Best Places to visit in Brazil

Iconic Cities & Urban Experiences

Rio de Janeiro: The Marvelous City

Christ the Redeemer & Sugarloaf Mountain: These two icons offer breathtaking, yet distinct, views of the city. For the best experience with fewer people and softer light for photography, aim to visit Christ the Redeemer early in the morning (before 9 a.m.) or late in the afternoon. You can ascend via the scenic cog train, which winds through the Tijuca forest, or by official park vans from designated points in the city. For Sugarloaf Mountain, the late afternoon is ideal to witness a spectacular sunset over the city. The ascent is a two-stage cable car journey, offering evolving perspectives as you rise. For both attractions, it is highly advisable to pre-book your tickets online to select a specific time slot and avoid significant delays.

Copacabana & Ipanema Beaches: While neighbors, these world-famous beaches have their own character. Copacabana is energetic and expansive, with a wide, bustling promenade perfect for people-watching. Ipanema is considered more chic and is divided by “postos” (lifeguard posts), each attracting a different crowd. For your comfort, vendors rent chairs and umbrellas for a reasonable daily rate. Be mindful of your belongings; never leave them unattended. While relaxing, be sure to try local beach snacks from passing vendors, such as crunchy Biscoito Globo or a refreshing, iced mate com limão.

Lapa & Santa Teresa: These adjacent neighborhoods offer a fascinating contrast. Lapa is Rio’s vibrant nightlife hub, famous for the colonial-era Carioca Aqueduct, known as the Lapa Arches. By night, the area comes alive with samba clubs and street parties. Perched on a hill above is Santa Teresa, a bohemian enclave of winding cobblestone streets, artist studios, and charming guesthouses. You can explore it via the historic yellow tram that clatters over the arches. The vibrant, mosaic-covered Selarón Steps (Escadaria Selarón) famously connect the two districts.

São Paulo: The Cultural & Culinary Capital

Avenida Paulista: This is the primary artery of São Paulo, serving as both its financial center and a major cultural corridor. Along the avenue, you will find the remarkable MASP (Art Museum of São Paulo), an architectural landmark suspended on two massive red beams. The best time to experience the avenue is on a Sunday, when it is closed to vehicle traffic and transforms into a vast public park, filled with pedestrians, cyclists, street performers, and food stalls.

Vila Madalena: This neighborhood is the epicenter of São Paulo’s bohemian and artistic scene. Its reputation is built on incredible street art, most famously concentrated in Beco do Batman (Batman Alley), an open-air gallery where nearly every surface is covered in colorful, intricate murals. It is a wonderful area to spend an afternoon exploring boutique shops and enjoying the lively atmosphere in its many unique bars and cafés.

Mercado Municipal (Mercadão): Prepare for a sensory immersion at São Paulo’s main municipal market. It is a bustling, noisy, and essential city experience. Inside the historic building, you will find an incredible array of produce, including many exotic fruits from across Brazil which vendors will often let you sample. The main attraction for many is the enormous mortadella sandwich, a local specialty served at the market’s mezzanines.

Unforgettable Natural Wonders

Iguazu Falls (Foz do Iguaçu)

The Brazilian Side (Parque Nacional do Iguaçu): The Brazilian park provides the quintessential panoramic vista of the falls. A single main walking circuit guides you along the canyon rim, offering ever-expanding, spectacular views of the cascades on the opposite Argentinian side. The path culminates at a walkway extending over the river, bringing you face-to-face with the immense power and spray of the Devil’s Throat (Garganta do Diabo).

Optional Argentinian Side: A visit to the Argentinian side offers a completely different, more immersive perspective. A network of trails and catwalks takes you directly over and alongside many of the individual waterfalls. A day trip across the border is straightforward but requires a full day. You will need your passport, and depending on your nationality, you may need a visa. Taxis or tour operators can facilitate the crossing.

Key Activities: For an adrenaline-filled experience, the Macuco Safari boat tour takes you on the river right up to the base of the thundering waterfalls—expect to get completely soaked. Located conveniently near the entrance to the Brazilian park is the Parque das Aves (Bird Park), an excellent sanctuary where you can walk through massive aviaries and see toucans, macaws, and other exotic birds up close.

The Amazon Rainforest

Gateway Cities (Manaus or Belém): Your Amazon journey will almost certainly begin in one of two main cities. Manaus is the most common starting point, located deep within the rainforest at the confluence of two major rivers. While there, consider a visit to the magnificent Teatro Amazonas, an opulent opera house built during the 19th-century rubber boom. Belém, situated at the mouth of the Amazon River, is the other primary gateway.

Jungle Lodges vs. River Cruises: You have two primary options for experiencing the rainforest. Staying at a jungle lodge provides a deep, stationary immersion into a specific area. From the lodge, you’ll embark on daily excursions like guided jungle treks, piranha fishing, caiman spotting at night, and visits to local communities. A river cruise, by contrast, allows you to cover more territory, navigating upriver and seeing different landscapes and tributaries from the comfort of a vessel.

Must-See Phenomenon: Near Manaus, you can witness the remarkable “Meeting of the Waters.” This is where the dark, acidic waters of the Rio Negro meet the sandy, sediment-rich waters of the Rio Solimões. Due to differences in temperature, speed, and density, the two rivers flow side-by-side for over six kilometers before finally mixing to form the Amazon River proper.

The Pantanal: The Ultimate Wildlife Safari

What to Expect: Positioned as the world’s largest tropical wetland, the Pantanal is unequivocally the best place in the Americas for viewing wildlife. Unlike the dense, closed canopy of the Amazon, the Pantanal is a vast, open savanna that floods seasonally. This open landscape makes spotting animals significantly easier, offering a true safari-style experience.

Key Wildlife: The Pantanal is home to an incredible density of fauna. You have a very real chance of seeing iconic South American animals, including the elusive jaguar (sightings are most frequent in the Porto Jofre region), capybaras, giant otters, thousands of caimans, toucans, and the magnificent hyacinth macaw.

How to Explore: Exploration is typically organized by the lodges, known locally as fazendas (ranches). Activities are varied and depend on the season and specific location, but generally include horseback riding through the wetlands, 4×4 vehicle safaris, boat trips on the rivers, and guided nature walks. For the best wildlife viewing opportunities, it is crucial to visit during the dry season, which runs approximately from May to September.

Coastal Paradises & Island Getaways

Salvador & the Bahian Coast

Salvador’s Pelourinho: The historic heart of Salvador is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a vibrant maze of steep cobblestone streets lined with brightly colored colonial buildings. This area is the center of Afro-Brazilian culture, a place where the rhythms of Olodum drums might spontaneously erupt and where you can witness impressive displays of capoeira. It is a district to be explored slowly on foot, absorbing the unique energy, music, and history.

Nearby Beaches (Praia do Forte & Morro de São Paulo): North of Salvador, Praia do Forte is an accessible and well-organized resort town, ideal for families. It offers beautiful beaches and is home to the Tamar Project, a vital sea turtle conservation initiative. For a more lively, bohemian atmosphere, Morro de São Paulo is a car-free island reached by a two-hour ferry from Salvador. It is renowned for its sequence of numbered beaches, each with a different vibe, and a fun-loving, relaxed island culture.

The Emerald Coast (Costa Verde

Paraty: This town is a remarkable combination of a perfectly preserved Portuguese colonial center and stunning natural surroundings of mountains and sea. The historic center’s uneven cobblestone streets are a key part of its charm; we advise wearing sturdy, comfortable footwear for walking. The bay is dotted with islands and secluded beaches, best explored on a day-long schooner trip. You can also take inland tours to visit local cachoeiras (waterfalls) and cachaça distilleries.

Ilha Grande: A large, mountainous island blanketed in pristine Atlantic rainforest, Ilha Grande is a paradise for nature lovers. There are no cars on the island; transport is by boat or on foot via an extensive network of hiking trails. Its coastline is indented with over 100 beaches, the most famous of which is Lopes Mendes. Reaching this stunning stretch of sand requires a combination of a boat taxi followed by a 20-minute hike through the forest, a small journey that rewards you with one of Brazil’s most beautiful beaches.

The Northeast (Alagoas & Pernambuco)

Maragogi, Alagoas: The primary draw of Maragogi is its famous “Galés,” a series of natural swimming pools formed by coral reefs several kilometers offshore. At low tide, catamarans take visitors out to the pools for exceptional snorkeling in the calm, warm, and brilliantly turquoise waters. It is essential to plan this excursion according to the tide tables to ensure the best conditions.

Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco: Similar to Maragogi, Porto de Galinhas is renowned for its natural pools. These are located very close to the shore and are traditionally reached by “jangadas,” distinctive local sailing rafts. The town itself is vibrant, with numerous shops and restaurants. It also serves as an excellent base for exploring other nearby beaches, such as the highly-regarded Carneiros Beach (Praia dos Carneiros).