Salvador da Bahia was the first capital of Brazil — founded by Portuguese colonisers in 1549, it was the wealthiest city in the Americas for much of the colonial period, its riches built on the Atlantic slave trade and the sugar of the Recôncavo. That extraordinary wealth produced baroque churches, colonial solares and plantation manor houses whose abandonment now tells the reverse arc of the same story. The Solar da Boa Vista — once home to poet Castro Alves and seat of Salvador's city hall — was gutted by fire and is now surrounded by the city's most marginalised street community. The Centro de Convenções, inaugurated in 1979 as the first interactive science space in Latin America, partially collapsed in 2016 and has stood as a ruin ever since. Discover the 5 best abandoned places in Salvador, selected from our Brazil Urbex Map — 500+ verified GPS locations.
Why Salvador Has an Exceptional and Underexplored Derelict Heritage
Salvador's abandonment reflects the specific trajectory of Brazil's first capital — a colonial centre of extraordinary wealth whose economic function was superseded by Rio de Janeiro (from 1763) and São Paulo (20th century), leaving its fabric in a state of progressive dereliction interrupted by periodic restoration focused on the tourist core. The Jornal Metropole documented Salvador's "cidade do abandono" — a pattern of listed heritage buildings gutted by fire, partially collapsed or simply neglected for decades while ownership disputes between state and municipality block any intervention.
1. Pelourinho Historic Centre (UNESCO Periphery) – Centro Histórico, Salvador — UNESCO World Heritage 1985, Colonial Baroque Behind the Restored Core Progressively Derelict (Known Location)
The Pelourinho — Salvador's historic colonial centre, UNESCO-listed since 1985 — is one of the finest collections of 17th and 18th-century Portuguese colonial architecture in the Americas. But the restoration has been uneven: immediately behind the painted facades of the tourist core, colonial buildings in progressive dereliction — unrestored churches, occupied but decaying townhouses, abandoned commercial buildings with intact azulejo tile facades — create an urbex experience of unusual historical richness. The Jornal Metropole confirms that the majority of Salvador's officially listed derelict heritage buildings are tombados pelo IPHAN — yet "de preservados eles não têm nada," noting imminent collapse risk at multiple sites. Freely walkable; note security considerations in less-restored streets.
🔗 Source: Jornal Metropole – Cidade do Abandono, Salvador
2. Solar da Boa Vista – Cidade Baixa, Salvador — Former Home of Poet Castro Alves & City Hall, Fire-Gutted, IPHAN-Listed, Neocolonial Sculptures Still Standing (Known Location)
The once-imposing Solar da Boa Vista was home to poet Castro Alves and once served as the seat of Salvador's city hall. The scenario has continued for ten years, since a fire began the destruction of one of the city's IPHAN-listed patrimonial buildings. Defesa Civil de Salvador confirmed risk of internal collapse and complete destruction of the roofs and staircases. Responsibility is disputed between state and municipality — the property belongs to state management but was under municipal custody when it burned. Neocolonial sculptures remain on the facade. Located in the Boa Viagem area of the Cidade Baixa, beside the Obras Sociais Irmã Dulce.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Abandoned Places in Brazil →
3. Centro de Convenções da Bahia – Stiep/Jardim Armação, Salvador — Modernist Convention Centre 1979, Partial Collapse September 2016, Standing Ruin, Future Uncertain
Part of the structure of the former Centro de Convenções da Bahia collapsed in September 2016, leaving three people injured. Since then, the centre — which caused surprise when it was inaugurated with its modernist style in 1979 — remains as a shell between the Stiep and Jardim Armação neighbourhoods, serving as a hideout for drug users and criminals. The future of the site remains uncertain: Conder suggested demolition; the Secretaria do Turismo is studying a property swap, since the building was used as collateral in labour disputes of the former Bahiatursa. One of the largest derelict modernist structures in Salvador; visible from the surrounding road network. GPS in our Brazil Urbex Map.
4. Engenho da Freguesia (Museu do Recôncavo Wanderley Pinho) – Candeias, Greater Salvador — 18th-Century Colonial Sugar Mill, 55 Rooms, IPHAN-Listed 1944, Closed 20+ Years (Exclusively on Our Map)
The Museu do Recôncavo Wanderley Pinho is located in the antigo Engenho da Freguesia in Candeias — an 18th-century colonial manor house listed as national heritage since 1944, with 55 rooms distributed across four floors and an collection of more than 200 pieces documenting colonial Brazil. Closed for over 20 years for restoration, it has been preparing to reopen, with a projected date in the second semester of 2025. The colonial sugar engenho complex — casa-grande, chapel, slave quarters and processing infrastructure — stands in the Recôncavo Baiano, 30km from Salvador by road. Even in its long-term closed state, the exterior and estate grounds offer an extraordinary encounter with the colonial sugar economy's built heritage. GPS in our Brazil Urbex Map.
5. Solar Machado – Boa Viagem, Cidade Baixa, Salvador — 1800s Neocolonial Palacete, Abandoned 5+ Years, Former Abrigo Dom Pedro II, Sculptural Facade Intact (Exclusively on Our Map)
The Solar Machado, a construction from the 1800s with imposing sculptures and neocolonial architecture, has remained without use for five years since the Abrigo Dom Pedro II — which housed elderly people in social vulnerability — was transferred to another building in Piatã. The transfer was the result of a 2014 request by the Ministério Público da Bahia, which found structural deficiencies in the building. Located in the Boa Viagem area of the Cidade Baixa, near the Obras Sociais Irmã Dulce — passed by many visitors without recognition. The neocolonial sculptural facade remains largely intact despite the interior's structural deterioration. Find it on our Brazil Urbex Map.
❓ FAQ
What is the most famous abandoned place in Salvador?
The Solar da Boa Vista in the Cidade Baixa — former home of Bahia's most celebrated poet Castro Alves and once Salvador's city hall, fire-gutted and in a state of IPHAN-listed abandonment for over a decade, its neocolonial sculptural facade still standing above the surrounding street community. For scale, the Centro de Convenções da Bahia — partially collapsed in September 2016, standing as a modernist ruin since — is the most visible derelict structure in the city. For colonial heritage depth, the Engenho da Freguesia in Candeias is among the finest 18th-century sugar mill complexes in the Recôncavo.
Is the Pelourinho safe for urbex?
The Pelourinho tourist core is heavily policed and safe during the day. The most interesting derelict architecture — in the streets immediately behind the restored facades — is best visited in the morning with a local guide. Avoid all peripheral areas after dark. Our Brazil Urbex Map includes current security ratings for all Salvador locations.
How do I get to the Engenho da Freguesia?
Located in Candeias, 30km from Salvador by road — approximately 40 minutes by car or taxi. The site is in the Recôncavo Baiano, the fertile coastal region surrounding the Bay of All Saints that was the heartland of Brazil's colonial sugar economy. Combine with a visit to the town of Santo Amaro and the São Francisco do Conde area for a full Recôncavo heritage day trip.
Safety Tips
- Solar da Boa Vista: the surrounding area is Salvador's most marginalised street community — exterior photography only, preferably in a group and in daylight
- Centro de Convenções: the partially collapsed structure is a documented refuge for drug users — do not approach or enter; exterior photography from the perimeter only
- Tropical humidity: Salvador's heat and humidity accelerate structural decay — always test floors before committing weight in any colonial building
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and share your location
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