Discover Authentic Salvador: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure

Discover Local is how Mercure shares what its own teams know about the cities they work in — no stock photography, no generic top-tens. Recommended by the team at Mercure Salvador Rio Vermelho. Their Salvador picks are below, alongside an interactive map and the questions we hear most from guests. So — where will Discover Local take you?

Top 5 Things to Do in Salvador

Acarajé at Largo de Santana

Bahia's signature street food: black-eyed pea fritters deep-fried in dendê (palm oil) and split open for vatapá, dried shrimp and hot pepper sauce. The stalls around Largo de Santana, run by Baianas in traditional white dress, are some of the most respected in the city.

Pelourinho

Salvador's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site of steep cobbled streets and pastel-coloured colonial buildings. Live drumming often spills out of doorways in the late afternoon — follow the sound.

Elevador Lacerda

An Art Deco public elevator connecting Salvador's upper and lower city, in operation in some form since the 1870s. The ride itself takes seconds, but the view over Baía de Todos os Santos at the top is the real reason to go.

Mercado Modelo

A 19th-century market building turned crafts market, selling everything from lace to Bahian percussion instruments. It sits right at the base of the Elevador Lacerda, making the two easy to pair.

Rio Vermelho nightlife

One of Salvador's most bohemian neighbourhoods, full of bars, live samba and forró spilling onto the street after dark. It's known as one of the best places in the city to feel the local nightlife rather than a tourist version of it.

Explore Salvador's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map

Where to eat
Acarajé is non-negotiable — get it from a Baiana stall rather than a restaurant. For a sit-down meal, moqueca (a coconut milk and dendê oil seafood stew) is Bahia's other essential dish, and Rio Vermelho's restaurants serve some of the best versions in the city.
Afro-Brazilian culture and colour
Salvador carries deep Afro-Brazilian roots in its food, music and religion, most visible in Pelourinho's colonial streets and the candomblé traditions still practiced across the city. Live drumming and capoeira circles turn up in public squares without much warning — worth stopping for.
Right outside your hotel
Mercure Salvador Rio Vermelho is a beachfront hotel in the neighbourhood itself — Buracão Beach is about an 8-minute walk away, the old fish market sits close by, and the acarajé stalls at Largo de Santana are roughly a 5-minute drive.
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FAQ

Acarajé is a deep-fried black-eyed pea fritter filled with vatapá, shrimp and spicy sauce, sold by Baianas at street stalls across the city. Largo de Santana is one of the most well-regarded spots to try it.

Yes — it's Salvador's UNESCO-listed historic centre, known for colourful colonial architecture, live music spilling from doorways and its central role in Afro-Brazilian culture.

The Elevador Lacerda, a public Art Deco elevator that has linked the two levels of the city since the 1870s, with Mercado Modelo sitting right at its base.

Where to Sleep in Salvador

See Mercure hotels in Salvador, all within reach of these picks.

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Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in Salvador, all within reach of these picks

View hotels