Salvador

[johncb7]

We will be visiting Salvador next February on a cruise boat and wonder whether anyone can recommend a quide or Tour Company for ourselves and possibly a small group. Thank you.

[mcjyl]

Hello;

 

Have you any luck in finding a private tour guide in Salvador? If you have, please share with us. We have a hard time in finding one. We have located one, but it is very expensive, $599 for two persons for 8 hr. We hope to hear from you soon.

 

Jim

[jotabecu]

I will also be in Salvador in late March and would indeed welcome any information too.

Thanks

[johncb7]

Hi Jim

 

I e-mailed one company in Salvador who failed to respond so concentrated my efforts on others ports of call. Once I saw that Princess were offering 2 tours, 4 hours walking or bus for US $39 I decided that it would be unlikley that I would be able to match those prices especially as I have not filled the transport to capacity in other ports so that folks have more comfort.

If you find a company offering a tour that would cover both aspects of what Princess have on offer, at a competitive price, please let me know and I may look further into what is on offer.

[bksunbuddies]

Hello;

 

Have you any luck in finding a private tour guide in Salvador? If you have, please share with us. We have a hard time in finding one. We have located one, but it is very expensive, $599 for two persons for 8 hr. We hope to hear from you soon.

 

Jim

 

We contacted Juan Diaz at Turismo. Contact him at sales@turismonuevomundo.cl

His prices were very good, especially if you don't want the crowds of a full bus.

 

Karen

[jotabecu]

This is the website

 

http://www.turismonuevomundo.cl/Ingles/01Home.htm

[mcjyl]

Karen;

 

Do you know what the prices are for the tours for 3 hours and 7 hours for the Highlight of Salvador. I also sent them an email asking about the prices. Thanks

 

Jim

[Seattitude]

Just wondered how the tour in Salvador went. We are going in Feb 2013.

[Menininha82]

Seattitude--

These previous messages and certain things have changed (advent of hop-on/off bus).

 

First of all, IMO no tour or guide is necessary to see Salvador and any guide who claims so is just hustling business.

You might want to read your guidebook chapter regarding the history of specific churches in Pelourinho previous to debarking; that's all.

And learn to wave your extended index finger back and forth like a metronome to say no to the vendors and beggars who sometimes appear as you enter the neighborhood.

 

The cruise dock is about a block from the Mercado Modelo, the biggest souvenir sales spot in Salvador (various qualities of merchandise, much of which you may see duplicated at higher prices in Pelourinho), also with demonstrations of the traditional capoeira. You can then cross the street and take the Elevador Lacerda to the Upper City and the historic Pelourinho neighborhood. At the top of the Elevador, there is a (not very well equipped, IMO) tourist office and one of the two best ice cream stands in the city. Or grab a "cafezinho" from one of the traditional little skateboards with thermoses on top.

If, after exploring the Pelourinho, with all its churches, museums, and shops, and having lunch at one of the many restaurants, you still have sufficient time left, there is a hop-on/hop-off London style double decker bus whose route takes in many other points of interest (neighborhoods, beaches, mostly seen sufficiently well as a drive by), or you could take a taxi directly to either the church at Bonfim or the modern art museum in a Colonial era sugar plantation Solar de Uniao. If you want to go to the beach, the first urban beach up the coast from Pelourinho (about 5-10 minutes by taxi) is Porto da Barra, very lively, with very good people watching, excellent variety of food and souvenir vendors, fishermen bringing in their catch, and calm waters in a cove with fishing boats and surrounded by forts.

 

If you need any further help, please let me know.

[msclover]

Seattitude--

These previous messages and certain things have changed (advent of hop-on/off bus).

 

First of all, IMO no tour or guide is necessary to see Salvador and any guide who claims so is just hustling business.

You might want to read your guidebook chapter regarding the history of specific churches in Pelourinho previous to debarking; that's all.

And learn to wave your extended index finger back and forth like a metronome to say no to the vendors and beggars who sometimes appear as you enter the neighborhood.

 

The cruise dock is about a block from the Mercado Modelo, the biggest souvenir sales spot in Salvador (various qualities of merchandise, much of which you may see duplicated at higher prices in Pelourinho), also with demonstrations of the traditional capoeira. You can then cross the street and take the Elevador Lacerda to the Upper City and the historic Pelourinho neighborhood. At the top of the Elevador, there is a (not very well equipped, IMO) tourist office and one of the two best ice cream stands in the city. Or grab a "cafezinho" from one of the traditional little skateboards with thermoses on top.

If, after exploring the Pelourinho, with all its churches, museums, and shops, and having lunch at one of the many restaurants, you still have sufficient time left, there is a hop-on/hop-off London style double decker bus whose route takes in many other points of interest (neighborhoods, beaches, mostly seen sufficiently well as a drive by), or you could take a taxi directly to either the church at Bonfim or the modern art museum in a Colonial era sugar plantation Solar de Uniao. If you want to go to the beach, the first urban beach up the coast from Pelourinho (about 5-10 minutes by taxi) is Porto da Barra, very lively, with very good people watching, excellent variety of food and souvenir vendors, fishermen bringing in their catch, and calm waters in a cove with fishing boats and surrounded by forts.

 

If you need any further help, please let me know.

 

I personally don't think it is safe for foreign visitors (even for brazilians from other states) to visit Pelourinho alone. I have brazilian friends who had bad experiences there, so it's better to follow the excellent places suggestions from Menininha82 with a tour guide :)

[Menininha82]

Well, everyone has a right to their opinion, if that's what one can call the third hand inuendo in the previous post, but IMO that is a quite extreme take and an exaggerated estimate of the risks in a popular, mainly touristic area. Pelourinho is full of shops, restaurants, historic sights and tourists, both foreign and domestic, and is usually also full of police insuring that no incidents are allowed to occur in an area that was essentially reconstructed for tourists. There are child beggars, who can sometimes be insistent, but you can make up your own mind in advance on how to deal with them.

In the past couple of years, there has been some local political infighting that resulted in city services, including police, being somewhat disrupted. However, the advent of the new mayor who is part of the old guard will undoubtedly turn things back around posthaste, particularly with the international soccer games, with their attendant hordes of expected visitors, coming up fast.

Thousands of tourists wander freely around Pelourinho and other tourist sights in Salvador every month with no problems, and a million or so visit at Carnaval. From personal experience, I can say that I (a very foreign looking female) have been walking around Pelourinho (and Salvador) on my own over the last couple of decades and have not ever come close to having a bad incident, nor do I know anyone prudent who has.

[paul929207]

Well, everyone has a right to their opinion, if that's what one can call the third hand inuendo in the previous post, but IMO that is a quite extreme take and an exaggerated estimate of the risks in a popular, mainly touristic area. Pelourinho is full of shops, restaurants, historic sights and tourists, both foreign and domestic, and is usually also full of police insuring that no incidents are allowed to occur in an area that was essentially reconstructed for tourists. There are child beggars, who can sometimes be insistent, but you can make up your own mind in advance on how to deal with them.

In the past couple of years, there has been some local political infighting that resulted in city services, including police, being somewhat disrupted. However, the advent of the new mayor who is part of the old guard will undoubtedly turn things back around posthaste, particularly with the international soccer games, with their attendant hordes of expected visitors, coming up fast.

Thousands of tourists wander freely around Pelourinho and other tourist sights in Salvador every month with no problems, and a million or so visit at Carnaval. From personal experience, I can say that I (a very foreign looking female) have been walking around Pelourinho (and Salvador) on my own over the last couple of decades and have not ever come close to having a bad incident, nor do I know anyone prudent who has.

Thanks for your comments.

[Menininha82]

So that you can get an idea of the ambience in Salvador, here are some interesting 360 degree photos.

 

This one shows the area you would pass through when you walk from the cruise dock to Pelourinho. The cruise dock is about a block beyond/behind the marina and row of blue porta-potties you can see. The building with the columns and half-round addition with tables and umbrellas is the back of the Mercado Modelo, a great place to get inexpensive souvenirs. Just to the right, a bit in the distance, you can see the Elevador Lacerda. You can also get a notion of why the Mercado Modelo is considered to be in the Lower City, and the top of the green hill the Elevador takes you up to is called the Upper City. Further to the right, at the end of the land shown, you can see the Solar Uniao, a Colonial era sugar plantation and current modern art museum. Notice the people and movement and the unthreatening emvironment.

http://www.360cities.net/image/view-to-mercado-modelo-and-elevador-lacerda-brazil#-149.10,-13.50,80.0

 

Here is the entrance at the foot of the Elevador, and the very busy bus stop there in front on the traffic island (granted this seems to have been phtographed at the very crowded Carnaval time).

http://www.360cities.net/image/elevador-lacerda-carnaval-salvador-bahia-2009#12.60,-1.13,70.0

 

Here is the the Praca de Se and the entrance to Pelourinho, at the right of the fountain and church tower, and following the colorful row of buildings into the next square.

http://www.360cities.net/image/pelo#39.07,2.05,70.0

 

Here is a main square in the Pelourinho historic district. The blue church is Nossa Senhora Rosario dos Pretos, built by slaves who were not allowed to enter other churches, and if you swing the photo around, the blue building is a museum dedicated to the famous Bahian writer Jorge Amado with the yellow Museu de Cidade (City Museum) next to it, many shops, street vendors and restaurants, tourists and locals walking around---not terribly intimidating IMO.

http://www.360cities.net/image/pelourinho-brazil#-98.75,15.55,49.5

 

There are some other 360 panoramas of Salvador at the bottom of the page, so enjoy.

And here are more 360s of a few of the city's urban beaches and more:

http://www.360cities.net/image/porto-da-barra-1#0.00,0.00,85.8

[Seattitude]

Thank you for all the work you put into this post.:D

[VidaNaPraia]

I also really love many things about Salvador and Bahia, not least the charming, open and happy local residents.

I do hope your enjoy your visit.