2 Travel Guide BRASIL
2 Travel Guide BRASIL
2 Travel Guide BRASIL
Recommended Foods
Eating local foods enhances your cultural experience and your taste buds.
While in Rio de Janeiro, eat at a local restaurant rather than an overpriced
one on the main streets. In Salvador, try acaraje, a fried sandwich heavily
influenced by African cuisine. Also try cove, Brazilian kale, carioca black
beans and rice, and casaba, or manioc. While in the Amazon Rainforest, try
fresh-caught fish and exotic fruits.
Read more: The Best Local Rio de Janeiro Restaurants
Map of Brazil
Brazils natural highlights are many. There are the big hits like the Amazon Rainforest and the
Iguau Falls, but also lesser-known spots like the Pantanal wetlands, Ilha Grande, Chapada
Diamantina, and white-sand beaches of the Lenis Maranhenses. If you are looking to
escape the busyness of the cities and see some wildlife and impressive natural wonders, all of
these sites are worth your while.
Foz do Iguau
You might also want to take a side trip over the border to Argentina and Paraguay, where there are
remnants of magnificent baroque churches and communities built in the 17th century. These Jesuit
Missions are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Pantanal
Think the Amazon Rainforest is the best place
to see wildlife in Brazil? Think again. The
Pantanal, the largest wetlands in the world, is
home to jabirus, capybaras, caracaras,
tapirs, iguanas, jaguars, monkeys, piranha,
and plenty of other critters. During the dry
season (June to August), the flood plains
recede, and wildlife congregate around the
remaining marshes. This makes it easier to
spot wildlife, much easier than in the Amazon,
where the thick canopy obscures many of the
animals. Bring your binoculars and your
sense of adventure for a Pantanal tour including horseback riding, nature walks, canoe rides,
visits to local farms, and Jeep safari tours deep into the wild.
Chapada Diamantina
The Plateau of Diamonds is a rarified beauty
indeed. Just inland from Salvador in the state
of Bahia, the Chapada Diamantina National
Park is studded with crystal clear rivers,
waterfalls,
natural
waterslides,
deep
canyons, and underwater caves. The region
was booming during the 19th century diamond
mining frenzy, but now the only jewels youll
see are the spectacular landscapes. It
encompasses 38,000 km, making it larger
than the Netherlands.
Lenis is known as the gateway to the national park. This small town was once headquarters
during the mining era. Now it has hotels and restaurants to accommodate the hikers and onlookers
eager to visit the national park. Visit the Casa de Afrnio Peixoto, the French vice consulate
building, and other relics from the diamond days.
Take a guided excursion to underwater caves such as the Lapa
Doce and Pratinha and the Poo Encantado. Get drenched by
waterfalls such as the Cachoeira da Fumaa, the tallest in
Brazil. The most unique features of the landscape are the
jutting buttes and mesas. The Morro do Pai Incio is one of
the most famous. Pass through trails drapes in orchids and
bromeliads, walking in the footsteps of diamond-hunters who
blazed trails throughout the region. Visit at sunrise or sunset for
stunning panoramas.
Salvador da Bahia
Salvador enjoys year-round sunshine, exclusive beach
resorts, and a vibrant Afro-Brazilian culture. Walk down
the cobblestone streets of the Pelourinho, admiring the
brightly painted restaurants, shops, and churches in
restored 16th-19th century buildings. See the Pao
Municipal, the Palcio Rio Branco, the Elevador Lacerda,
and the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Misericrdia on a
guided historical tour.
The mass influx of people during Carnival means that Rio de Janeiro hotels will require you book 4-5
nights minimum. And if you want to stay in a 3* or 4* or 5* Rio hotel during Carnival, it is imperative that
you book your hotel reservation well in advance.
Many of the fine hotels, such as the
Copacabana Palace, have Carnival masquerade
balls with music and live bands.
Combine your Rio Carnival tour with a visit to
the other highlights of Rio de Janeiro. Take a
city tour of Sugarloaf Mountain and see the
Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado
Mountain. Both offer panoramic vistas of Rios
stunning coastline.
Oktoberfest in Blumenau
Thought
all
that
Brazilians drank were
caipirinha cocktails?
Think again.
The Blumenau
Oktoberfest is the
biggest beer-garden
outside of Germany.
Over 600,000 liters
of beer flow each
year in this small
town in the foothills of
Brazil, where German
immigrants put down
roots centuries ago. Youll find parades, folk
dances, a Ferris wheel, a Bierwagen,
plenty of children wearing lederhosen, a
Chopp em Metro (Beer Drinking
Contest), and the crowning event, the
designation of the Oktoberfest Queen and
Princess. Its an excellent time to take an
Oktoberfest Brazil Tour to see the
highlights of Brazil, and top it off with a
beerstein and bratwurst.
Blumenau,
just inland and north of Florianopolis in Brazil, was a German
settlement begun in 1850 by the Austrian Dr. Hermann Blumenau.
Today, a vibrant German community continues to thrive in
Blumenau, with tow-headed children speaking German. In 1983, the
town decided to give homage to the fatherland with a beer-guzzling
festival that would rival that of Munichs.
Now an average of
700,000
people
come each year to
the cerveza-ganza to imbibe and partake in what
many would call the most authentic German festival
in the Americas. The sounds of samba music are
nowhere to be found: only traditional German folklore,
with dancers decked out in lederhosen and dirndl.
Many bands fly straight from Munich into Blumenau to
perform after the Munich Oktoberfest is over.
Throughout the evening, there are laser shows and music bands,
on stages located along Copacabana Beach. As the clock strikes
midnight, toast to the Ano Novo with friends with champagne,
which you can purchase by the bottle from street vendors. Then
after the fireworks show, the crowd slowly moves to Ipanema,
where musicians play dance music until the next morning.
Be aware that many hotels in Rio de Janeiro require a minimum
stay of 3 or more nights, and often hotels are booked well in
advance during New Years. So make sure to make your Rio
New Years travel
plans early.
Read more: Tango, Samba,
Morro de So Paulo
South of Salvador da Bahia, the Morro de So Paulo is a small
island with good pousadas and beaches. No cars are allowed on
the island, only tractors. Stay at the Villa Guaiamu Beach
Resort.
Peninsula de Mara
This peninsula near Salvador is a quiet and relaxing getaway.
Located near a lagoon covered with coconut trees, the Mara
Peninsula offers several tranquil pousadas. Stay in the 3-star
Pousada do Cassange or the 5-star Kiaroa Resort.
Buzios
Only 3 hours from Rio de Janeiro, the exclusive and elegant peninsula of Buzios features several small
beaches, all with unique characteristics. Start on the main street, which is full of posh boutiques and
restaurants. Rent a buggie to explore the other beaches. Mix in with the rich and famous of So Paulo,
who like to escape here on the weekends. Stay in the 5-star Casas Barancas Resort or the 3-star La
Chimera. Read the Rio Imperial Tour, which includes Buzios.
Ilha Grande
A romantic getaway south of Rio de Janeiro, Ilha Grande has no cars, only cobblestone walking paths
and hiking trails. Stay overnight in a family-owned pousada such as the Tago Mago Lodge, where you
will have a view of the bay and mountains from your hammock. And dont forget about the beaches
its tranquil beaches have good snorkeling. Read the Tropical Islands of Brazil Tour, which includes
Ilha Grande.
Brazilian Exuberance
8 Days Rio de Janeiro and Pantanal
At half the size of Texas, the Pantanal is a vast wetland
stretching across the borders of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.
The rainy season, from October to March, creates an enormous
flooded area relieved by patches of dry land, where most of the
wealth of animals migrate together. The richness and diversity of
the flora and fauna is, quite simply, unforgettable. Finish your
tour with the unforgettable Rio de Janeiro!
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