Salvador · Things to do

The carved sandstone façade beside the Franciscan complex in the Pelourinho, with Portuguese azulejos inside. Open daily 9am–4.30pm, R$10. Worth knowing: the gold-leaf Igreja e Convento de São Francisco next door is currently closed for restoration.

The Art Deco public lift that drops 72 metres from Praça Municipal in the upper city to the Comércio district and Mercado Modelo below. The ride takes under a minute for a token fare paid at a turnstile, and it is the quickest link between the two halves of the centre.

The church on the Itapagipe peninsula whose railings are tied with thousands of coloured ribbons; inside, the Sala dos Milagres is hung with ex-votos left by people whose prayers were answered. Free to enter, and the Lavagem do Bonfim procession fills the road in January.

The fort at the mouth of the bay holds a maritime museum of shipwreck finds, under the lighthouse that marks the point. Open daily 9am–6pm with last entry 5.30pm; R$20 full, R$10 concession and for Salvador residents.

Jorge Amado and Zélia Gattai's house at Rua Alagoinhas 33, kept much as they left it and opened as a memorial to the pair. Tuesday to Sunday 10am–6pm, last entry 5pm; R$20 full, R$10 reduced, free on Wednesdays. Closed during Carnival week.