Brazil

What to see

Rio de Janeiro

The spectacular harbour, backed by Sugar Loaf Mountain and overlooked by the statue of Christ the Redeemer on top of Corcovado Peak well deserves the moniker cidade marvilhosa, 'the marvellous city'. Lively, edgy and a cultural stew, the city boasts a number of important landmarks and a selection of museums that offer an insight into its history and people.

The beaches

Whether you prefer Copacabana or Ipanema, you'll find the beaches along this fabled stretch of coastline home to non-stop entertainment, with all of Rio out to play.

The Amazon

The Amazon is a vast swathe of rainforest, some of which remains unexplored. Famous for its diversity and the number of plant and animal species it is home to, the rainforest is an extraordinary place to spend time searching out sloths, armadillos or manatees.

The Pantanal

The vast wetlands of the Pantanal are home to the densest concentration of wildlife in the world, with more than 270 bird species living here along with jaguar, ocelots, monkeys and much, much more.

Top experiences / sites of particular interest

Salvador de Bahia

Split into upper and lower sections, linked by step streets, a funicular railway and the Art Deco Elevador Lacerdo, the city is home to a number of attractive churches, palaces and museums.

Iguazu Falls

A series of spectacular cataracts over which an enormous volume of water cascades, making this one of the most spectacular waterfalls, set deep amongst dense rainforest, in the world.

Football

Football is a national passion and an extraordinary spectacle for the neutral fan - watch a match at the Maracana stadium in Rio to gain an insight into Brazilian local life.

When to go

Weather & Seasons: The Amazon basin has tropical temperatures and high humidity throughout the year. Heavy rains make travel between January and May difficult. The coast also has a hot, tropical climate. Further south the weather is more temperate. The rainy seasons occur regionally; in the north they take place from January to April; in the North-East from April to July; in the south from November to March.

Important dates and festivals: Brazil is famed for its festivals. Carnival is the biggest and best-known street party in the world, taking place over four days from Friday afternoon after Shrove Tuesday until Ash Wednesday. Rio or Salvador are the place to be to experience the full spectacle. Bahia also hosts a second carnival just after Christmas. Rio is also the place to be for New Years Eve, when the city and Copacabana Beach come alive.

Getting there / around

Flights: There are international airports in Brasilia (BSB), Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and Sao Paulo (GRU). The country boasts one of the largest internal flight networks in the world although it is not always reliable.

Rail: In contrast therailway network has been reduced to next to nothing. The exception is the scenic route from Curitiba to Paranagua alongside the coastal mountain range.

Road: Driving is more straightforward if you do chose to travel overland though.

Potential itineraries

Short Trips: In a county this size you’ll need several weeks to even scratch the surface. In three weeks you can expect to explore Rio and the southeast, taking in gorgeous beaches, rain-forest covered islands such as Ilha Grande or Ilhabela and colonial towns such as Paraty as well as centres including Sao Paulo for a bit of high culture.

Longer Trips: 6 weeks would enable you to explore Bahia and the Northeast, where there are great surf beaches, laid back hangouts and colourful and vibrant places such as Salvador or Olinda for a change of pace. Check out the Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses for one of the most startling landscapes in the country. 6 weeks also allows you to navigate the tributaries of the Amazon, starting in Belem and heading upstream to little-visited villages, and Manaus, Amazonia’s largest city and the place to organise jungle treks or visits to the nearby reserves.

Guides

Overall Country Guides: The Footprint Handbook to Brazil is the best of the bunch, with Rough Guides and Lonely Planet also publishing strong titles. Guides from Insight and Eyewitness are also well worth a look.

City Guides There are a number of city guides to Rio from Lonely Planet, Moon and Time Out, who also produce a guide to Sao Paulo.

Nature Guides: Bradt publishes a guide to The Wildlife of the Pantanal.

Maps

Country Maps: Good country maps are available from MichelinFreytag & Berndt and Reise Know-How.

Street Maps: There are decent street plans of Rio de Janeiro available from ITMB, which includes Brazil East, Freytag & Berndt and de Dios. Street maps of Sao Paulo are published by ITMB, which includes Southern Brazil, and de Dios.

Read More

A Naturalist on the River Amazon is a vivid account of Henry Walter Bates' trip on the river in 1848 to collect plant and animal specimens in a bid to solve the riddle of the species.

Tree of Rivers looks at the history of the Amazon and the threats to its future.

James Scudamore’s novel Heliopolis is set in a fictionalised version of Rio and examines the clash between cultures and classes. 

Ashes of the Amazon by Milton Hatoum, one of the finest Brazilian writer's of his generation, is a melancholic tale of a wealthy rebel who escapes his claustrophobic family to explore Rio, then 1970s Berlin and London.

Local Dishes

Track down a bowl of Feijoada, a thick stew of black beans, beef and pork, sausage, chops and pigs ears. InBahia look out for vatapa, a creamy fish stew served with rice and bread.

Wash your meal down with a caipirinha cocktail, based on the potent whiskey liqueur cachaca, mixed with ice, mint and lime.

Sight & Sound

Music: Samba is the sound of Brazil, best experienced in the dancehalls in Rio's Lapa district. Alternatively groove to the addictive Afro-Brazilian rhythms or classic Brazilian bossa nova beats elsewhere in the city.

Film: Watch Walter Salles' award-winning Central do Brazil or the powerful City of God to get a flavour of Rio.

Language

Brazilian Portuguese

Language Books: Pick up Lonely Planet's Brazilian Phrasebook or Hippocrene's Brazilian Portuguese Dictionary to get by. Alternatively try Berlitz's Portuguese Phrase Book or Portuguese Phrase Book and CD.

Currency

Real (R$) made up of 100 centavos.

Visas

Visas are required by everyone except visitors from the UK.

Health issues

Vaccinations: required for Cholera, diphtheria, Hep A, Hep B, Rabies, Typhoid and Yellow Fever. Malaria is also present.

Safety, FO travel advice

Petty crime such as pickpocketing, theft and bag snatching is prevalent in larger cities so travellers need to be streetwise, keep valuables concealed and be conscious of who is around them.

Useful Telephone Numbers

Brazilian country representatives can be found

in the UK at

and in the US at

For more more information visit www.brazil.org.uk, www.brasilemb.org, or www.ipanema.com.