Salvador is a city that holds that largest black population outside the African continent and hence, it is known as the Black Rome. It has preserved as part of its historical legacy an intense African-Amerindian religiosity.  The city safeguards charms and mysteries, hidden in magnificent places that you will have the opportunity to visit through this itinerary, carefully prepared in order to demystify erroneous notions and impressions disseminated over several centuries about religions of African origin in the world. The route begins in the Afro-Brazilian Museum which, through its collection, narrates the history of enslaved Africans and the transatlantic trade, and the ebb and flow of enslaved peoples and their identities. The artifacts come from several regions of the African continent, allowing you to understand the countless intellectual, artistic, cultural and religious manifestations of these peoples in Brazil. You will visit the Pierre Verger Foundation, the French anthropologist responsible for developing literary and photographic records of the history of slavery, and extensive audio visual documentation. You will get to know a maroon community, places that served as a haven for black people and their African gods during the colonial and post-abolition periods in Brazil. Soon after, you will get to know a Candomblé terreiro from the ewe-fon a nation of daomeniana origin and have the opportunity to consult the sacred oracle (optional activity - extra cost). As you walk through the streets, you will see the urban and cultural development of a slum originated from a maroon community, in the company of guide from the community, who is initiated in these traditions and knowledgeable of these historical processes.

Living in a multicultural city, but historically marked by sharp socioeconomic inequalities, leads to development of strategies to combat social stratification and exclusion. Saramandaia is a low-income, majority black community located within noble neighborhoods in Salvador. Like many other similar communities, it is characterized by abject poverty and insufficient assistance by governmental bodies, and consequently resulting in high rates of violence. In this context, 3 residents have elaborated strategies that seek to reclaim the historical identity of its residents. Despite facing multiple barriers, in 2003 they founded the conscious art project, an initiative that has been transforming the community's reality, by providing assistance to young men and women, aiming at transforming their unfavorable conditions of socioeconomic exclusion. On this tour, you'll visit this important social project that seeks to transform their lives through arts and sports, utilizing graffiti, capoeira, boxing and percussion in organized courses and workshops. This tour promotes interaction and participation between you, the students and members of the community, so that you can experience the transforming power of these initiatives.

Experience the exotic flavors and aromas of Salvador (São Salvador da Bahia), and learn about the African, Portuguese and indigenous legacies of its cuisine. Meet a family from the community and learn how to prepare and cook some Afro-Brazilian food. Follow an itinerary carefully crafted to provide the best flavors for your palate at a cooking class run in accordance with traditions and religious customs. Chat with the family as you prepare your own lunch!  Start with a visit to a seafood market, and learn about the best fish to use for different types of recipe. Prepare to cook a fish stew known as "moqueca" (a typical Afro-Brazilian local dish). Pick up some vegetables at another food market, along with some tropical fruit that you will use to make a caipirinha (Brazil's national cocktail). Next, prepare the delicacies in a popular neighborhood, guided by your host family. Discover how to prepare the dishes according to Afro-Brazilian traditions, and savor the flavors of the African Diaspora. As their ancestors would say: "ajeum" ("eating is sacred").