Pelourinho

Salvador was Brazil's first capital, and its hilltop old town, the Pelourinho, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of pastel-painted colonial houses and baroque churches. The Church and Convent of São Francisco is famous for an interior covered in gilded carving.

This is the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture: drumming groups rehearse in the squares, capoeira performers show off their mix of martial art and dance, and street stalls fry acarajé, a fritter of black-eyed peas that vegetarians can order plain.

The Lacerda Elevator connects the upper town with the lower town and the waterfront Mercado Modelo craft market. Salvador is about two hours by air from Rio, and its beaches make a relaxing end to a Brazil holiday. Explore the old town in the morning, when the streets are calmer and the light is softer for photographs.