The berimbau
The music of capoeira.
Paul R. Burley — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Paul R. Burley — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Paul R. Burley — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Webysther — CC BY-SA 4.0
Mercado Modelo is Salvador's best-known handicraft market, in the Lower City at the foot of the Elevador Lacerda, facing the Bay of All Saints. It first opened on 2 February 1912 and burned more than once, most recently in 1969, when the original building was destroyed, so in 1971 it moved into the old Customs House of 1861, a neoclassical building. Its two floors hold 266 shops selling Bahian crafts and souvenirs: berimbaus, the musical bows used in capoeira, lace, ceramics, wood carvings and local chilli peppers, alongside T-shirts and magnets. Upstairs are two long-established restaurants of Bahian food, and capoeira is often performed in the square outside. Bargaining is expected, so do not take the first price. Some goods on sale are alcoholic or religious in character, worth noting if that matters to you.
The music of capoeira.
From 1861.
In the square outside.
Praça Visconde de Cayru, Lower City
Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 19:00 and Sunday from 9:00 to 14:00; entry is free.
