Salvador

Founded in 1549, Salvador was Brazil's first capital and the seat of government for 214 years. It is also the city with the largest Afro-descendant population outside Africa — and that heritage is everywhere: in the capoeira circles of Pelourinho, in Olodum's drums, in the palm oil of a moqueca.

The Historic Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, holds the largest ensemble of colonial architecture in the Americas. From the Upper City, the Lacerda Elevator drops down to the Mercado Modelo and the Bay of All Saints. On the seafront, Farol da Barra hosts the city's most coveted sunset.

When to go: all year round. September to March is drier; February brings Carnival, the world's largest according to Guinness.