Porto da Barra Beach is located in the city of Salvador, Brazil. It is located at the entrance of the Baía de Todos os Santos, with a small, white colonial fort at one end and a whitewashed church sitting up on a hill at the other.
As the beach is in a bay, the water is calm (given that it is right in the heart of Brazil's third-largest city). And in a country with over 7,000 km (4,349 mi) of east-facing coastline, the Porto is one of the few facing west, and sunsets can be seen from there.
Porto da Barra was the site of Bahia's first European settlement, Vila Velha, or the Old Village. During the 1960s it was a hangout for Tropicalistas Caetano Veloso (who sang of the beach in his song "Qual é Baiana?") and Gilberto Gil and their crowd.
Salvador's (& Environs') Beautiful Beaches
Salvador is literally surrounded by beaches. They are where people go to relax, cool off, chill, socialize, eat, drink, dance, exercise, surf, and of course swim. They vary from crowded city beaches great for meeting people to tropical idylls up and down the coast.
One of the first beaches that most people get to know in Salvador is Porto da Barra. Porto da Barra was, interestingly, the site of Bahia's first European settlement, Vila Velha, or the Old Village. During the 1960's it was a hangout for Tropicalistas Caetano Veloso (who sang of the beach in his song "Qual é Baiana?") and Gilberto Gil and their crowd, and it continues to be very much of a hangout today.
The beach is set within the bay and the water is much calmer than on the oceanside beaches; it's good for swimming. On weekends, especially Sundays, Porto da Barra can get very crowded, and it's a good idea to keep a good eye on your stuff. Sandals, sunglasses, and like items can disappear in an instant, the magicians usually being innocent-enough looking kids playing around in the sand near you.
Moving out, the next beach is Farol da Barra. Farol means a beacon; here "lighthouse" (the word "farol" is derived from "Pharos", the name of the small island of the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, where a great lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was built). The end of the beach closest to the lighthouse is rocky, with protected pools making it a good place for kids to safely play in the water. The far end of the beach is usually surfer territory.
