, every Thursday on Rua Chile (near the Colonial City), is a meeting place for good-looking and free-spirited people. The bands that accompany the most well-known Carnival groups perform frequently at the city's most important dance clubs.

The hottest bars and restaurants are in the Pelo, the most renowned of which are Alambique, offering an incredible range of cachacas from all over Brazil and the famous "cravinho", a cane liquor and clove infusion; and Habeas Copus, among many others operating in the newly restored squares. In the Pelourinho, there is a feeling of security since the Tourist Police Battalion are headquartered in the Colonial City, to provide safety and useful information to tourists.

Along Salvador's coast there is a wide range of bars and restaurants. The "in" crowd and intellectuals prefer Rio Vermelho, where several traditional bars and restaurants are located, with new ones opening each summer. This neighborhood is also home to the Fish Market or Mercado do Peixe, where young and old alike wind up the evening with local delicacies and ice-cold beer. Another well-known neighborhood is Barra, where an eclectic mix of hundreds of bars and restaurants attracts a considerable number of visitors. The newest night-time attractions, micro-breweries and dance houses are located in Jardim dos Namorados. In Salvador, there are at least four big nightclubs where revelers can bop until the wee hours of the morning.