4) Salvador, Bahia
here's a pretty good overview of places to see in Salvador, set to the local music Canto da Cidade (Song of the City) by Daniela Mercury. Dare anyone to sit still and not dance!
The distance from "in town" (by which most tourists mean the colorful and lively Pelourinho/Santo Antonio historic district, not the actual downtown business district)
and "the beach" (the busy, interesting, closest, Porto da Barra urban beach--best people watching in the world, and an awesome sunset---
--- is about 10 minutes by local bus.
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HOTELS
If you want to stay in the historic district, perhaps consider the Pestana Convento do Carmo Bahia (
https://www.pestana.com/en/hotel/pes...vento-do-carmo ), one of the nicest hotels in Salvador, in a historic building in a quiet area away from the movement and music.
The Fera is new-ish (
Fera Palace Hotel ) and quite nice. Easy walk to the historic district. Easy bus to Porto da Barra beach.
Alternatively, a few minutes away, near the Teatro Castro Alves and the Praca Campo Grande at the beginning of the Corredor de Vitoria, is the --I think it's called the Wish Hotel these days (changed names a few times over the last 20 years), used to be a Sheraton many years ago.
There are a number of pousadas in the Santo Antonio neighborhood, from basic to fancier, which overlook the bay. (Casa de Amarelindo, Aram Yami, Casa de Portas Velhas, etc) And there are a few basic but comfortable hotels at Porto da Barra beach (like MarAzul, Sol or Hit).
The Vila Gale in Ondina (neighborhood between Barra and Rio Vermelho) is dramatically set on a cliffside overlooking the ocean, up a quiet little side street off the main coastal road.
The Zank (
https://www.tablethotels.com/en/salv...boutique-hotel) is a couple of neighborhoods further up the coastline (maybe 15 minutes) in Rio Vermelho, but with a lively night scene on the plaza with its famous acaraje stand of Dinha and in the local music clubs and close enough to the historic district for convenient sightseeing.
The Pestana in Rio Vermelho is a bit isolated, a longish walk to the main road and plaza.
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Be sure to check out the site
www.salvadorcentral.com for lots of good information on the area. Author is a long time expat musician resident who runs interesting music tours to villages in the interior, like Sao Braz.
Lots to do, 24/7.
Lots of local music to hear, unique styles of Salvador, as well as jazz (Sunday Jam at MAM--Solar de uniao). To quote Pardal of Salvador Central: "Bahia’s primordial samba was born mere graceful steps away from laughing in the death-mask of presumed power. .....part of humanity’s arsenal of not only survival mechanisms, but of
prevailing mechanisms. Beauty aside, therein lies their importance."
Lots of museums and churches (Go to Bonfim and get a traditional fita/ribbon for your wrist and explore the nearby candomble shops. Go to an energetic "gospel" mass at the Igreja Nossa Senhora Do Rosário Dos Pretos. See the gold encrusted San Francisco.)
.
Unique Bahian cuisine (Try the moqueca and the acaraje, made by women like Cira or now Dinha's daughters, famous locally for it, and the melted cheese at the beach).
Cheese on the brasa:
Lots of interesting things to buy, including leather (on the steps near Praca Castro Alves--at 3;20 in video)
and designer clothing like Didara by Goya Lopes. (
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Goya-...99271720320897) with original, African inspired fabric designs.
Day trip to "the interior" historic and picturesque Colonial river port of Cachoeira (2 scenic hours by bus) and cigar factory across the river in Sao Felix, with maybe a stop in Santo Amaro, home of the famous singers Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania..
Cachoeira
Day trips to the islands in the bay by motorized schooner or ferry, or up the coast by van to Praia do Forte. There is a continuous coastline of gorgeous beaches up to the north of the city to explore.
If you don't go to Praia do Forte, at least check out the beach near the farol (lighthouse) in Itapua (out by the airport), which even has its own famous song :
and the famous acaraje of Cira.
Also check out some YouTube videos of the city and Porto da Barra beach. One "character" in Porto da Barra is Joao who sells camarao (shrimp on a skewer) with his clever songs :
Be very careful not to carry valuables or wander in deserted locations: there is a severe economic crisis in Brazil currently and Salvador has not had lots of job opportunities at the best of times. Salvador speaks to the spirit of some folks and a couple of days is not enough; others can't wait to get out of there. Check your perhaps unacknowleged racism and any racial paranoia at the door (if you've never been the only white person in the room). Solteropolitanos are open, friendly, helpful, and always up for dancing the night away.
Likes/Dislikes
And in fact, in their Where to Go in 2018, (the distinctly not unprintable) Bloomberg Businessweek has named Salvador as the best "especially compelling destination" in the world:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/featu...-to-go-in-2018
I'd be happy to help further. We live here part of the year.
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3) Yes, the Belmond is expensive-- and isolated. On the road between the town and the park, there are a number of nice resort type hotels with pools. The addresses have a km number. There are also lots of non-chain hotels in the town itself, in all price ranges. For basic, clean, comfortable and convenient, the Hotel Del Rey or the Taroba. But the resorts are a somewhat higher quality.
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1) Sao Paulo
Stay in Jardins. The Renaissance is quite nice (but I stay with friends nearby).
https://www.marriott.com/search/findHotels.mi