Salvador has an exciting nightlife, as it's considered one of the country's capitals for music and dance. The city frequently receives famous Brazilian singers and international acts. So when you arrive, grab a local newspaper and check out the show guide in the culture section to see what's on.

December to March is the peak season for beach days You could travel further north to the city of Bahia, home to a deep Afro-Brazilian history worth experiencing first-hand, or up to the northeastern state of Ceara, which shows off its own unique Nordeste culture amid a backdrop of otherworldly sand dunes.

The city is a national cultural centre, famed for the beauty of its many Baroque colonial churches, especially the church of the convent of the Third Order of St. Francis (1701). Salvador's cardinal is the spiritual leader of Brazil's Roman Catholic church.