Capoeira for travelers: where to watch or take a class

Capoeira is both a fight and a dance, and Salvador is the easiest place to see it. The Arena da Capoeira in the Comércio district is a free public space, and schools in the Pelourinho teach classes to visitors. IPHAN registered the Roda de Capoeira as national heritage in 2008, and UNESCO inscribed the capoeira circle in 2014.

What capoeira is

UNESCO calls it an “Afro-Brazilian cultural practice – simultaneously a fight and a dance.” Two players engage inside a circle of participants. The people outside the circle sing, chant, clap and play percussive instruments. The master usually plays the berimbau, a single-string percussion instrument. The master is the bearer and guardian of the knowledge of the circle, who teaches the repertoire, keeps the group cohesive and sets the timing and rhythm of the game.

Capoeira grew among enslaved Africans and their descendants in Brazil, and it was once banned and persecuted. The roda keeps the memory of that resistance. It affirms mutual respect among groups, which is why it calls for quiet attention from visitors.

IPHAN registered the Roda de Capoeira in 2008, in the Livro de Registro das Formas de Expressão, with national scope. It lists the craft of capoeira masters (Ofício dos Mestres de Capoeira) separately, in the Livro dos Saberes. UNESCO’s committee approved the international inscription in November 2014 in Paris.

For a visitor, this means the roda is a ritual with a code. The master leads it, and the rest follow.

Angola and Regional

Salvador is home to the two main styles of capoeira. Capoeira Angola is slower and lower to the ground, with long songs and a strong ritual side. It is linked to Mestre Pastinha. Capoeira Regional is faster and more athletic, with set sequences for teaching. Mestre Bimba created it in Salvador in the 1930s.

Many schools teach one style. Others teach a mix, often called contemporânea. Try one class of each if you have time, since the feel is very different.

The instruments. The bateria, the music group, is led by one or more berimbaus. The pandeiro (tambourine), the atabaque (a tall drum) and the agogô (a double bell) often join. The songs are in Portuguese, with a call from a lead singer and a chorus from the circle. You will learn the chorus fast.

Getting there

Salvador is the base for this page. For arrival, see Brazil airport transfers and Uber and taxis in Brazil. The Pelourinho sits in the historic center, in the upper city. The Arena da Capoeira is in the lower city, at the foot of the Lacerda Elevator. Neighborhood notes are on Salvador beyond Pelourinho.

When to go

You can watch and train in Salvador all year. Most schools hold classes on weekday evenings and open rodas at the weekend.

During Carnival, February 6–10, 2027 on the Brazil festival calendar, many schools change or pause their schedules, and some play in the street parades. Holidays such as Christmas and New Year also bring breaks.

Check before you go: school schedules shift during Carnival and holidays, and event dates change each year. Message the school a few days ahead, and ask the Prefeitura de Salvador culture office about capoeira events during your stay.

Where to base

The schools cluster in the Pelourinho, with others in Curuzu, Itapuã, Rio Vermelho, Alto do Coqueirinho and Dois de Julho. Staying in or near the Pelourinho or Santo Antônio Além do Carmo puts you within walking distance of most of them. Evening classes end after dark, so plan an app taxi back if you stay further out. See the Salvador page for areas to stay.

What to do

Watch, free

• Arena da Capoeira, Praça Maria Felipe in the Comércio district, in front of the Mercado Modelo. It is free and public. The city government opened it on July 4, 2024, with ten bronze statues of capoeira masters, a space for practice and four 12-meter arches meant to evoke berimbaus.
• Forte da Capoeira, Praça Barão do Triunfo (Largo de Santo Antônio). This old fort houses several capoeira groups, and rodas take place inside. Ask at the door when the next one is.
• Galeria da Fundação Pierre Verger, Portal da Misericórdia 9, Shop 1, Centro Histórico. The French photographer Pierre Verger documented Afro-Bahian life, including capoeira. The gallery opens Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and is closed on Sundays and holidays.

Take a class, ask first

• Fundação Mestre Bimba, Rua Maciel de Baixo 51, Pelourinho. It teaches capoeira, Afro dance, samba de roda and maculelê, the stick dance. It has opened Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with classes Monday to Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and open circles on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon. A single class has cost R$ 30 (about US$5.91, checked Oct 2026).
• Escola de Capoeira Angola Irmãos Gêmeos (Ecaig), Rua Gregório de Mattos 9, second floor, Pelourinho, and at the Forte da Capoeira.
• Casa da Capoeira Pelourinho, a charity at Rua do Açouguinho 10, first floor, open Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Associação de Capoeira Ginga Mundo, Rua das Laranjeiras 1, first floor, Pelourinho, founded in 2004.
• Canzuá Capoeira Angola, Travessa Pedra da Sereia 5, Rio Vermelho.
• Centro Cultural Capoeira Baiana, Rua do Curuzu 222, Curuzu, which offers talks, courses and classes.

Other groups train in Itapuã, Alto do Coqueirinho and Dois de Julho.

Check before you go: class times, fees and trial-class rules change, and some schools close for a few weeks a year. Message or visit the school a day ahead, and confirm the time of your first class.

Instruments and music. The Atelier Percussivo Lua Rasta, at Rua da Ordem Terceira 3 in the Pelourinho, makes handmade percussion instruments. The Novo Mercado São Miguel, at Av. José Joaquim Seabra 151 in Nazaré, has opened Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A berimbau is a classic souvenir. Ask how to pack it for a flight.

Costs

Watching is free, and classes are cheap by international standards. Pay the school directly, and ask for the rate before you start.

Street performers in the Pelourinho often ask for money after a photo. Agree before you shoot, or give a small tip.

What to ask a school before you pay

1. What days and times are classes, and is there a class for first-timers?
2. What does a single class cost, and what does a week cost?
3. May visitors watch a class or a roda before joining?
4. Is there a rule about clothing, shoes and jewelry?
5. How does the school pay its teachers and musicians?

Wear loose, stretchy trousers and a T-shirt for a first class. Most schools train barefoot. Remove rings and watches.

Where the history sits

The former academies of historic masters, a barracão and the Cais do Ouro are part of capoeira’s history in Salvador. Most are not set up for visits today, so treat them as places to read about. The best way into the history is a school run by a mestre, where the songs carry it.

How to behave in a roda

• Stay outside the circle unless a participant invites you in.
• Do not film the master or the players without asking. Ask before photographing.
• Clap and sing the chorus if the group invites it. Silence is fine too.
• Tip musicians who play for you in public spaces. See tipping in Brazil.
• Watch your phone and bag in crowded squares. See scams in Brazil.

Skip it if

• You want a fixed timetable booked months ahead. Schools work on short notice.
• You have a knee or back injury. The movements demand strong agility, so ask the school about your limits first.
• You want a staged photo opportunity. The schools teach the practice, and the best rodas are not shows.
• You are uneasy in a crowd at night. Evening rodas can draw a packed room.