Salvador is a long, spread-out city, so where you sleep shapes your trip more than in most places. The historic centre puts you among the old streets and music, Barra gives you a beach and an easy seafront, and Rio Vermelho offers local nightlife. All three are linked by taxi and ride-hailing cars, which are cheap, so the choice is mostly about atmosphere.
The historic centre
Staying at Pelourinho puts the squares, the MAFRO museum and the evening drumming at your door, and it makes early starts easy before the heat. Hotel Fasano Salvador is our splurge pick, a luxury hotel in a protected 1930s building on the Praça Castro Alves, with a rooftop pool overlooking the bay, a spa and a restaurant serving Bahian dishes. It suits couples who want to be close to the sights and are happy to pay for design and views. Hotel Villa Bahia is our boutique pick, an upscale four-class hotel on the Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco with a pool, a garden, a rooftop terrace and a free buffet breakfast. Both are on steep streets that are best left to a car after dark, and the church on the Villa Bahia square has been closed for restoration, so check before you plan to go inside.
Barra
Barra is the easiest base for first-timers who want a beach. Porto da Barra beach has calm water and a famous sunset, the lighthouse and the Museu Náutico are a short walk away and the seafront is lined with restaurants and bars. Grande Hotel da Barra is our mid-range pick, two minutes on foot from the beach, with an outdoor pool, a poolside bar and a gym. Breakfast is charged separately, and valet parking is limited and carries a fee. Hotel Porto da Barra is our budget pick, a simple hotel on Avenida Sete de Setembro with a free buffet breakfast, direct beach access and a terrace. It has no pool and no parking, so judge it on price and location.
Rio Vermelho
If you prefer local nightlife to a tourist enclave, Rio Vermelho is the bohemian seaside district, with bars, restaurants, live music and small beaches. Hotel Catharina Paraguaçu is our mid-range pick, a colonial-style three-class hotel with a garden, a rooftop terrace, a free breakfast buffet and free covered parking, though spaces are limited and there is no pool. The district is lively at night and hosts a large festival for Iemanjá on 2 February, so ask for a quiet room and book early for that date.
Choosing by traveller
First-timers who want to be in the middle of things do best at Pelourinho. Families and beach lovers will prefer Barra, where a pool and a calm beach make days easy. Couples celebrating something should consider Fasano. Budget travellers get the best value at Hotel Porto da Barra, and travellers who like local nightlife and have a car will enjoy Rio Vermelho.
Booking tips
Prices rise sharply for Carnival, New Year and the Iemanjá festival, and the best rooms go early. Check what breakfast includes, whether you need parking and whether the hotel has a pool, since the four options differ. Ask for a quiet room if you are a light sleeper, because Salvador is a noisy city, and confirm the airport transfer arrangements in advance. Check your government's current travel advice for Brazil and ask your hotel which streets to avoid at night.
