2027 Women's World Cup guide · host city 06 of 08 Salvador
Seven matches at the Fonte Nova, a stadium built inside the old Fonte Nova bowl in the middle of the city. Come for the football, stay for the only World Cup city where the historic centre is a World Heritage site.
Barra
Neighbourhood 01 of 06The lighthouse, the sunset and the widest choice of hotels. It is the safest bet in Salvador and the one place where being a tourist is unremarkable.
Hotel 01Monte Pascoal
Hotel 02Pousada O Ninho
Hotel 03Grande Hotel da Barra
From Barra to the stadium. The station is at the gate, so on match day the train is the only sensible way in: the surrounding streets close to cars, and the car park queue lasts longer than the second half. Photography slots are reserved: no stock imagery.
It rains on four days
out of five
Seventy-nine per cent. June and July are the wet season on this coast, and no forecast will save you: it rains, it stops, it rains again. The consolation is that it is warm rain, with an average low of 22.3 C. Bring something light that dries fast, not a coat.
This is climatology, not a forecast: 2015-2024 averages for the 2027-06-24 a 2027-07-25 window. Source: Open-Meteo (ERA5), CC BY 4.0.
Flights into Salvador
Direct routes surveyed by hand, not from an airline feed. Airlines change schedules: confirm before you book.
What the city sounds like
Playlists picked by guests of the newsroom. Press play before you land.
Travel tips
Videos our newsroom watched and would send to a friend flying in for the first time.
BRAZIL 4K COMPLETE Travel Guide - ALL TOP SIGHTS in 1 hour: RIO, NORONHA, JERI, LENÇOIS & AMAZONThe whole country in one hour, before you pick where to goWout of the World
7 Things to Know BEFORE Visiting Rio de JaneiroRio opens and closes the World Cup. Seven things to know before you landJake Braymiller
Top Things to Do in São Paulo, Brazil | Ultimate São Paulo Travel GuideSão Paulo does not fit into one day, and this guide shows whyMartijn Around The World - Travel
THE Most COMPLETE SALVADOR Guide! All Travel Tips & Prices.Salvador with the prices attached, from Pelourinho to what a good meal costsTravel Tips Group
Brazilian Food You NEED to Try Before Visiting Brazil - Part 1What to order at the counter without pointing at the pictureAlô Alô Português 
50 Must-Know Survival Phrases for Brazil TravelFifty phrases that get you through the taxi, the hotel and the stadiumLearn Portuguese with PortuguesePod101.comThe 5 neighbourhoods, place by place
Barra
The lighthouse, the sunset and the widest choice of hotels. It is the safest bet in Salvador and the one place where being a tourist is unremarkable.
Where to stay: Monte Pascoal, Pousada O Ninho, Grande Hotel da Barra
Eat: Carvão, Egeu
Café and bakery: Dona Xicara, Seven Wonders Café, Arruda Café, Graça Café e Hospedaria
See: Museu do Forte de São Diogo, Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Bahia, Gambiarra, Naufrágios do Germânia e do Bretagne
Rio Vermelho
Where Salvador goes out. Acarajé stands, live music and a beach that is for looking at rather than swimming. The local choice, and the one this newsroom would make.
Where to stay: Novotel Salvador Rio Vermelho, Hotel Catharina Paraguaçu, Hostel Red River
Bar and boteco: Rhoncus Pub & Beer Store, Confraria do França
Café and bakery: bohemia, Delicatessen Rio Vermelho, Seven Wonders Café, Latitude 13
See: Iemanjá, Antigo Mercado do Peixe - Rio Vermelho, sereia
Pelourinho
Inside the World Heritage site, cobblestones and all, and ten minutes on foot from the Fonte Nova. Beautiful, loud, and the only base in this guide where the stadium is walking distance.
Where to stay: Fera Palace Hotel, Villa Bahia, Hostel Pousada País Tropical
Eat: Amado, Mistura
Bar and boteco: Di Janela, Velho Espanha Bar e Cultura
Café and bakery: Cafélier, Café no Porto, Casa do Pão de Queijo, Yolo Coffee Bar
See: Museu da Cidade, Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, Museu Afro-Brasileiro, Museu Abelardo Rodrigues
Ondina
Beach without the Barra crowd, with the university nearby and prices to match. Good if you want the sea at the door and quiet after ten.
Where to stay: Hotel Vila Galé Salvador, Hotel Bahia Sol e Mar, Portobello
Eat: Di Liana, Carvão
Café and bakery: Empório Coisas de Minas, Seven Wonders Café, Bourbon Café, The Coffee
See: As Meninas do Brasil, Mirage
Campo Grande
Between the historic centre and the southern beaches, on the metro and beside the theatre. The practical base: not the prettiest, the best connected.
Where to stay: Wish Hotel da Bahia, Hotel Bahia do Sol, Pousada Fênix
Eat: Mistura, Egeu, Amado
Bar and boteco: Quintal do Raso da Catarina, Velho Espanha Bar e Cultura
Café and bakery: Graça Café e Hospedaria, Bolos das Meninas, Delicatessen Master Pães, Café Garagem
See: Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia, Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Bahia, Forte São Paulo da Gamboa