Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
terrace above the museum; it's a popular place to have a cocktail as the sun sets. The
1890, 22m lighthouse (
Torre do Farol
) that sprouts above the fort is usually off limits,
though there are sometimes tours.
The beaches
East of Barra there are several kilometres of much cleaner, less crowded
beaches
all
the way to the
Coconut Coast
(see p.228). The initial few bays in Ondina and Rio
Vermelho contain fairly small, unappealing strips of sand, and the first place worth
stopping is the boardwalk at
Amaralina
(though packed at weekends), 7km from
Barra, and the long, wide stretch of beach backed by restaurants and condos 4km
further on at
Armação
(though the water is not clean enough to swim here). The
beaches at
Pituaçu
(Corsario) and
Patamares
are a little wilder and emptier, while
Jaguaribe
(18km from Barra) is another popular strip.
Itapuã
, 21km east of Barra,
is the last of the main city beaches, but is past its best, and you should keep going
another 3-5km to the most enticing sands at
Stella Maris
and
Flamengo
(45min by
taxi from the
centro histórico
), both featuring hotels, kiosks selling booze and hordes
of beautiful people in high season.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
3
SALVADOR AND AROUND
Magalhães 4362, close to Caminho das Árvores, some 8km
east of the
centro histórico
. Inside there is a post of
ce, lots
of shops, cafés and even a McDonald's and a 24hr Subway.
Ticket o
ces are on the first floor (upstairs). When you buy
a ticket you'll also be given a plastic card to get through the
embarkation gates - these show you've paid the departure
tax (R$0.15 local buses; R$1.40 long distance).
To the city centre
From here it's best to take a taxi (about
R$25 to the
centro histórico
and R$35 to Barra); with little
luggage you could catch the
executivo
bus (R$6) from the
Iguatemi shopping centre across the highway (there's a
footbridge to avoid the tra
c) to Praça da Sé. There are
cheaper local buses, but they are busier and di
cult to get
on with baggage.
Destinations
Aracaju (9 daily; 5hr); Belo Horizonte (1 daily;
23hr); Cachoeira (hourly; 2hr); Ilhéus (6 daily; 8-9hr);
Lençóis (4-5 daily; 6-7hr); Maceió (4 daily; 9.5hr-12hr);
Porto Seguro (2 daily; 11.5hr); Praia do Forte (4 daily; 2hr);
Recife (4 daily; 12-16hr); Rio (4 daily; 28-30hr); São Paulo
(4 daily; 33-35hr); Valença (6 daily; 5hr).
BY PLANE
The Aeroporto Deputado Luis Eduardo do Magalhães
(
T
71 3204 1544) sits about 30km northeast of the
centro
histórico
, with a post o
ce, numerous cafés (some 24hr),
several ATMs in the arrivals hall (including HSBC) and all
the major car rental firms. Non-stop international flights
include the American Airlines service to Miami
(1 daily; 10hr) and TAP's service to Lisbon (1 daily; 8hr).
Destinations
Aracaju (6 daily; 50min); Belo Horizonte
(8 daily; 1hr 40min); Brasília (10 daily; 1hr 50min-2hr
10min); Ilhéus (4 daily; 40min); Maceió (4 daily; 1hr); Porto
Seguro (3 daily; 50min-1hr); Recife (11 daily; 1hr 15min-
1hr 30min); Rio (14 daily; 2hr 5min-2hr 35min); São Paulo
(30 daily; 2hr 35min); Vitória (3 daily; 1hr 40min).
By bus to the city centre
The airport is connected to the
centre by an hourly shuttle express bus service (daily
7.30am-8pm; R$6.50), marked “Praça da Sé/Aeroporto”,
that leaves from directly in front of the terminal and takes
you to Praça da Sé bus station via the beach districts. The
length of the ride varies according to tra
c, but if you're
going back the other way to catch a flight make sure you
allow two hours just to be safe.
By taxi to the city centre
A taxi to the Cidade Alta or
Barra will set you back at least R$130; pay at one of the Taxi
Coometas (
T
71 3244 4500) kiosks in the arrivals area
(which take credit cards) and hand the voucher to the
driver; or, simply go outside the airport concourse doors
and negotiate direct with one of the drivers (they will
usually accept a little less). Taxis in the city use meters (see
p.218), but from the airport it's a fixed fee system.
BY FERRY
Salvador has ferry services to islands in the bay and
points on the mainland. The quickest way to get to the
main ferry terminal - Terminal Maritimo Turístico - is to
take the Lacerda elevator (see box, p.206), which
connects Cidade Alta with the heart of Cidade Baixa,
though from elsewhere taxis will drop you off just
outside the terminal (behind the Mercado Modelo). This
is the place to catch ferries -
lanchas
- to the island of
Itaparica (see box, p.225), as well as the popular day-
trips (see p.225) around the bay. It's also the place to
catch a direct ferry to Morro de São Paulo (see p.232).
BY BUS
Salvador's well-organized and large rodoviária (
T
71 3460
8300) lies in the centre of the city at Avenida Antônio C.
