Cidade Baixa — Salvador who lives from the sea

We start at Dique do Tororó, a historic lake framed by monumental sculptures of the orixás, with a panoramic view of the Fonte Nova Arena. We follow streets that bear witness to the urban transformation of Salvador in the post-abolition period, intertwining colonial and contemporary architecture, to the beaches of Ribeira and Península de Itapagipe — traditional neighborhoods that preserve the charm of the old Salvador by the sea, where you feel the slower pace of a city that has always lived facing the sea.

We visited a studio specializing in the Portuguese art of tiles and stopped at the Ribeira Ice Cream Shop, founded in 1931 and the second oldest in the city — recognized by TasteAtlas, the international gastronomic encyclopedia, as one of the 100 best ice cream shops in the world (74th place), with the tapioca flavor voted the most iconic in the house. You try a handmade ball in the shade of the square, with the breeze from Ribeira reinforcing the old neighborhood atmosphere. We continue to Igreja do Senhor do Bonfim, one of the greatest symbols of faith and devotion in Bahia, celebrated for its colorful ribbons and blessing rituals, before reaching Forte de Monte Serrat — a strategic point of colonial defense — where you can drink ice-cold coconut water with one of the most spectacular views of Baía de Todos os Santos in front of you. We passed the Boa Viagem waterfront before making a last stop at Mercado Modelo, to shop for Bahian handicrafts, ending the itinerary.