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Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is the capital of, and largest city in, the U.S. state of Utah. It is a destination for outdoor recreation, with nearby mountains full of hiking trails and ski resorts made famous by the 2002 Winter Olympics. It is also well known as the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon church).

Salt Lake City has about 200,000 residents within the city limits (2019), and is the downtown hub for a metro area of over a million people. It sits on the border between the Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin, lying in the Salt Lake Valley along the Wasatch Range urban corridor, sandwiched between the Wasatch Mountains to the east and the Oquirrh Mountains and the Great Salt Lake to the west.

Districts
Notable neighborhoods in Salt Lake City include:
 * Downtown, the financial core and home to Temple Square (a two-block complex that includes the LDS church headquarters, the Salt Lake Temple, and various other sites related to Mormon history and culture)
 * Central City, a mostly residential area from approximately 400 South to 900 South
 * Sugar House, a commercial/residential district in the southeastern corner of the city, known for its funky shops
 * The Avenues, a historical neighborhood with many old buildings, northeast of downtown
 * University, the area around the sprawling University of Utah campus and the adjacent Research Park, VA Medical Center, and Fort Douglas
 * Federal Heights, a small, affluent neighborhood in the hills east of The Avenues and north of the University
 * East Bench or Foothill, a residential neighborhood between 900 South and I-80, bisected by the major arterial road Foothill Boulevard
 * Capitol Hill, an affluent sloping district north of downtown, topped by the Utah State Capitol building
 * the Marmalade District, a quirky area immediately west of Capitol Hill with some unusual architecture and decor
 * Rose Park, a residential neighborhood northwest of downtown, near the airport
 * Glendale, a heavily Hispanic residential district and home to the International Peace Gardens, at the southern end of the westside
 * The benches refer to a handful of residential, upper-class communities along the slopes of the Wasatch Mountains on the east side of the valley, and to a lesser extent on the Traverse Mountains at the southern end of the valley and the Oquirrh Mountains on the western side.

The predominant economic divide in the Salt Lake Valley is between the eastern and western halves, with the east side traditionally being more affluent and conservative.

The Wasatch Front is the urban strip along the western edge of the Wasatch Mountain Range. It comprises everything from approximately Brigham City in the north to Santaquin in the south, anchored by the cities of Ogden in the northern half, Provo-Orem in the south, and the Salt Lake Valley dividing the two. The vast majority of Utah's population lives in this region. Significant suburbs of Salt Lake City include Sandy in the southern Salt Lake Valley, Murray and Midvale in the center of the valley, and South Salt Lake and Millcreek on the southern border of Salt Lake City proper. The western portion of the valley has some very large suburbs such as West Valley City, West Jordan, and South Jordan. Holladay and Cottonwood Heights are smaller towns in the east benches.

Salt Lake City is not particularly close to the national parks and rugged terrain in the southern part of the state that draws many visitors to Utah. They are about a five-hour drive away, closer to Las Vegas.

History
Salt Lake City was settled in 1847 by Mormon pioneers who, led by Brigham Young, migrated a thousand miles west to escape the violent conflicts they had encountered whenever they tried to set up their religious community alongside established populations in the East. The city quickly became a major transit point, both for emigrating Mormon converts from Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia, and for non-Mormons moving westward in the midst of the California Gold Rush. The latter group initially passed through Utah, leaving Mormons to organize the settlement of Utah and much of Southern Idaho; this mass migration included the short-lived but iconic experiment of emigrants using hand-pulled "handcarts" instead of covered wagons. Although the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 ended the isolation of Mormon Utah, this pioneer history is actively commemorated, particularly on the July 24th anniversary of Brigham Young's arrival into the Salt Lake Valley.

Following the completion of the railroad, Mormon immigrants were joined by non-Mormon settlers, who established their own businesses and a regional economy focused on mines in Utah's mountains. These included Chinese immigrants, as well as Greeks and other European ethnic groups. Mormon missionary activity encouraged Pacific Islanders to convert and move to Salt Lake, and the city retains an unusually large Pacific Islander population to this day. Although the majority of Utahns are still members of the LDS Church, Salt Lake City itself is less than 50% Mormon, with some areas, such as those dominated by ethnic minorities and artsy neighborhoods like Sugarhouse, bearing little resemblance to the Mormon-dominated culture in other parts of Utah.

Climate

The climate of Salt Lake City is extremely seasonal. Summers are long, hot, and dry; winters are cold and snowy; fall and spring are shorter and marked by annoyingly inconsistent temperatures. Precipitation is low, averaging about 14-20 inches (350–500 mm) a year measured as liquid water, though much of it falls as light, fluffy snow that can pile up several inches high. Total snowfall averages around 50-80 inches (125–200 cm) annually.

Winter (mid-November to early March): Winter brings poor weather to Salt Lake City, and tourism this time of year is typically focused on using the city as a base for exploring ski resorts in the nearby mountains. Daytime temperatures run from 25°F to 50°F (-4-10°C). Overnight lows are below freezing more often than not, and on some occasions will even drop below 0°F (-18°C). Snow is common, but severe blizzards are almost non-existent, and it's rare for a storm to drop enough snow to shut down or cripple the city. Light snow is handled as a daily occurrence, with the city continuing to operate as normal. There is plenty of variation in snowfall between different parts of the city thanks to the mountainside topography, with higher elevations getting much more snow than lower neighborhoods. The difference is drastic enough that the local weather report will often include separate snow predictions for the benches and the valley floor.

While the snow can inconvenience travelers, the worst part of winter in the Salt Lake Valley is a phenomenon called an inversion, where cold, heavy air gets trapped between the mountains and stagnates, collecting more and more pollution for days or even weeks on end. This leads to some of the worst air quality conditions found in the United States, and is only cleared out when the next storm comes through.

Spring (early March to late May): Spring in Salt Lake is mild overall, but it is also the windiest and rainiest time of year, and it can be tough to tell when the last snowstorm is behind you even after the ground accumulation has been melted away for weeks. High temperatures during spring range from around 45°F to 80°F (7-27°C). Low temperatures are generally cool, and may still drop below freezing once or twice in April. Although it's the rainiest time of year, spring in Salt Lake City is still dry compared to many cities in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, or New England regions. Rainstorms will mostly be light or moderate in severity and many of them will last just a few minutes. Sunny spring days, which are fairly common, bring some of the nicest weather you will encounter in Salt Lake City at any time of year. However, this mostly applies to the valley as the mountain snowpack won't recede until late May or June, leaving outdoor activities such as camping and hiking unavailable until summer. Ski resorts near Salt Lake City will remain open part way through spring, with most of them operating until mid-April and Snowbird staying open even later.

Summer (late May to mid-September): Summers in Salt Lake City are long, hot, and dry. Maximum daily temperatures during this season range anywhere between 80°F and 105°F (27-41°C). Humidity is low and nights are warm, sometimes hot. Although summer is a very dry season here, powerful Pacific storms will sometimes impact the city as late as the beginning of June, prolonging the rainy season and keeping temperatures a bit cooler. In particular, mid-June through early July is clear, dry, and sun-baked. From mid-July through mid-September the monsoon affects northern Utah, bringing somewhat frequent evening thunderstorms to the Salt Lake area. These thunderstorms are usually short-lived, but can sometimes bring moderate hail to the valleys and much worse rain and hail to the mountains. If you avoid these thunderstorms, summer is a great time for outdoor recreation in the mountains. Temperatures are cooler in the mountains and can be comfortable even during the worst heat waves in the valleys.

Autumn (mid-September to mid-November): Autumn is a nice time to visit Salt Lake City. It's warm and typically drier than spring, with temperatures ranging from 45°F to 80°F (7-27°C) during the daytime. Pacific storms begin impacting the area around mid-October, but aren't too frequent. While storms can start dropping snow in the mountains again, the snowpack generally doesn't begin building up until November or December. The first light snow and freezing overnight temperatures in the valley will sometimes occur before the beginning of November, and by mid-to-late November, snowfall and freezing temperatures must be prepared for. The leaves on the trees in the mountains reach their peak of brilliant color around mid-to-late September and a month or so afterwards in the valleys.

By plane
The Wasatch Front region is served by three airports, but you will most likely fly into Salt Lake City International Airport. The two smaller airports near Ogden and Provo respectively are served by a very small number of flights and are mostly of interest to travelers who live in the direct vicinity.

By car
Salt Lake City is served by two interstate freeways: Interstate 80 connects to eastern and western destinations all the way from coast to coast, and Interstate 15, though viewed as a commuter freeway by locals, extends to both the Canadian and Mexican borders. Northern destinations accessible directly from I-15 consist mostly of small towns in eastern Idaho and western Montana. Southern destinations on I-15 include much larger cities such as Las Vegas and San Diego. I-80 provides a direct connection from Salt Lake to several major American cities, though all are hundreds of miles away. Across the 500-mile-wide (800-km-wide) Great Basin, I-80 serves Reno, Sacramento, and San Francisco. East of Salt Lake, I-80 connects to most of the larger towns in Wyoming and increasingly metropolitan cities further east, as far away as the greater New York City area. If coming from Boise, Portland, Seattle, or anywhere in between, take Interstate 84 to Ogden, then take Interstate 15 south to Salt Lake.

Approximate travel times: from Las Vegas, 6 hr. From Denver, 8 hr. From Phoenix, 10 hr. From Albuquerque, 10 hr. From Los Angeles, 10 hr. From San Francisco, 12 hr.

Get around
Most of the Salt Lake Valley uses a consistent street grid radiating out from the southeast corner of Temple Square, downtown. Major streets run precisely east-to-west or north-to-south. Addresses are coordinates within the grid, and streets represent intervals of 100 in each direction. For example, the street five blocks east of the grid's center is called 500 East (commonly called 'Fifth East' in spoken conversation) and 13 blocks south is 1300 South (or 'Thirteenth South'). This means that the cardinal directions mentioned in street names do not represent a direction you can drive on that street, and if the direction designation is the only difference between two street names, they are two completely different streets, unlike the common street naming system where North Main and South Main would be two halves of a contiguous road. Building addresses are numbered based on their position between the 100-interval streets at either end of the block: 629 South 1500 West would be between 600 South and 700 South on 1500 West.

A few streets are known by their names rather than their numbers: these include South Temple (which runs East/West, splitting the northern and southern halves of the grid) and Main Street (which runs North/South, dividing East and West sides). 100 East is universally known as State Street; 100 North and 100 West are better known as North Temple and West Temple, as they border the northern and western edges of Temple Square. Some other streets downtown have honorary names, which are not in common use.

Streets are an eighth of a mile (a fifth of a kilometer) apart downtown, but become more irregularly spaced as you move farther from the city center. Many major roads are numbered according to the grid system, but suburban streets are a mix of numbers and names. Most street signs helpfully provide the coordinates of named streets.

The Avenues neighborhood in the northeast corner of Salt Lake City also has its own street grid, which doesn't quite align with the rest of the city. This grid consists of east/west avenues numbered 1 though 18 (1st Avenue is the farthest south) and north/south streets lettered A through U (A Street is the farthest west).

The Salt Lake Valley is covered by a single grid system. Outside of the valley, most Utah cities and towns have their own grid systems modeled after Salt Lake's. But don't expect them to be well integrated with neighboring towns: a road may change numbers without warning as you cross an invisible local boundary.

By car
Salt Lake's wide streets make it quite easy to navigate by car; one-way streets are rare. Outside of downtown, on-street parking is relatively easy to find, though traffic slows to a crawl during the morning and evening rush hours.

Salt Lake City is well served by freeways, with Interstate 15 running straight north-to-south through the city, right past downtown. I-80 shares a brief concurrency with I-15 in the southern half of the city, branching out westward across from downtown and eastward near the southern end of the city limits. The eastern portion serves the Sugarhouse neighborhood and residential areas, while the western portion passes near the airport. The I-215 belt route makes a three-quarters loop around Salt Lake City, skipping the northeastern quadrant due to mountains. It has a junction with I-80 just southeast of the airport. State Route 201 ("SR 201", the "21st South Freeway", the "201 freeway", or just "the 201"), heads west from I-15 into the suburbs of West Valley City and Magna. The eastern terminus of SR 201 meets the southern end of the I-15/I-80 concurrency in a massive interchange known as the "Spaghetti Bowl".

Local Utah drivers will generally know how to drive in snow, however, like anywhere, there are plenty of out-of-towners who don't. If you can afford to wait, the roads are almost always plowed within a matter of hours.

By bus
The Utah Transit Authority (UTA), +1 801-743-3882, operates an extensive network of bus lines that collectively reach the entire Wasatch Front, with especially comprehensive service in and around Salt Lake City, where some lines operate at a 15-minute frequency during the day. Almost all light rail stations in the valley are connected to bus routes. Only a select handful of important routes operate at night or on Sundays and holidays, and even nighttime routes usually end service around midnight or 1AM. Extra bus lines run during the winter, serving four ski resorts in the canyons east of the city, in the Wasatch Mountains. One-way fares are $2.50, or a day pass, valid on both buses and light rail, is $6.25.

By train

UTA's light rail system, TRAX, connects many of Salt Lake City's most popular tourist destinations, including Temple Square, Downtown, the University of Utah, and the airport. There are three lines, designated by the colors blue, red, and green. The Blue Line begins in Downtown at the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub (the bus and train station) and serves the Delta Center and Temple Square before turning onto Main Street, where it heads south through the City Creek shopping center, past the Gallivan Plaza, and eventually toward Murray, Sandy, and Draper. The Green Line begins at the airport, heads east down North Temple Street and meets up with the Blue Line at the Arena, then runs alongside the Blue Line until South Salt Lake, where it splits off and heads into West Valley City. The Red Line serves the University Medical Center (including University of Utah Hospital and Primary Children's Hospital) and the University of Utah campus on the east bench, then heads west to Downtown where it shares a few transfer stations with both the Blue and Green lines. The Red Line shares track with the Blue Line as far south as Murray, then splits southwest into West Jordan and terminates in the Daybreak neighborhood of South Jordan. There is also a streetcar line, the S-Line, which connects the Central Pointe light rail station in South Salt Lake to the Sugar House neighborhood. Fares for TRAX are the same as for buses: $2.50 one-way, $5 round-trip, $6.25 for the intermodal day pass.

Most of downtown is in a free fare zone where you can use buses and light rail without a pass. (Full fare applies if you ride even one stop past the zone.)

By bicycle
Salt Lake City has routes and trails through and around the city for cyclists of any age. Riding on the sidewalk is legal everywhere but the central blocks of downtown; sidewalks are wide and pedestrians are sparse enough to navigate around. State law and city ordinance mandate that cyclists signal audibly when overtaking a pedestrian on the sidewalk. Quite a few of the city's major attractions are accessible via bicycle, and it is quick and easy to get out to the university or the zoo on a bike.

Many major streets have bicycle lanes and signs reminding motorists to share the road, but a lot of streets had these bike lanes added without widening the roadway, and thus leave cyclists without much buffer space between them and car traffic. It may be easiest to use residential side streets if one is available a block or two away. The wide streets in the city center don't help cyclists, as the extra lanes are all for cars and just make it trickier to cross the street on a bike. The city has started making more of an effort to add more and better bike lanes, in some cases taking traffic lanes away, like on 200 and 300 South, 900 West, and 500 East. 300 South and 200 West incorporate cycle tracks along parts of their length, and some other streets incorporate buffered bike lanes.

Bicycles are allowed on UTA buses and trains, including both TRAX and FrontRunner. All bus lines have bike racks except para-transit and ski routes, and bike lockers can be rented from UTA at several FrontRunner stations. The Intermodal Hub downtown includes a Bike Transit Center with rental bicycles and a repair shop.

 * 2019 Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County Bikeways Map
 * 2019 Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County Bikeways Map

See

Temple Square

Located on the north end of downtown, Temple Square is the most visited tourist site in Utah. Among its buildings are the LDS Church headquarters, a Church History Museum, a Family History Library, gardens, and restaurants. Entry to the temple requires church membership and a permit called a "temple recommend", but most other areas are open to anyone.

Temple Square is staffed with church missionaries to help show you around the grounds; languages from all over the world are represented. Below their black tag that has ther name, they will have a second tag that has the flag of the language they speak. Simply find the flag that you need. Free tours are conducted from the airport for connecting passengers on at least a two-hour layover, once an hour every afternoon (weather permitting).

Just west of the temple is the Tabernacle, a domed, oval-shaped building that is home to the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (still often called by its former name of Mormon Tabernacle Choir). The tabernacle is open to the public for guided tours, organ recitals, Thursday rehearsals, and Sunday "Music and the Spoken Word" choir performances. On the southwest corner of Temple Square is a Gothic Revival building simply called the Assembly Hall. It is open to tourists for self-guided visits and hosts concerts on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30PM. The LDS Conference Center, across the street on the northern side of the square, is an architectural point of interest with carefully-groomed roof gardens and a series of waterfalls on the exterior of the building. Tours are available. The majority of the Church Office Building is off-limits to tourists, but the 26th floor observation deck overlooking the city is open on weekdays.

The southeast corner of Temple Square is home to a handful of historic buildings, among them the Beehive House, a former residence of city founder Brigham Young (open for free guided tours 9AM–9PM daily), the Lion House, a restaurant that also at one point was a residence of Brigham Young, and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, a former hotel which now holds a number of meeting and dining facilities, a theater showing free church-produced films, and public computers for genealogical research. The 10th floor has two observation areas overlooking the city, which are open to the public.

The busiest times at Temple Square are the first weekend of April and the first weekend of October, when thousands of visitors from all over the world attend the church's General Conference meetings. December is also a popular time to visit for the extravagant Christmas light set-up that covers the square every year.

Be aware that most of Temple Square is closed for extensive renovations. Only the Tabernacle is open. Most of the sites off of the square proper are still open.

Parks

Outdoor recreation

Salt Lake City is a hub for an incredible variety of outdoor recreation. Summer activities available in the area include camping, hiking, rock-climbing, mountain biking, boating, and fishing. Popular trails within the city include City Creek Canyon and the walking paths at.

Several world-class ski resorts are accessible within minutes of Salt Lake. Ski areas in both Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon are served by UTA bus lines. Park City, the main skiing and snowboarding venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics, is about a 40-minute drive up Parley's Canyon (east on Interstate 80). Ski resorts in the Wasatch Mountains are famous for light, powdery snow that creates ideal skiing conditions. One variant of the Utah state license plate even dubs it the "Greatest Snow on Earth".

The nearby town of Alta is built around a ski resort and three more can be found in Park City. Salt lake has quite a few opportunities for recreational bicycling, both on- and offroad. The Jordan River Parkway is a north-south asphalt nonmotorized path that follows the banks of the Jordan River. At the southern end it begins at Utah Lake near Provo (Utah County); at the north end it connects to similar paths (Legacy Trail, D&G Trail) which extend the continuous riding all the way to Roy (near Ogden, in Weber County), about 100 miles in total. It connects many other bike trails. Other paved nonmotorized trails in Salt Lake County include:

 * Folsom Trail, near downtown Salt Lake City and running east-west
 * The 9-Line Trail, traveling east-west parallel to 900 South and extending from Redwood Road to 1100 East
 * Parley's Trail, traveling east-west at approximately 2300 South and connecting the Jordan River Parkway to Tanner Park at the mouth of Parley's Canyon
 * Porter Rockwell Trail in Draper/Sandy, a loop. The Lehi Trail connects to the southwest corner of the Porter Rockwell, allowing a cyclist to continue past Point of the Mountain into Utah County and connecting to the 17-mile Murdock Canal Trail located in that county
 * White City Canal Trail, a relatively short north-south path in White City, in the southeast part of the county
 * Draper Canal Trail, another relatively short north-south path in the southeast corner of the county
 * Mountain View Trail parallels the Mountain View Corridor highway (SR-85), traveling north-south along the west side of the county. It connects Utah County at the south to approximately SR-201 (roughly 2400S) to the north.
 * Daybreak Lake in the community of Daybreak has a trail circumnavigating it, a distance of approximately 5 kilometers.

These trails are inconsistently plowed in winter.

City Creek Canyon, directly north of Downtown past Memory Grove Park, is worth a special recommendation for a recreational ride as it is closed to cars much of the year. Cars are allowed only on even-numbered days between Memorial Day and the end of September. On odd days in that period, plus all days through fall, winter, and spring, the road is reserved to bicycles and pedestrians. The road is paved and mostly follows City Creek, the city's original and still important source of culinary water. The entire ride is about 7 miles one-way with 1300 feet change in elevation. There are many picnic sites along the road, which you can reserve for a group picnic for a fee.

A noteworthy social bicycling opportunity is the 999 Ride. This informal ride has been departing the 900 East / 900 South area in Salt Lake City every Thursday (participants gather at 9PM with the ride typically departing at 9:30PM or shortly thereafter), as of Mar 2024 for many years. It is an inclusive, all-welcoming "slow casual" no-drop ride (no one is left behind unless they want to be) that wanders through the city on a varying route from week to week. In the warmer months (the ride rolls in any weather) the event often attracts more than 100 participants.

Mountain biking, hiking, and trail running are available in Salt Lake City proper in the area of City Creek canyon, in the foothills north of the Avenues neighborhood and east of the University of Utah, and along the low elevations of the Wasatch Mountains southward to the city limit. There are more trail networks along the entire west bench of the Wasatch Front (from Weber County to Utah County), mostly on county and/or United States Forest Service lands. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is a major multiuse trail project, partially complete, intended to run along the entire length of the county from north to south, and continue beyond. Individual segments already extend to 40 contiguous miles of trail (as of 2023), with more segments being built and connected over time.

The main source of boating in the area is, of course, the Great Salt Lake immediately to the northwest of the city. The is on the south shore of the lake at I-80 Exit 104, about 15 miles (25 km) west of downtown Salt Lake City. The marina has 300 slips and is open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year, including holidays and during the winter. (The high salinity of the lake keeps it from freezing over.) The Great Salt Lake is especially popular for sailing. The lake is also an important refuge for over a hundred species of birds, including a large pelican colony living on the cliffs of Antelope Island. The island, in the southeast part of the lake, is a state park complete with visitor's center, camping facilities, and more, and is home to one of the last wild herds of bison in the United States.

Sports

Teams in a top-level league that has a lower profile than either the NBA or MLS include:

Utah is represented in the minor leagues by three teams:

In college athletics, the University of Utah's sports teams compete as the Utah Utes in the NCAA's Pac-12 Conference, but moving to the Big 12 Conference after the 2023–24 school year. Sports represented include everything from major spectator sports like football and basketball to skiing and golf. Also notable is the women's gymnastics team, known as the "Red Rocks" instead of "Utes"—perennial national title contenders, they are one of the biggest crowd draws in all of U.S. women's sports. The football stadium has a TRAX station right next to it and the basketball arena (also home to gymnastics) isn't far from the South Campus station. The baseball team shares Smith's Ballpark with the Bees, but with that facility's future in question due to the Bees' planned move to South Jordan, the university is planning a new on-campus ballpark, with a 2025 opening penciled in.

Arts and cinema

 * Major art museums are UMFA and, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Downtown Salt Lake City is home to more than 20 art galleries and antiques shops. A free Gallery Stroll happens downtown on the third Friday of each month. The neighborhood around 200 East and 300 South is the city's "gallery row" of sorts.

Live theater has long been a part of Salt Lake City's culture; several historic buildings remain that were playhouses in the 1930s. Two professional companies perform regularly: the Salt Lake Acting Company has a theater in the Marmalade District a few blocks west of the capitol building, and the Pioneer Theatre Company performs in the Pioneer Theatre at the University. Kingsbury Hall, also at the University of Utah, features musicals, touring national plays, and other special performances. The amphitheater at and the  host popular summer concert series.

The Utah Arts & Cultural Coalition maintains an online calendar of upcoming performance events in the state. Venues include the, , and.

Aside from the ubiquitous set of mainstream movie theaters showing Hollywood blockbusters, the film culture in Salt Lake includes a handful of film festivals – the best known being Sundance in nearby Park City – and two independent theaters, a pair of gems run by the Salt Lake Film Society. The near the corner of 9th East and 9th South is a single-screen venue dating back to 1921, making it the oldest theater in Salt Lake City that's still open. The downtown (111 East 300 South) has six screens; both theatres show the same types of independent and/or foreign films, plus some occasional one-time showings of old classics.

The comedy scene in Salt Lake City includes local comedians, touring professionals, and improv troupes. The Wiseguys Comedy Club chain is a common stop for national comedy tours. Current locations are in Ogden and West Valley City, as well as downtown Salt Lake City (at the Gateway).

Farmers markets

 * Downtown:
 * SLC West:
 * Millcreek:
 * Murray:
 * Murray:
 * South Jordan:
 * West Valley:
 * West Valley:

See full list.

Learn

 * Granite Peaks Lifelong Learning is an adult education program run by the Granite School District in Salt Lake City. They offer a variety of inexpensive courses, some for serious education and others just for fun. Take a GED Prep course or learn something more specific like a second language; in addition to Spanish classes for English speakers, Granite Peaks offers ESL (English as a Second Language) courses that may be helpful to foreign travelers. Classes oriented more towards fun and recreation include pottery, wine tasting, and even ghost hunting!
 * The University of Utah Continuing Education Department offers short-term, open-enrollment courses on finance, cooking, photography, foreign languages, and a handful of technology-related subjects such as web design.

The Family History Library (see above) can be an educational destination if you're looking to research your family tree and learn about your ancestry.

Work
Utah has typically had a low unemployment rate compared to the nation as a whole; unfortunately, wages are also below average and have not kept up well with the rising cost of living.

As in the rest of the United States, an assortment of national, state, and local anti-discrimination laws prohibit employers from firing employees based on factors like race, nationality, and religion. Protection on the basis of sexual orientation varies between municipalities, but discrimination of this type is no more common in Salt Lake County than anywhere else in the country.

Digital nomads
If you need to get some work done while visiting, Salt Lake has quite a few options. Almost all cafés have free wifi. The Public Library is a good option too.

Co-working spaces

Shopping areas

 * Main Street isn't one of the larger streets around as the name might suggest, but the downtown portion has a nice set of specialty shops, ethnic restaurants, and an overall pedestrian-friendly vibe. Toward the north end of Main Street, just south of Temple Square, is the newest of Salt Lake City's major outdoor malls:, complete with a skybridge over Main Street, more than 20 dining options, and anchor tenants Nordstrom and Macy's.
 * The on the west edge of downtown (90 South 400 West). M–Sa 10AM–9PM, Su noon–6PM. Gateway Mall was built as part of the city's heavy development in the lead-up to the 2002 Winter Olympics. It sits on the old site of the Union and Rio Grande railway stations, with the Union building's facade still intact as part of the mall. A mix of national and local stores can be found here, including Barnes & Noble, Abercrombie & Fitch, Brookstone, PacSun, Victoria's Secret, etc. Restaurants include The DoDo, California Pizza Kitchen, and Thaifoon. When City Creek Center opened in 2012, anchor tenants like the Apple Store traded the Gateway for City Creek, leaving an increasing number of storefronts vacant. The Gateway has reinvented itself as a hub for dining and entertainment. The Gateway Mall has gained a bit of a reputation lately as a panhandler hotspot – mostly later in the day when the mall security is thinner, but this is more of a nuisance than a safety issue.
 * Historic, the block between 500 South and 600 South and between 600 East and 700 East. Over a century old, the former trolley car storage complex has been a mall since the 1970s and houses shops such as Pottery Barn, American Apparel, the local bookstore Weller Book Works, and organic grocer Whole Foods. Restaurants include a brewpub, the Rodizio Grill steakhouse and the Old Spaghetti Factory. Sweets are in no short supply with two chocolatiers and a taffy station.
 * Salt Lake's neighborhood takes its name from the intersection of 900 East and 900 South, and is sort of an unofficial outdoor mall frequented by university students and trendy locals. There are several coffee shops around, including the Coffee Garden, Cafe Expresso, and Starbucks. Restaurants tend to be small and specialized with a focus on atmosphere. There are national chains like Barbacoa and a Great Harvest bakery, along with a local Thai place, a deli, and even a lot that alternates between being an ice cream shop in the summer and a candy store for the holiday season. Check out the less-than-reverent Cahoots Cards and Gifts for gag gifts and fun novelties; Contender Bicycles for high-end bikes, parts, and accessories; or Western Rivers Flyfisher, which offers guided fly fishing expeditions in addition to selling the gear. The 9th & 9th neighborhood is a short walk from Liberty Park in the Central City area.

Record stores

 * The punk shop behind Spoox (on State St. near 3500S)
 * The punk shop behind Spoox (on State St. near 3500S)

Groceries and other basics
The major supermarket chains in Salt Lake City are Smith's Food & Drug (which is owned by Kroger), Harmons, and Winco Foods. In addition the nation's two largest discount store chains, Walmart and Target have several stores within both Salt Lake City proper and the surrounding suburbs. Walmart stores are usually open 24 hours and many Smith's and Winco stores in Salt Lake City are also open 24 hours as well. In addition many specialty and organic supermarkets such as Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Trader Joe's can also be found throughout the area.

Eat
While not known as a hotbed of culinary innovation, there is one delicacy that originates from Utah: fry sauce, a condiment made by mixing ketchup and mayonnaise, sometimes with seasonings depending on the recipe, and eaten on French fries, onion rings, etc. Fry sauce was created decades ago by the local fast food chain Arctic Circle and can now be found in burger joints throughout Utah and in portions of neighboring states. The food processing giant Heinz has begun selling the condiment nationwide under the "Mayochup" brand name. Even national chain restaurants usually have fry sauce at their Utah locations, and many give it out as the default condiment at the drive-thru if you don't ask for something specific.

Mid-Range

There are many many options in the Salt Lake Valley that are either entirely veg/vegan or have extensive veg/vegan options. A directory is maintained and updated by an area animal rights group, and is available here. Below is a partial list of exclusively vegan destinations.

Places that are not all-veg but with extensive vegetarian menus include (Latin American),  (American and German bar), (Vietnamese, bahn mi),  (Mexican),  (Irish-style pub), and  (multiple locations; Japanese, sushi). And diverse veggie burger menus are on the offer at, , and. Places listed below typically have a separate GF menu and appropriate kitchen practices for segregating GF operations.

Splurge

Drink
There are far too many watering holes in the metropolitan area to offer even a reasonably comprehensive list. Below is just a sampling.

Utah liquor laws
The state of Utah has a reputation for unusual and frustrating laws regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages. This reputation was well-deserved until the late 2000s, but the state made a series of reforms and the situation isn't as bad as you may have heard: you no longer have to sign up for a club membership just to enter a bar, for example. A few quirks remain that may catch tourists by surprise:

 * Beer sold in grocery stores and convenience stores is a bit weaker than in other states: 3.2% alcohol by weight (4% by volume). This is also the maximum alcohol content for bars with beer-only licenses, or "taverns"; stronger beer is regulated as if it were a hard liquor.
 * An establishment with a restaurant liquor license is not allowed to serve alcohol to you unless you signal an intention to order food as well. A special law had to be passed so patrons could order their drinks before they finish looking at the menu. Mixed drinks sold in restaurants are limited to 1.5 ounces of any one spirit plus up to one ounce of additional liquors (and any amount of non-alcoholic additions).
 * Bars and restaurants alike can only serve beer between 10AM and 1AM; wine and cocktails are limited to noon through 1AM.
 * Retail sales of wine, spirits, and "heavy beer" (over 3.2% alcohol by weight) are limited to dedicated liquor stores. In more populous areas, these are mostly a chain of government-owned outlets called the State Liquor and Wine Store. Locations downtown include one at 205 W 400 S and one at 255 S 300 E . The wine prices vary significantly, but the store must sell the wine for at least 67% above cost (beer 75% above cost) plus state taxes. You cannot buy wine openers at the wine stores, so bring your own or be prepared to buy one somewhere else. The selection of wine is fairly large, but the selection of spirits is quite small and centered around "premium" spirits. There is also no case discount available.

Sleep

Crime
Crime in Salt Lake City tends to skew a bit more toward property crime than violent offenses, although, as with any city, the situation varies between neighborhoods. As a general rule, higher elevations like the east side and Capitol Hill are safer than lower-lying areas like Glendale and Rose Park, simply because affluent locals prefer the views from mountainside properties and the poorer neighborhoods are left for the valley. The vast majority of Salt Lake City is safe for tourists during daylight hours; some neighborhoods remain safe overnight, but there are certain areas to avoid after dark. Pioneer Park is near a busy homeless shelter and, despite crackdown efforts, has more than its share of drug transactions.

Violent crimes against random targets are rare. Among nearby suburbs, you're most likely to stumble across a sketchy neighborhood in South Salt Lake, West Valley City, or maybe Taylorsville.

Weather
The weather in the Salt Lake Valley presents few safety hazards – the heat of summer is always accompanied by low humidity, and winter snowstorms are usually calm. "Black ice" can make driving tricky: an invisibly thin layer can be enough to send your car skidding sideways out of your lane. The best defense against this is to simply drive slower and leave extra room for braking after a storm.

The winter temperature inversions are the biggest health hazard Salt Lake weather will throw at you. Inversions occur between snowstorms and trap dangerous levels of pollution in the lower atmosphere, affecting all low-lying areas in the Salt Lake Valley and other valleys nearby. Long-term exposure isn't considered safe for anyone, and even short-term exposure can seriously aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma. If you can avoid the valleys, the air stays clean year-round at the ski resorts in the mountains.

Connect

Downtown is pretty well covered by an assortment of free WiFi connections from local restaurants and hotels.

Area codes
Salt Lake City and most of the surrounding urban region is in an area code overlay where the 385 and 801 area codes share the same boundaries. This means a minimum of ten digits must be dialed to place even a local call.

Newspapers

 * Salt Lake Tribune. The Trib, one of two major newspapers based in Salt Lake City. The print edition publishes on Wednesdays and Sundays.
 * Deseret Morning News. The other major paper, the DesNews; published by the LDS Church via a subsidiary corporation, with print editions on Wednesdays and Fridays. It contains a mix of national headlines and stories related to church interests.
 * City Weekly. Alt-weekly paper published on Thursdays and available free at news racks around the city (as well as in libraries and many bars, restaurants, and the like). Covers current events and entertainment topics from music to theater. Their website includes professional reviews for many of the city's restaurants.
 * Salt Lake Underground. Free monthly entertainment guide with particular focus on music and skater culture. Known as SLUG. Like City Weekly, distributed through news racks and area businesses.
 * Q Salt Lake. All things LGBTQ, mostly in the form of opinion pieces.

Consulates

 * 🇧🇪 Belgium
 * 🇩🇰 Denmark
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * 🇳🇿 New Zealand
 * 🇲🇽 Mexico
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden

Go next
Salt Lake City is a good jumping off point for a road trip in the Mountain West.

Going North, you can reach Jackson (Wyoming), the kitchy but fun gateway to the Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park in a few hours.

Going West, Wendover (Utah/Nevada) is just a couple of hours away, and you pass the venerable Bonneville Salt Flats, home to many land speed records, on the way. About two hours north of Wendover is the remote land art piece Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt, wife of Robert Smithson who constructed the perhaps better known Spiral Jetty, north of Salt Lake City.

Going Southwest, a less traveled path would be to head to Delta (Utah) where you can hit some nice hot springs and see / experience the history of Japanese internment camps at the Topaz Museum and Site. You can then continue West on US-50 to experience the Loneliest Road in America. In the next 400 miles you will only encounter 3 small towns, so be sure to fill up your tank! At the far end, you'll hit Lake Tahoe and Reno.

Heading East, there's some interesting alternative routes to I-80. Passing Park City (Utah) you can take the US-40 exit to continue on to Kamas and then the Mirror Lake Highway, a very scenic mountain road that takes you up to 10,000 feet elevation with many lakes and stunning vistas. This road is closed in the winter, be sure to inquire with the Forest Service. Another alternate route east is to continue on US-40 towards Vernalm visit Dinosaur National Monument and continue on into Colorado where you'll hit Steamboat Springs.

Heading Southeast, you can take I-15 to Spanish Fork and take the US-6 East exit towards Price. This is a nice and varied drive that connects back up to I-70 near Green River (Utah). From there you can head on towards Moab (Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands National Park) or further east into Colorado. Another option is to take I-15 an hour further south and get off at Scipio, take US-50 and then UT-24 towards Capitol Reef National Park. Just east of Torrey you can take the very scenic Highway 12 towards Escalante, This is a great alternative route to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park if you have a little more time. The Capitol Reef area is a great place to spend the night to make that a 2 day trip from SLC to those parks.

If you don't have that kind of time, the straight shot to Bryce and Zion is to just head South on I-15. After visiting the parks, you can spend the night in the area. Springdale (Utah) is the gateway to Zion but can be booked / expensive in the spring, summer and fall. Bryce Canyon has a couple of lodges inside and just outside the park. Cheaper options are in St. George (Utah). Las Vegas is just 2 hours from there (but an hour behind, Vegas (and all of Nevada) is on Pacific time.

Other destinations:
 * Ogden, built up through decades of being the transfer station in the middle of the transcontinental railroad, has Utah's second most urbanized downtown environment and a better bar/club district on Historic 25th Street than anything you'll find in Salt Lake City. It's about a 30- to 45-minute drive north on Interstate 15, or you can take FrontRunner or the 470 bus.
 * Park City and Alta are skiing resort towns nestled in the Wasatch Mountains, if winter recreation is what bring you to the Salt Lake area. Park City hosts the internationally renowned Sundance Film Festival once a year in January.
 * Wendover, 120 miles (190 km) due west of Salt Lake City on the Nevada border, is a popular gambling getaway with large casino resorts modeled after the ones on the Las Vegas strip. Summer and early autumn bring a series of land speed racing events to the Bonneville Salt Flats next door.
 * Logan

title: Salt Lake City


text:
Salto

Salto is in the citrus growing region of the Northern Interior of Uruguay, on the east bank of the Rio Uruguay. It is closely connected to the neighbouring Argentinian city of Concordia that lies across the river on the western bank. Salto has just under 100,000 residents.

By bus
There are regular buses from the Tres Cruces terminal in Montevideo, direct service arrives in 6 hours and costs 640 pesos (June 2012 price) per person. Buses are also available from other Uruguayan cities such as Paysandú and Artigas. Buses arrive at the, which has food, luggage storage, tourist information, and an ATM, and is attached to the mall (Salto Shopping). Timetables are available at the terminal's website.

The bus from Salto to Concordia, Argentina is about 1 hour and 360 pesos (October 2019)...this border crossing is quick and straightforward. This bus does not run on Sundays, when the only option is a taxi. (June 2012)

Get around
There are local buses to the city's hot springs at Daymán every hour on the half hour; they travel along Calle Brasil, the fare is 14 pesos. They will deliver you to the water park or the front entrance of the main springs, where there are also several hotels, restaurants and trinket-sellers.

Do
The famous healing thermal spa of Fuente Salto is just 6km north of the city.

The hot springs at Daymán are 6 km south, and are accessible by city bus (14 pesos, 25 min). There is a water park Acuamanía with a few slides, and a separate thermal spa which has three sets of pools of different temperatures plus various fountains and showers and a large grassy area for sun and lunch. Entrance costs 70 pesos Uruguayos for foreign travellers, rental of a locker costs 35.

Salto has a free, municipal zoo with almost everything except elephants. The conditions are not exceptional, but are better than at many South American zoos.

Buy
The main street in town is Calle Uruguay, which is pedestrian-oriented and has several shops and services including foreign exchange bureaux and banks with ATMs that accept foreign cards.

Eat
Restaurants are also located along Calle Uruguay, there are a number to choose from. Some have outdoor seating.

Consulates

 * 🇦🇷 Argentina

Go next
The town of Bella Union lies 213km to the north on highway 3, while the city of Paysandu lies 121 km to the south on the same highway. Concordia, Argentina is right across the river.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Salto


text:
Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California, covering 376 square miles. It is about 227 feet below sea level. Its salinity level is 44 parts per thousand versus 35 parts per thousand for the Pacific Ocean. The sea's salinity level has been rising, putting the ecosystem at serious long-term risk.

It is a popular destination for boating and fishing. It is in the south-eastern corner of California, about 100 miles east of San Diego, 70 miles southeast of Palm Springs, 30 miles north of Mexicali.

Other destinations

 * - Slab City is a remote corner of the desert built on the foundations (slabs) of the former World War II US Marine Camp Dunlap. It is home to permanent and itinerant residents consisting of snow birds, artists, military veterans, anarchists, neo-libertarians and others living in motorhomes and camping trailers who have formed an informal off-grid community.  Salvation Mountain, a brightly colored religious artwork that covers an entire hillside, is the most prominent of many artistic works that visitors will encounter while driving through the area.

Understand
Until 1905 the area was known as the Salton Basin. In that year, an irrigation canal from the Colorado river broke, sending water flooding into the basin. This flooding lasted a year and a half, and when it was done, the Salton Basin had become the Salton Sea. In reality, the basin has been flooded countless times throughout its long history, and periodically dries out because it is in a desert that gets 3 inches of rain each year.

In the past the Salton Sea was a resort area, but changing water levels and the increasing salinity of the water resulted in decreased tourism and the collapse of the resort industry. The majority of the business in the Salton Sea area is now agricultural.

The Salton Sea's water is supplied almost entirely by agricultural runoff from irrigation water drawn from the Colorado River. Changes to water allocation, along with a persistent drought, have drastically reduced the amount of water entering the sea, leaving its future uncertain.

Climate
Because of its southern latitude, elevation of below sea level, and location in the Sonoran Desert, the area sees some of the hottest temperatures in the nation with daily temperatures from May to October often exceeding, and extreme temperatures higher than  recorded yearly.

Get around
Two highways, California State Routes 86 and 111, run the length of the Salton Sea and cross each other in both Mecca and Brawley. CA 86 is a major four-lane route on the west side of the sea and is heavily traveled. CA 111 is a two-lane highway on the east side of the sea that, while paved, tends to be in poorer condition than CA 86.

The posted speed limit lowers on CA 111 when crossing from Imperial County into Riverside County. Watch your speed, because the Riverside County Sheriff actively enforces the speed limit in that area.

There are two US Border Patrol checkpoints for northbound traffic on CA 86 at the junction of CA 78 and on CA 111 about 11 miles north of Niland. It usually takes only a few minutes to pass the checkpoints. Weekends and holidays will bring more traffic and longer wait times, but it's rarely unreasonable. Do not try to evade these checkpoints.

All around the sea there are local roads, some paved and some not, that provide access to areas such as the sea shore, abandoned residential and commercial developments, and conservation areas. Be careful driving on unpaved roads. In dry weather they can be heavily rutted. In wet weather, they are glue. The clay surfaces turn into thick, sticky mud given the least rainfall. If you don't get stuck outright trying to travel one of these roads after a recent rain, your car will at the very least be covered in mud.

California State Route 78 skirts the south end of the Salton Sea and connects Anza-Borrego State Park in the west to the Imperial Sand Dunes in the east by way of Brawley.

Railroad tracks run along the eastern side of the sea carrying mostly Union Pacific freight trains. While Amtrak trains also use this line, there are no local stops in any of the communities on the Salton Sea.

See

 * Train watching - a major Union Pacific railroad line runs along the eastern shoreline of the Salton Sea allowing for viewing almost anywhere along the route.
 * Salvation Mountain - Just before Slab City is Salvation Mountain, a large, artificial landscape made from hay bales, plaster, and colorful, Christian-themed paintings by Leonard Knight. No admission fee is required, though the maintainers do appreciate donations of paint.
 * Sunken trailer park - Bombay Beach
 * Sunken trailer park - Bombay Beach
 * Sunken trailer park - Bombay Beach

Do

 * Hunting - Waterfowl hunting is allowed by permit in winter and spring at the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area just north of Niland and at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. Hunting permits are awarded by lottery.
 * Fishing - Tilapia are abundant in the Salton Sea and safe to eat unless advised otherwise by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Fishing permits are required and can be obtained from CDFW.  Some fish can also be caught from the complex network of canals and drains amidst the agricultural fields at the south end of the sea.  Catfish in the Coachella Canal are reputed to be quite large.
 * Hiking - The Orocopia Mountains northeast of the sea provide good hiking when the weather is cooler. Be sure to carry lots of water and never hike here alone.  There is no cellular telephone service in the mountains and it is very easy to get lost or injured.
 * Bird watching - You can find shorebirds all around the Salton Sea, particularly during winter and spring months. The California department of Fish and Wildlife and the Imperial Irrigation District both maintain terraced, freshwater ponds near Niland and adjacent to the sea to provide habitat for migrating and nesting waterfowl and shorebirds.  The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge also maintains ponds as well as agricultural fields for the same purpose.  The Imperial Valley, extending from the southeast end of the Salton Sea all the way to the Mexican border, is full of agricultural fields that attract large numbers of migratory birds including snow geese, sandhill cranes, and a large variety of ducks.  Many of the birds around the sea are nesting in protected areas, so be cautious of where you go.
 * Boating - Boating is rare on the Salton Sea, but it is possible. The Salton Sea State Recreation Area manages a boat launch at its Mecca Beach headquarters, though the sea's falling water level has made use of the launch ramp more difficult.  It is advisable to avoid boating if the weather forecast predicts even moderate wind.  The local mountains can influence strong winds across the surface of the Salton Sea, producing large waves.
 * Camping - The Salton Sea State Recreation Area maintains campgrounds at Mecca Beach, Corvina Beach, and Salt Creek on the eastern shore. Imperial County operates a well-developed campground at Wiest Lake near Brawley.

Stay safe
There are safe swimming and fishing areas, but check on local conditions first as algal blooms and storms can greatly affect water quality.

Do not pick up hitchhikers on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea. There is a state prison in Calipatria. Escaped inmates may attempt to hitchhike out of the area.

It is generally advised to avoid contact with water in or at the mouth of the New River. This river flows out of Mexico and carries a small amount of untreated sewage.

There are lots of abandoned businesses, hotels, houses, and other developments around the Salton Sea. They can be fascinating to explore, but remember that most are still private property. When exploring, be respectful of the residents who still live there and may not appreciate strangers gawking at their homes or trespassing on their property.

Go next

 * Joshua Tree National Park
 * Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

title: Salton Sea


text:
Salt Spring Island

Salt Spring Island is in the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia. Salt Spring (sometimes spelled "Saltspring", one word) is the largest both in area and population of the Southern Gulf Islands. The population has grown from about 10,000 to 13,000 in the past five years with the influx of baby boomer retirees (many Canadian-American from California) and Alberta oil patch money. There are many more seasonal and part-time residents.

Understand
Salt Spring Island was first called Saltspring (one word) Island by Governor James Douglas in 1853. He believed that the Salt Springs in the North of the Island would bring great wealth to the Island. It was also known by a few other names during the early years: Klaathem (Cowichan Indian word for Salt), Chuam, Tuam, and Admiral Island. Saltspring was the official name as recorded by the Geographic Board of Canada in 1905. However, Canada Post and many locals used (and still use) the name Salt Spring (2 words) Island. It is frequently abbreviated as SSI.

Salt Spring Island was first settled by non-First Nations people in 1859, primarily by farmers. In the early years it was settled by many different groups including a number of African-Americans and then a number of Hawaiians and settled on Salt Spring and a number of other gulf islands. In the 1960s and 1970s there was a large influx of back to the landers who lived either in informal communes or squatted. Many of these people have settled and have become a large part of the culture of Salt Spring. Since the 1970s Salt Spring has attracted a large number of artists, and has become more and more of a tourist destination and retirement spot for the wealthy. This dichotomy of large developments for the hordes of people who want to get away from the development of the city has created a certain amount of conflict. However the island is still primarily characterized by the artists and farmers.

The main town, in the centre of the island, is Ganges. In the south of the island is a small cluster of shops around Fulford Harbour. To the north-west is a cluster, Vesuvius. To the east is the ferry dock at Long Harbour.

 * Look for the Salt Spring Studio Tour brochure on the ferry you take to the island, or at the Tourist Information Centre, or download it from their web site. Quite apart from the list of studios and wineries which you can visit, it has a quite serviceable map of the island.
 * Look for the Salt Spring Studio Tour brochure on the ferry you take to the island, or at the Tourist Information Centre, or download it from their web site. Quite apart from the list of studios and wineries which you can visit, it has a quite serviceable map of the island.

By boat
BC Ferries is the most common way to get to Salt Spring Island. There are 3 routes that serve Salt Spring Island, each at a different terminal on the island:

 * BC Transit serves the ferry terminals at both ends of the ferry route. On Salt Spring Island, bus route #2 serves the ferry terminal.
 * Served by a vehicle ferry route from Crofton ferry terminal (near Duncan). 25 minutes crossing. Departures almost hourly from about 7:30AM to about 10PM. BC Transit serves the ferry terminals at both ends of the ferry route.  On Salt Spring Island, bus route #3 serves the ferry terminal.
 * BC Transit serves this Salt Spring Island ferry terminal and TransLink serves Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal. On Salt Spring Island, bus route #4 serves the ferry terminal.
 * If traveling to or from Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal, more trip options are available by traveling through Victoria (Swartz Bay) ferry terminal, both the Salt Spring Island (Fulford Habour) - Victoria (Swartz Bay) route and the Victoria (Swartz Bay) - Vancouver (Tsawwassen) route every 2 hour or more frequently, though keep in mind that this will be more expensive than traveling on a single ferry.

Private boats
Salt Spring Island is a popular destination for private boaters. There are public marinas at Ganges and Fulford (at the southern end of the island), with limited moorage, and two private marinas in Ganges Harbor that allow transient boaters.

By plane
There is no airport on Salt Spring Island, but seaplanes fly into Ganges Harbour, stopping at the, just over 200 m east of the Tourist Information Centre. This includes regular scheduled service from the Harbour in downtown Vancouver, from the seaplane terminal at the South Terminal of the Vancouver Airport, and from Seattle.

 * Flights to Salt Spring island from downtown Vancouver and Vancouver International Airport
 * .  Operates flights to Salt Spring Island Lake Union in Seattle to Ganges in the summer only.
 * Operates flights to Salt Spring Island from the Vancouver International Airport.

Most of these planes are pretty small, so it is not unreasonable to charter a plane to be on your schedule.

Get around
A car is usually the easiest way to get to the different parts of Salt Spring Island.

It is popular for visitors to get around Salt Spring on bicycle. The roads on the island tend to be narrow, hilly and quite twisty, so one needs to take care when riding a bicycle.

It is also quite common for people to hitch-hike around the island and you will probably be picked up in 5-10 minutes anywhere on the island (other than where traffic is exiting a ferry onto Salt Spring).

See

 * Artist Studio Tour, get the Salt Spring Studio Tour map on ferry. This is a self-guided tour of over 30 different artist studios. The hours and days vary from artist to artist. This is also a very good map of Salt Spring Island. Artists studios vary from painters, sculptures, potters to speciality cheese makers. Most artists studios are open May to September, some are available year around.

Do

 * Kayak to nearby, located in the mouth of Fulford Harbour. Russell Island is part of Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and features gorgeous examples of second-growth Douglas fir, arbutus and Garry oak trees. A gentle loop trail hugs the island's shore, and takes you to the historic Mahoi House. Here, descendants of Maria Mahoi — one of the island's original Hawaiian (Kanaka) settlers — host an interpretive program for visitors. The Russell Island Host Program runs from early June until early September.
 * Swim
 * Hike
 * Fall Fair a traditional country fair with a Salt Spring flavor. Held around the last weekend of summer or the first weekend of fall. It is held at a very nice fair grounds that has a number of buildings and a few show areas. There are judging of entries in everything from baking, and vegetables to equestrian and livestock. The food and craft stands are quite good. There is also music all day long
 * Climbing - Salt Spring Island offers British Columbia's only cobble rock climbing area; that is, climbing on walls made of a dense matrix of smooth pebbles. Other climbing opportunities are found near the top of Mount Maxwell Park.
 * Climbing - Salt Spring Island offers British Columbia's only cobble rock climbing area; that is, climbing on walls made of a dense matrix of smooth pebbles. Other climbing opportunities are found near the top of Mount Maxwell Park.

Buy

 * The majority of shops and restaurants on the island are located in Ganges within 300 m of the Tourist Information Centre.

Eat
Most of the eateries on the island are in Ganges.

However there are a few restaurants in other parts of the island:

Sleep
There are bed and breakfasts spread throughout the island. There are also a number of vacation homes and cottages.

Connect
The area code for Salt Spring is (250) -- same as Vancouver Island. Cell phone coverage is spotty on the island. Telus provides the best coverage on the island. Rogers provides some coverage on their network.

Go next

 * Hop aboard BC Ferries and travel to nearby Mayne, Pender or Saturna Islands to explore Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (GINPR). Gulf Islands National Park Reserve offers incredible opportunities for boating, kayaking, hiking, wildlife viewing and picnicking, as well as for exploring these rural island communities.

title: Salt Spring Island


text:
Salvador

Salvador is the capital of the state of Bahia, Brazil. With a charming Old Town (a World Heritage Site), a vibrant musical scene and popular Carnaval celebrations, it is considered one of the birthplaces of Brazilian culture. Salvador is an enchanting city full of mysteries and charms. There are millions of tourists every year flocking to Salvador to enjoy its beaches. Parts are best explored on foot, such as dense historical areas including the Pelourinho and the Lacerda Lift, the first urban lift in the world, and the Mercado Central.

Understand
It is the biggest city in the Northeast region, and was the first capital of Brazil.

History
Founded in 1549 by the Portuguese, Salvador was the capital in the heyday of the slave trade. The legacy remains today in its large Afro-Brazilian population, and the resulting culture in many ways outshines the rest of Brazil; in music, many of the greatest names from the mid-20th century to the present hail from Salvador, such as Dorival Caymmi, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso. In literature, the late Jorge Amado was also from the region. It's a vibrant, exciting city, and its people are quite friendly.

Orientation
Salvador is on a peninsula on the north-east coast of Brazil which shields the large Baía de Todos os Santos ("All Saints Bay") from the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the third largest in Brazil, sprawling for dozens of kilometres inland from the coast. Most visitors head for the coastal neighbourhoods that cluster around where the bay meets the ocean. Salvador, Brazil has a tropical climate including rainforests and lush vegetation.

A 100-m cliff runs along the entire bayshore, dividing the city into Cidade Alta, up on the cliff, and the Cidade Baixa down by the bay. The former features Pelourinho, the old city center that packs historical sites, colonial architecture, museums, restaurants, bars, hostels, artisanal shops, and music/dance/capoeira academies into a convenient, albeit tourist-swarmed, set of winding cobblestone streets. The latter features a commercial center with lots of bus traffic coming in from all over Salvador.

Outside of this area, there are many beach districts that stretch from the tip of the peninsula northeast along the Atlantic coast. The Barra neighborhood at the tip of the peninsula is the main alternative jumping-off point to Pelourinho, and a little further to the northeast are the hip neighborhoods of Rio Vermelho and Amaralina, which feature a nightlife less geared to the foreign tourism industry. A decent bus ride beyond these is the neighborhood of Itapuã, which has an energetic beach side nightlife and relatively few foreign visitors. Northward from there are kilometres and kilometers of gorgeous beaches, all accessible by bus.

The bayshore coast north beyond Pelourinho features a more tranquil atmosphere and a locally patronized, though less scenic, beach life. The interior of Salvador is where the "new city" has developed, full of residential neighborhoods, shopping megaplexes, and knotted highways, all of which can be quite alienating without actually having a friend to show you around.

Local residents enjoy sharing their exotic dancing and music skills with tourists. Residents are also considered some of the friendliest people on the planet.Tourist are welcomed with open and friendly arms by the majority of local residents.

People
People of Salvador, as other people from the state of Bahia, have a reputation of being relaxed, easygoing, and fun-loving, even by Brazilian standards, and of leading a "slow life". It's questionable whether this reputation is true, as the hectic behavior of pedestrians and drivers in traffic does not seem to be typical of "slow" or "relaxed" people. Regardless, few soteropolitanos (natives of Salvador) seem to bother with this reputation, even the bad part of it, and some even make fun of their own supposed laziness. Also, most people in Brazil agree that soteropolitanos are generally friendly and warm people.

As a former African slave port, Salvador inherits a massive social inequality with notable racial tones, with a wealthy minority being mostly white and often living in gated communities, and the majority of people being relatively poor and mostly black or mixed. The city's highly famous Carnival has been a subject of controversy, with many criticising the lack of participation of locals in the event (as they can rarely afford the expensive tickets), and others remarking the importance of the event to the city's tourism and economy.

Climate
With a tropical climate and year-round sunny weather, temperatures in Salvador do not vary much. In summer, average maximum temperatures reach 30 °C (86 °F) and in winter, temperatures are between 26 °C (79 °F) and 21 °C (70 °F). However, humidity can give a greater thermal sensation than that. If you go swimming, the sea also has a pleasant average temperature of 27 °C (81 °F) all year round. With lots of sun and heat throughout the year, your concern as a tourist will just escape the rainy season, which lasts from April to June in Salvador.

With over 2,400 hours of sunshine a year, it's essential to use sunscreen in this sunny city.

By plane

Scheduled airlines:

 * LATAM (all Brazil,Miami and Buenos Aires).
 * Gol (all Brazil, Buenos Aires and Rosário).
 * Azul Linhas Aéreas (Vitória da Conquista, Paulo Afonso, Ilhéus, Porto Seguro, Teixeira de Freitas, Lençóis, Recife, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Goiânia), Feira de Santana, Campinas and Cuiabá).
 * Passaredo (Vitória da Conquista, Barreiras, Brasília and Ribeirão Preto).
 * TAP (Lisbon).
 * Aerolineas Argentinas (Buenos Aires and Córdoba)
 * Air Europa (Madrid)
 * Cabo Verde Airlines (Ilha do Sal)
 * Copa Airlines (Panamá City)
 * Condor (Frankfurt).

The airport is 28 km from the city center (via the Paralela expressway) or 32 km (via the seaside). There is a subway station easily reached by a free bus shuttle from the terminal. The subway fare is R$3.70 (including transfer to city buses). The subway is the best option to reach the city, it goes to the city center and also connects the airport directly to the main bus terminal (Estação Rodoviária). To Barra, Campo Grande or Ondina area, take the subway to Lapa Station (Line 1) and then a short bus ride (or a taxi/Uber). To Pelourinho, take the subway to Campo da Pólvora Station and then walk (around 900 meters, it's ok if you're arriving during the day) or take a taxi or Uber. To the ferry-boat terminal (to Itaparica), take the subway to Acesso Norte Station (Line 1 and 2) and then a bus towards São Joaquim. Two kinds of taxis are available in the airport, the executive taxis (Coometas and Comtas), and the normal taxis. Executive taxis are pre-paid, they have a table of prices rather than a meters. The other taxi option would be the normal taxis which are metered. A third option would be the executive air-conditioned minibuses which depart every 20 minutes to the Praça da Sé, in downtown near Pelourinho via the seaside, stopping at famous beaches like Ondina, Pituba, Amaralina and Itapuã, and Barra as well as stopping by Shopping Barra--an American-style shopping mall located not too far from the Farol da Barra The fare for these buses is R$4. Another option is the urban buses that go to many parts of the city, for the tourist the options are Lapa and Campo Grande buses, the best thing is ask the driver before taking an urban bus, the fare is R$3.70. There is also a shuttle service to some hotels around the city and costs R$25.00. The tickets are sold inside the arrivals area or online. To Praia do Forte, take the subway to Mussurunga Station or Rodoviária Station and then a bus, try to check the schedule of theses buses in advance.

By bus
Salvador's long-distance bus station is in the middle of the new city, 14km from downtown. Salvador is accessible via scheduled buses from all around the country and from Paraguay. Inside the bus stations there are taxis (local taxis and executive taxis) and local buses which can all take you to many places in Salvador and the metropolitan area. Executive buses in the Iguatemi Station can be accessed from the Iguatemi Mall by way of a busy walkway. Bus travel in and out of Salvador can take a lot more time than expected. Count on an average speed of 50-60 km/h when planning your itinerary.

By boat
Salvador is a common stop on international cruise routes and was once visited by the Queen Elizabeth 2 during her sailing career. Note that the docks area can be dangerous. This area is linked to the Pelourinho historic centre by the Elevador Lacerda, and to the city by urban buses and executive buses to Iguatemi.

By foot
There are a number of transportation options available in Salvador, including taxis, buses and car rentals. the bus fares are quite affordable, although the taxi fares can be quite expensive if one is traveling a long distance. The old city center can be easily explored on foot. To get between the upper and lower sections, take the Elevador Lacerda or the cable car, remember to take small change as the fare is just R$0.15. The streets between the two are considered dangerous even during the day.

By bus
City buses, as in other Brazilian cities, are constant and confusing. Fares are normally R$3.70, as of July 2018 (even for buses into the neighboring city of Lauro de Freitas). There is also the option of the air-conditioned executive buses for R$5. Remember to board in the back for the full-sized buses.

Know your landmarks and neighborhood names. Any large shopping area will have a complimentary frequented bus stop, and the major intercity terminal, Lapa, is next to Shopping Lapa.

Other major bus terminals include: Estação Iguatemi (between the Rodoviaria and Shopping Iguatemi), and Estação Mussurunga (on the Paralela with buses usually connecting to Praia do Flamengo interior neighborhoods in Salvador).

If you are trying to make your way out of Pelourinho, you can either take the Elevador Lacerda down to the Comercio and find buses for just about every route, or walk to the Praca da Sé bus stop just south of the elevator, which has a much smaller selection of buses passing through, and many options of executive buses.

Buses are safe to ride at night, as long as you are on a frequented (i.e. coastal) route and dress and act inconspicuously. Service stops at midnight and begins again around 04:30-05:00. There are a limited number of lines that provide night service from 00:00-04:00

You can find more about the Salvador bus routes and time tables one the website for the Superintendência de Transporte Público (in Portuguese only).

By taxi
Salvador cab drivers must be competing with those in Rio for spots on Formula 1 racing teams. They will certainly get you where you're going quicker than the bus! However, as buses stop running after midnight, do be prepared to haggle quite a bit with taxi drivers who refuse to use the meter, especially if you've decided to explore far from your bed. Executive taxis (white and blue) don't have meters, and the prices are on a table, it's more expensive than city taxis, but they are much more comfortable, they are in stops in the main shopping malls, the airport, bus station, ferry-boat station and big hotels.

By car
Renting a basic car with air conditioning (and 100 km/day or km free) costs R$ 110-140 per day, plus fuel. It's not hard to find your way across Salvador avenues, but although people from Bahia have a reputation of being relaxed and easygoing, traffic is aggressive (somewhat like Rio de Janeiro), and you will frequently see drivers attempting dangerous overtakes on you. Pedestrians are also careless and unexpectedly run to cross roads and streets. If you are not used to this type of traffic, consider asking for a private driver, which is possible on many car renting agencies. Renting a car may be a good idea if you plan to visit the beaches from the northern part of Bahia, with more time flexibility than allowed by travel agencies.

By bicycle
Cycling is not really a good option to get around in Salvador, as there aren't enough cycleways and parking for bicycles, and drivers don't have any respect for cyclists. An exception is the cycleway along the east coast of Salvador, which runs for 12.55 km and goes from Amaralina to Piatã beaches. Be aware that as the cycleway is not very used, a lot of pedestrians use it for walking.

By metro
Salvador has a metro system consisting of two lines connecting the city center to some suburbs, the airport (Estação Aeroporto) and the long-distance bus terminal (Estação Rodoviária). Pelourinho district is 900 m away from Campo da Pólvora Station. Barra area is linked by very frequent city buses from Lapa Station.

The subway fare is R$3.70 including two city bus transfers with the subway card (Cartão Integração - easily bought at any subway station, including the airport) or with the Salvador bus card (Salvador Card).

See

 * At the center of the Cidade Alta there are the two large squares Praça da Sé and the Terreiro de Jesus which are connected at the corner by the cathedral. The latter is probably the most lively part of town, with food carts and stalls through the day and revealers in the evening hours.
 * At the center of the Cidade Alta there are the two large squares Praça da Sé and the Terreiro de Jesus which are connected at the corner by the cathedral. The latter is probably the most lively part of town, with food carts and stalls through the day and revealers in the evening hours.
 * Abaeté Park — A protected state park around the lake with the same name. The lake is famous because of the stark contrast between the dark water and the very white sand dunes. There is an entertainment area with a lot of bars and live music.
 * Abaeté Park — A protected state park around the lake with the same name. The lake is famous because of the stark contrast between the dark water and the very white sand dunes. There is an entertainment area with a lot of bars and live music.

Do
You'll find a huge variety of things to do in Salvador. Some of the popular activities include:
 * Day tour of Salvador - Salvador 500 years in 1 day (info: salvador-guide.basix.cc)
 * Salvador Parks
 * Salvador golf courses
 * Salvador music festivals
 * Surf trips
 * Participate at a Candomblé ceremony. Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian religion that originated in Salvador and still has a significant following in Brazil. Their places of cult are called terreiros and many are open to visit. You can ask at FENACAB (Nacional de Culto Afro Brasileiro). They organise visits with a taxi for 100 Reais and have an office in Rua Portas do Carmo, 39 – 1º andar (antiga Alfredo de Brito) – Pelourinho +55 71 3321 1548. http://bahia.com.br/outros_servicos/federacao-nacional-de-culto-afro-brasileiro/ Many travel agencies also organize similar visits for the same price. They are free to enter and tourists are welcome to participate, so if you know a terreiros you can also go by yourself.

A good Brazil tour guide in Salvador, known as a guia de Salvador, will be able to show you around lots of the attractions and activities if you want to explore on your own. A good option to get a general idea and find your way around in the city is the "Salvador Bus", an open-top tour bus passing by the main points of interest and offering explanation on the way.

One of the main attractions in Salvador is the Carnaval. Salvador's giant Carnaval, the biggest of the world, according to the Guinness book of records, lasts for one week and is extremely popular with Brazilians and tourists alike. The event happens in mid-February and consists of parades, live entertainment, music, dancers and vendors. The main parades follow three circuits: one in the historic center Pelourinho (with mainly traditional groups in costumes), one on Campo Grande, where most bands play samba, and the most popular one in Barra/Ondina, where modern Brazilian Axé music mixes with percussion and all kinds of rhythms and styles, and the bands parade between "Camarote" boxes on one side and the beach on the other. Options to participate are either by watching from the camarote boxes, or purchasing an "abadá" shirt to join a group that accompanies one of the bands throughout the parade.

You can expect to have a lot of fun if you vacation in Salvador during Carnaval. Salvador also has many other attractions that tourists will find enjoyable. these include golf courses, museums and even an old 17th-century fort. Anyone wishing to visit Salvador Brazil will find their trip to be entertaining, fun and full of wonderful memories.

Go to the beach
Visiting a Salvador beach is a highlight for many tourists. One of the main central Salvador beaches is Porto de Barra. It was originally the site of the first settlement of European newcomers to Bahia. It can get very crowded on weekends. The north-East region of Salvador concentrates most beaches with good water quality. Flamengo and Stella Maris are the most popular beaches among tourists and upper class locals. They have excellent tourist infrastructure and rough waters excellent for surfing. Jaguaribe, Piatã and Itapoã, with calmer waters, are mostly frequented by locals and can become quite crowded at weekends. They are a good option with you want to mix with the local population, but don't bring anything besides your clothes, sunglasses, sunscreen, and some cash, as muggings are quite common.

The other beaches of Salvador aren't suited for bathing, but still can be good for walking, cycling, or taking pictures. Farol da Barra has a beautiful view (specially during the sunset), but it's difficult to walk due to the rocks. "Farol" means lighthouse, and this beach is known for its lighthouse as well as being popular with surfers. A much safer choice is nearby Plakaford. Here the calm waters and soft sandy beaches are welcoming for families and children. In the city south, there is an array of beautiful beaches that include Tinhare and Boipeba.

For a nice day trip, catch the ferry to the laid-back island of Itaparica.

Buy
Salvador shopping is the bargain hunters paradise. There is nothing that you cannot find in a mall. If you plan to buy popular art, crafts and clothing, check the small stores at the Old Town or head to the Mercado Modelo (Model Market). Locals like to shop at American-style shopping malls:

 * Shopping Center Iguatemi
 * Salvador Shopping
 * Shopping Barra
 * Shopping Itaigara
 * Shopping Center Lapa
 * Shopping Piedade
 * Bahia Outlet Center
 * Salvador Norte Shopping
 * Aeroclube Shopping & Office

The first thing that anyone wanting to shop in Salvador should know is that it is essential to haggle. very few vendors will stick to their given price. If pushed they will always go lower. If you are looking for souvenirs you may want to check out Litoral Norte located at Rua Gregorio de Matos 30. They sell t-shirts and other items. Most will cost you no more than $5.

If you want local art you should visit Pelourhino. There are many galleries that double as stores. Galeria 13 at Rua Santa Isabel 13 displays work by local artists.

Eat
Bahian restaurants are considered to be among the best in Brazil. The majority of Bahia restaurants offer South American cuisine but there a few that offer other specialties. For example, the Maria Mato Mouro located at Rua 3A Ordem de São Francisco, Pelourinho serves a wide range of seafood dishes from all over the world although most are from South America. One of the most popular dishes is the grilled bahia fish badejo. This restaurant is open daily from noon until 1AM and offers main courses from $15 to $25. The Terreiro de Jesus is a great place to sample the local cuisine from street stalls, served by Afro-Brazilian baianas in their traditional white dresses. A must try dish is the Abara. This is a wrap with bean paste, dende oil and onions all cooked in a banana leaf with spices for flavour. if you prefer western food then you will find many fast-food places like Burger King, McDonald's, Subway or Pizza Hut. You also will find casual dinner chains like Outback Steakhouse.

Be sure to try acarajé, small fritters made from black-eyed peas and onions fried in palm oil slathered with spicy vatapá (shrimp paste).These are sold by Baianas on the street.

Budget

 * Acarajé da Cira, Largo de Itapuã, 3249-4170. Fresh acarajé daily from 10AM-11PM. There is also another location on the Largo da Mariquita in Rio Vermelho.
 * Acarajé da Dica, Rua J, Castro Rabelo, Pelourinho. Open Tu-Sa 3PM-11PM, Su 10AM-1AM.
 * Health Valley Brasil, Rua Direita da Piedade (in the city center). Vegetarian restaurant run by an African couple. Serving typical dishes based around ginger. Very popular with the local alternative crowd. Buffet including fruit juice and dessert costs R$12.
 * Quiosque de Amaralina, Ave Otávio Mangabeira, Amaralina. Serving acarajé near the beach from 4PM to midnight.

Splurge
No trip to a Salvador restaurant is complete without dessert. The Bahia region is famed for its sweet tooth. A Cubana at Rua Alfredo de Brito 12 is open daily from 8AM until 10PM. It is an old fashioned ice cream parlor or sorvetoria with 28 homemade flavors.
 * Amado, Ave Contorno. Contemporary cuisine.
 * Barbacoa, Ave Tancredo Neves. Fine meat dishes and some of Salvador's best feijoada in a refined atmosphere.
 * Boi Preto, Boca do Rio (in front of Aeroclube Plaza Show near the Convention Center). One of the best churrascarias in town. Full buffet and salad bar plus unlimited fine cuts of meat.
 * Marc Le Dantec, Pier Sul Apartment Service, Ondina. The best French restaurant in the city.
 * Mistura, Itapoã. Specializing in fish and international cuisine.
 * Trapiche Adelaide, Comércia. Voted among the best fine dining in the city, with a fine view of the Bay of All-Saints.
 * Yemanjá, Ave Otávio Mangabeira 9292, Pitubá, 231-5570. Long held nationally and internationally as the standard in typical Bahian cuisine.
 * Yemanjá, Ave Otávio Mangabeira 9292, Pitubá, 231-5570. Long held nationally and internationally as the standard in typical Bahian cuisine.

Drink
Be aware of bars charging an entrance fee on exit.If you want top make sure that there is no cover ask when ordering the first drink.

Bars

 * Bar da Ponta, beside the Trapiche Adelaide. A place to see and be seen, drink, and have a fantastic view of the bay.
 * Beco dos Artistas, near Campo Grande. One of the gay and lesbian areas of the city, with a diversified crowd. Friday and Saturday nights only. The area has various bars and a restaurant (the nightclub is now closed). Aim to get there around 10PM, as it starts to empty around midnight as people move onto other clubs.
 * Bohemia Music Bar, Jardim Brasil. The comfortable atmosphere, live music, and a varied menu make this a popular pick-up spot. The places often checks for IDs at the entrance.
 * Chuleta, Vale do Canela (near the UFB campus and the neighborhoods of Graça and Vitória). Boteco frequented by university students, famous for its cheap beer and for the meat snack from which the bar takes its name. Open air, plastic tables.
 * Largo de Santana, Rio Vermelho. This busy street has various bars and restaurants, and some of the best acarajé in town.
 * Mercado do Peixe, Rio Vermelho (at the seaside in front of the Blue Tree Towers Hotel). One of the best after-hours spots, Mercado do Peixe is a real Salvador institution. It starts to get busy after 3AM when everywhere else is closing. With simple accommodations and plastic tables, various stands stay open offering moquecas and regional appetizers, in addition to drinks. During the day it is, as its name suggests, a traditional seafood market.
 * Hostel Galeria 13, Pelourinho, Rua da ordem terceira no 23. The new native English speaking owner has travelled and worked in many famous bars and clubs around the world you will get a chance to check out his knowledge of drinks. They offer great juices with a touch of ginger 'refreshing', or maybe a caipirinha or roska with water melon already being boasted the best in Brasil, a big Claim take him up on it. You can enjoy your drinks in the garden or the most original spot in Pelourinho, the Moroccan "chill out" room.
 * Hostel Galeria 13, Pelourinho, Rua da ordem terceira no 23. The new native English speaking owner has travelled and worked in many famous bars and clubs around the world you will get a chance to check out his knowledge of drinks. They offer great juices with a touch of ginger 'refreshing', or maybe a caipirinha or roska with water melon already being boasted the best in Brasil, a big Claim take him up on it. You can enjoy your drinks in the garden or the most original spot in Pelourinho, the Moroccan "chill out" room.

Nightclubs

 * Dolce, on the first floor of Shopping Boulevard 161, Itaigara. Very busy club, attracting a somewhat older crowd.
 * Rock in Rio Café — Often mentioned in tourist guides but now closed.
 * Zauber Multicultura, Ladeira da Misericórdia, 11, Edifício Taveira, Comércio, 71 3326 2964. Combining music and visual arts in one of the most important historic areas of the city. The space bridges between the old (architecture) and the new (decoration). Find out what is going on before you go, and take a taxi, as the location is in a rather dangerous and prostitution-plagued area of the city.
 * Rock in Rio Café — Often mentioned in tourist guides but now closed.
 * Zauber Multicultura, Ladeira da Misericórdia, 11, Edifício Taveira, Comércio, 71 3326 2964. Combining music and visual arts in one of the most important historic areas of the city. The space bridges between the old (architecture) and the new (decoration). Find out what is going on before you go, and take a taxi, as the location is in a rather dangerous and prostitution-plagued area of the city.

Sleep
There are luxury hotels on the beach. Salvador also has discount hotels that offer cheap rates for those on a budget. There are also hostels in Pelourinho that are reasonably priced, but noisy at night.

Budget

 * A Meson Pousada, Rua Portas do Carmo 11, Pelourinho 51 71 3322-8039 offers affordable lodging in the middle of all the action, day and night, for Salvador's Historic District.
 * Hostel Pais Tropical , Largo do Pelourinho 7, Pelourinho 51 71 3322-1859 Situated in the heart of Salvador. Offers economical prices, good breakfast and support for speaking in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Polish.
 * Hostel Pais Tropical , Largo do Pelourinho 7, Pelourinho 51 71 3322-1859 Situated in the heart of Salvador. Offers economical prices, good breakfast and support for speaking in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Polish.

There are 3 hostels affiliated with Hostelling International, two situated in Barra and one in Pelourinho. All are quality youth hostels.

Cope
You can extend your visa or visa-free stay in Brazil with the Policia Federal inside the airport on the second floor. Just follow the signs.

Consulates

 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Stay safe
Due to high social inequality, Salvador is notorious for street crime, and for a tourist that wanders carelessly in the streets, the likelihood of a mugging or armed robbery is considerably higher than in São Paulo and perhaps even Rio de Janeiro. Salvador recognizes the importance of tourism to the city economy, so most important tourist sites such as Pelourinho and Mercado Modelo, as well as main popular festivals like the Carnaval, are usually heavily guarded.

In 2018, Salvador had 47.23 homicides per 100,000 residents, the 9th highest in the country, and the 29th highest in the world.

People with darker complexions will have an advantage over those with pale skin. Blacks are likely to blend in well; other dark-skinned people may be inconspicuous in many places, but others are immediately labelled as either upper class citizens or tourists, and may be specially targeted.

If you are moving on foot, by bicycle, or by bus, it's best to go out during the day. Avoid bringing anything valuable, just enough to enjoy your day. The Flamengo and Stella Maris beaches are among the safest places to go during the day, and they are the best options if you just want to enjoy a good beach without much local culture. In other places, try to stay at areas guarded by police.

As a general rule, be suspicious if people approach you directly in a friendly way as they either want money or to sell you something. It's wise to reject an approach immediately and if necessary then think about it.

At night, it's better to take a cab to go out. Stay at reasonably crowded places. If you don't see other tourists where you are, then it's probably not a place you should be unless you are feeling particularly adventurous.

 * Some areas which are strongly frequented by foreigners can become dangerous, especially at night, i.e. the Barra harbour area. Never go to the beach at night!
 * The long sloping road leading from the old town to the harbor should be avoided even during the day. Always take the elevator.
 * If you are staying in the touristic Barra area, beware of the favela near Shopping Barra, especially at night. The area just to the east toward the beach can be dangerous as well.
 * Beware of vehicular traffic. Crossing the streets is always dangerous even when using a pedestrian crosswalk with the traffic light red for cars. As one member of Supergrass band once said: "In Brazil green means go, and red means go faster!" Start the crossing only when vehicles have already stopped.
 * Never agree to share a taxi with other random people, especially if they approach you. Most likely, it's just a trap to rob you!
 * Watch out for children in Pelourinho, especially on Tuesdays at the Geronimo Concert at the old church - they are reaching out for any low pockets in cargo pants!
 * Be careful when walking near the Iguatemi: it is dangerous to wander there. Don't go there past 11PM, unless you are in a car or a taxicab, you will be robbed.
 * If you rented a car and stopped in a parking spot, do not stay in the car for too long. You will be a vulnerable target.

When shopping always check the price first, especially if you are white and have blue or green eyes, many locals will see you complexion and feel they have the right to charge you double for services and products. Always ask for a Coupon Fiscal it ensures that the company or individual you are purchasing from pays the proper tax, and it can usually result in them "suddenly" giving you a 10 - 15% discount if you don't want the coupon as they have to pay 27% tax what you buy and the coupon ensures this.

Be particularly aware of bancas and kiosks on the street as they will undoubtedly charge you more for being an estrangeiro (foreigner).

All the little extra money you are charged can seriously eat into your budget and leave a sour taste in your mouth as nobody likes being ripped off.

Stay healthy
As elsewhere in Brazil, some beaches in Salvador are not suitable for bathing, and conditions can change frequently. On the day of your visit, check the latest weekly bathing bulletin (in Portuguese, boletim de balneabilidade) of the state's Environment Department (INEMA).

Go next
Salvador is the gateway to many other nearby attractions such as:
 * Praia do Forte. Beach town with the "Project Tamar" turtle sanctuary.
 * Imbassai. Just a few kilometers further north from Praia do Forte, this relaxed village's beach lies between the sea and a river that runs parallel to the ocean for a few hundred meters. Unique panorama.
 * Boipeba. A beautiful and very pleasant island.
 * Morro de São Paulo. Very frequented island by tourists and locals, plenty of restaurants, hostels and bars. It has four beaches with translucent water.
 * Massarandupió. 90 km from Salvador, it's a true paradise, a semi-desert beach, with a small river. Walking by the beach you can reach a naturist area.
 * Aracaju and further north to Maceió and Recife
 * Chapada Diamantina National Park

title: Salvador