Brazil best places to visit
Brazil is world-famous not just for its exotic wildlife, but also for its diverse and unique culture. The country has two major destinations which are the best places to visit; the first one is Rio de Janeiro. It’s known as the party city of Brazil. This city was actually established in January 1, 1502. If you are fond of carnival celebrations, then you may find this destination to be a perfect place for you to visit. September 11 – 19 is the time when carnivals are held here. One of the famous sites that people cannot afford to miss is Sugarloaf Mountain.
Brazil is world-famous not just for its exotic wildlife, but also for its diverse and unique culture. The country has two major destinations which are the best places to visit; the first one is Rio de Janeiro. It’s known as the party city of Brazil. This city was actually established in January 1, 1502. If you are fond of carnival celebrations, then you may find this destination to be a perfect place for you to visit. September 11 – 19 is the time when carnivals are held here. One of the famous sites that people cannot afford to miss is Sugarloaf Mountain.
Brazil is a country of amazing diversity. From the humid Amazon rainforest to the sandy beaches of Rio de Janeiro, this country has something for everyone.
Here are some of the best places to visit in Brazil:
- Rio de Janeiro: The city of Rio de Janeiro is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Brazil. This vibrant city offers beautiful beaches, incredible views from its many hills, and an array of sights and sounds from its bustling streets.
- Salvador: Salvador is a historic city located in northeastern Brazil that was once a major port for transporting goods from Africa to Europe during colonial times. Today it remains one of Brazil’s most important cities due to its rich history and vibrant culture
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, and it’s a great place to visit. It’s got beaches, mountains, rainforests, deserts and more. Here are some of the best places to visit in Brazil:
- Rio de Janeiro: This city is famous for its beaches and landmarks like Copacabana beach and Christ the Redeemer statue.
- Sao Paulo: Sao Paulo is one of the most important cities in South America with a population of over 11 million people.
- Salvador: Salvador is known for its colonial architecture and Afro-Brazilian culture.
1. Cristo Redentor and Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro
With arms outstretched 28 meters, as if to encompass all of humanity, the colossal Art Deco statue of Christ, called Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), gazes out over Rio de Janeiro and the bay from the summit of Corcovado.
The 709-meter height on which it stands is part of the Tijuca National Park, and a rack railway climbs 3.5 kilometers to its top, where a broad plaza surrounds the statue. Completed in 1931, the 30-meter statue was the work of Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski and Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, and is constructed of reinforced concrete and soapstone.
The eight-meter base encloses a chapel that is popular for weddings. Although this is one of Brazil’s most readily recognized icons, it is often mistakenly called The Christ of the Andes, confused with the older statue marking the boundary between Argentina and Chile.
A mid-point stop on the railway leads to trails through the Tijuca National Park, a huge forest that protects springs, waterfalls, and a wide variety of tropical birds, butterflies, and plants. Several more viewpoints open out within the park.
2. Sugar Loaf, Rio de Janeiro
The easily recognized emblem of Rio de Janeiro, the rounded rock peak of Sugar Loaf juts out of a tree-covered promontory, rising 394 meters above the beaches and city. Its summit is one of the first places to visit for tourists, for views of Rio and the harbor, and for the thrill of riding suspended in a cable car between Sugar Loaf and the Morro da Urca, a lower peak from which a second cableway connects to the city.
Rio’s first settlement began below these peaks, near the long Praia da Urca beach, and you can tour one of the three early forts there, the star-shaped Fort São João.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Rio de Janeiro
3. Iguaçu Falls
At the point where Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina meet, the Iguaçu river drops spectacularly in a semicircle of 247 waterfalls that thunder down into the gorge below. Just above the falls, the river is constricted to one-fourth of its usual width, making the force of the water even stronger.
Some of the falls are more than 100 meters high and they cover such a broad area that you’ll never see all of them at once, but you do get the broadest panorama from the Brazilian side. Catwalks and a tower give you different perspectives, and one bridge reaches all the way to one of the largest, known as the Garganta do Diabo (Devil’s Throat).
You can cross to the Argentinian side for closer views from catwalks that extend farther into the center of the falls. The two sides offer different perspectives and views, so most tourists plan to see both.
The falls are protected by the UNESCO-acclaimed Iguaçu National Park, where subtropical rainforests are home to more than 1,000 species of birds and mammals, including deer, otters, ocelots, and capybaras.
4. Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
Downtown Rio’s most fashionable and famous section follows Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana and is bordered all along one side by four kilometers of white sand and breaking surf. The beach is separated from the buildings and traffic by a broad promenade paved in black and white mosaic in an undulating pattern reminiscent of streets in Lisbon, Portugal.
The beach isn’t just for show. It’s also a popular playground filled with sun-worshipers, swimmers, and kids building sand castles whenever the weather is fine. Stroll the streets here to find restaurants, smart shops, cafés, and beautiful old buildings from the days when Rio was Brazil’s capital.
One of these, the famed Copacabana Palace, is protected as a national monument. Inside its lobby, you can easily imagine seeing the royalty and film idols who have stayed here.
5. Carnaval, Rio de Janeiro
Few shows match Rio’s pre-Lenten Carnaval (Carnival) extravaganza for color, sound, action, and exuberance. Make no mistake, this is not just another rowdy street party, but a carefully staged showpiece, where spectators can watch the parades of competing samba dancers from a purpose-built stadium designed by none other than Brazil’s best-known architect, Oscar Niemeyer.
Called the Sambódromo, this long series of grandstand boxes provides ringside seats to a 700-meter parade route where dancers and musicians from the competing samba schools strut their stuff in a dazzling explosion of brilliant costumes.
If mob scenes are less appealing to you than more spontaneous celebrations (that are equally riotous and colorful), you’ll also find Carnivals in Salvador, Bahia, Recife, and other Brazilian cities.
6. Ipanema
Beyond the beaches of Copacabana, the glorious white sands merge into the just-as-famous beaches of Ipanema. The same wave design of Copacabana’s wide promenade continues here, separating the sand from the line of hotels, restaurants, cafés, art galleries, and cinemas that make this a popular social zone year-round.
Farther along, beyond the Jardim de Alá Canal, which drains Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, are the beaches of Leblon. With more locals and fewer tourists, these beaches are favorites for families. Sunday is especially busy, with an antiques market at Praça de Quentaland and the Feira de Artesanato de Ipanema, alive with music, art, handcrafts, and street food.
The waves at Ipanema and Leblon can be very strong and unpredictable, so be careful where you swim. Follow the locals and stay out of the water where you don’t see others swimming. If surf is what you’re looking for, head to the stretch between Copacabana and Ipanema, where the surfers hang out.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Ipanema
7. Amazon Rainforests
About 20 kilometers southeast of Manaus, the dark Rio Negro waters meet the light muddy water of the Rio Solimões, flowing side by side for about six kilometers before mixing as the Amazon. Boat trips from Manaus take you to this point, called Encontro das Aguas, meeting of the waters.
Other boat trips take you into the heart of the rainforests and the network of rivers, channels, and lakes formed by the three rivers. In the Rio Negro, the Anavilhanas Islands form an archipelago with lakes, streams, and flooded forests that offer a full cross-section of the Amazonian ecosystem.
You can see monkeys, sloths, parrots, toucans, caimans, turtles, and other wildlife on a boat trip here. Also close to Manaus, the 688-hectare Janauari Ecological Park has a number of different ecosystems that you can explore by boat along its narrow waterways.
An entire lake here is covered with giant water-lilies found only in the Amazon region. While in Manaus, be sure to see its famous Teatro Amazonas, the Italian Renaissance-style opera house, designed to put Manaus on the map as South America’s great center of culture.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Manaus
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