Salvador da Bahia: the Pelourinho at Golden Hour

Salvador occupies a peninsula on the Bay of All Saints (Baía de Todos os Santos), facing west and northwest over the bay. The city has two levels: Cidade Alta (upper city, 70-80 m) and Cidade Baixa (lower city, at sea level), connected by the 72-meter Elevador Lacerda. The Pelourinho district in Cidade Alta, among the most intact colonial districts in Latin America, has colourful facades; early morning north-facing streets on Largo do Pelourinho catch warm northeastern light. Farol da Barra (the oldest lighthouse in the Americas, 1698) sits at the southern tip of the peninsula where the ocean meets the bay; from here the bay opens to the northwest at sunset and direct Atlantic sunrise comes from the southeast. At -13°S, golden hour lasts about 22 minutes. The Bahian coast faces northeast, and the summer trade winds (December through February) bring clear, sharp light.