Madrid to Rio de Janeiro

Salvador is a port city with a main port that is overlooked by the old town, known as Pelourinho. Many smaller marinas are dotted along the coast of All Saints Bay.

c. 1574 - Map of Brazil, then Portuguese America. The territory was divided into provinces by horizontal lines. The landing point at All Saints Bay can be see in Desva Magestade Province.

1593 - Portuguese ships departing Lisbon en route across the Atlantic.

The voyage across the Atlantic would have been long and tough for Portugese settlers who first made their way to Brazil in the 1500s. They would have travelled in carracks like this.

Indigenous group the Tupinamba lived in Bahia before the arrival of Europeans. They were soon all but wiped out by exotic diseases brought by the colonists.

1875 - By this time, Salvador was one of the largest cities in Brazil, though it had lost its role as capital city to Rio de Janeiro nearly a century earlier.

All Saints Bay is the largest bay in Brazil, covering an area the size of Hong Kong. The grey around the bay indicates the extent of the city's expansion.

Salvador handles some of the highest volumes of cargo in Brazil. It also receives large numbers of cruise ships and is a popular tourist destination.

Traditional-style tourist boats float alongside private yachts in one of Salvador's marinas.

Looking over Bahia Marina in Salvador. This has remained a port city since it was established in 1549.

The built up Barra Point nudges into All Saints Bay. Several small habours are dotted along the bay's coastline, servicing local fishing and leisure boats.

The busy port of Salvador, with the harbour in the background. This port is one of the most active in Brazil, handling imports, exports and cruise liners.

Salvador's iconic Farol lighthouse. Since it was established in 1549, the city has grown to cover most of the land surrounding All Saints Bay.

The Lacerda Elevator connects the lower and upper levels of the city, separated by a sharp escarpment, here covered in grass.

The spectacular facades of the buildings in Pelourinho have earned this historic centre World Heritage status.

Many of the buildings in the Pelourinho have been standing since the 17th century, making them some of the oldest colonial buildings in Brazil.

Salvador's historic centre underwent a huge restoration during the 1990s after being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pelourinho's multi-coloured buildings and charming cobbled streets remain largely unchanged since the early colonial days.

Pelourinho is on the upper level of Salvador, and was historically home to administrative, residential and religious buildings.

The brightly coloured Pelourinho district was given UNESCO World Heritage status in 1985 as the finest example of colonial architecture in Brazil.

The steep hills of the Pelourinho are lined with brightly coloured Renaissance buldings.

The cobbled streets of Pelourinho are set up ready for tourists, with small cafes and restaurants catering for all tastes.

The design of Salvador was unique in that the city was split in two levels by an escarpment - the upper level for administrative, religious and residential buildings, and the lower level for commerce.

The Lacerda Elevator is around 70 metres high and is still one of the most effective ways to transport residents between the upper and lower levels.

The cobbled streets of Pelorinho are visited by thousands of tourists each year who come here to experience the colonial architecture.

The Lacerda Elevator is the oldest elevator in Brazil. Construction finished in 1873; it was an engineering feat of the time.

Salvador's carnival is the largest street carnival in the world, attended by more than two million people each year.

Salvador's Afro-Brazilian culture is reflected in every aspect of the city, including its bright artwork.

Salvador's beaches are busy with people on this typically sunny day. This beach faces All Saints Bay, the largest bay in Brazil.

With nearly 50 kilometres of beaches, surfing is one of the most popular activities in Salvador.

Street vendors wear traditional costumes to sell local snacks such as acarajé - fried bread made from beans.

Costumed dancers lead the crowd during the 2011 Salvador carnival.

Music and colourful floats are an integral part of the Salvador carnival. Two million people dance in the streets for this annual week-long party.

Capoeira performances can be seen across Salvador and is hugely popular. Salvador is the birthplace of this unique mixture of dance and martial arts.

Celebrations during Salvador's carnival continue from morning to midnight every day for a week in February.

Salvador is famous for its beaches - with one of the longest coastlines of all Brazilian cities, the beach lifestyle is synonymous with Salvador.

Salvador is the birthplace of capoeira, a balletic mix of dance and martial arts now popular across the world.

Each year, around two million people attend Salvador carnival, thought to be the largest street carnival in the world.

Preparing the streets for Carnaval. Each February, 25km of roads in Salvador are closed for the week-long celebration.