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Must-Visit Destinations for Your Ultimate Brazil Vacation

Brazil is the largest country in South America and one of the most diverse places on earth. From the Amazon rainforest to iconic beaches to fascinating colonial towns, Brazil offers incredible destinations for travelers. Here are the 17 best cities to visit in Brazil for culture, beaches, nature and more.

1. Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is likely the first place you think of when imagining Brazil. Situated between the mountains and the sea, Rio is renowned for its stunning landscapes. The giant statue of Christ the Redeemer towers over the city, while beaches like Copacabana and Ipanema are perfect for sunbathing and people watching. Take the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain for panoramic views or dance the night away at a samba club. Don’t miss a visit to the Maracanã Stadium or the Escadaria Selarón staircase, covered in colorful tiles. With its beautiful setting and fun-loving residents, Rio de Janeiro makes a fabulous vacation destination.

2. São Paulo

The largest city in Brazil at over 12 million people, São Paulo may not be as picturesque as Rio but it has an energy and cosmopolitan vibe all its own. This is the business and cultural capital, with first-rate art museums like the MASP and a dining scene boasting everything from molecular gastronomy to bustling pizza parlors. Shopaholics flock to Rua Oscar Freire , with its luxury boutiques, while the historic center features architectural gems dating back to the city’s coffee boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Don’t miss Brazilian favorites like feijoada (black bean stew) and caipirinhas (cocktails made from sugar cane liquor and lime). São Paulo dazzles with its diversity and dynamism.

3. Salvador

The capital of the state of Bahia, Salvador is considered the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture. The historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with cobblestone streets and brightly colored colonial buildings. Cap off a day of sightseeing with sunset views from the Elevador Lacerda, an antique elevator connecting the upper and lower towns. Salvador is also renowned for its African-influenced cuisine, music, and Carnaval celebrations. Visit the Mercado Modelo to shop for handcrafted goods and watch capoeira performers. With its lively festivals, sounds of drumbeats, and sacred Candomblé ceremonies, Salvador immerses you in Brazil’s African roots.

4. Belo Horizonte

The third largest city in Brazil, Belo Horizonte was designed at the turn of the 20th century to be the country’s planned capital. That honor went to Brasília instead, but Belo Horizonte still boasts a wealth of important architecture, museums, and green space. Stroll along the shaded sidewalks of the Pampulha Architectural Ensemble and take a boat ride on the artificial lake, surrounded by iconic Oscar Niemeyer buildings. The Museu de Artes e Ofícios showcases folk art and artisan crafts from across Brazil. The buzzing Savassi and Lourdes neighborhoods offer chic cafés, live music venues, and stylish shops. Belo Horizonte is a modern, progressive city with a relaxed charm.

5. Ouro Preto

Step back in time wandering the cobblestone streets of Ouro Preto , a beautifully preserved colonial mining town dating to the 17th century. One of Brazil’s best examples of Baroque architecture, Ouro Preto was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Marvel at masterpieces like the Church of São Francisco de Assis , adorned with 4kg of gold, and stroll down Rua Direita with rows of two-story whitewashed homes and wrought iron balconies. Learn about the history of gold mining or browse handicrafts at the Museu da Inconfidência . Tour nearby Mina da Passagem mine or ride the funicular down to the valley below for gorgeous views. Ouro Preto transports visitors to the height of the gold rush.

For a charming coastal getaway, head to Paraty , set amid jungled mountains jutting into the bay. recognizable by its picturesque historic center and cobblestone streets. Go for a boat tour around the islands in the bay or relax on neighboring beaches like Praia do Jabaquara or Praia do Sono . Sample delicious seafood, browse the handicrafts stalls, or try cachaça at one of Paraty’s many distilleries. Paraty comes alive for festivals like Carnaval and Festa Literária Internacional de Paraty , celebrating Brazilian and international literature. With its natural beauty, relaxed pace, and creative scene, Paraty is an alluring escape.

Perched on a hillside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the colorful colonial town of Olinda charms visitors with its mosaic-tiled churches, artist workshops, and lively festivals. Wander through the historic churches of Igreja São Roque , Igreja da Sé , and Igreja NS do Carmo , decorated with ornate wood carvings. For fantastic views, climb the church towers of Igreja NS do Monserrate or Convento de São Francisco . Browse works by local artists, then relax at an outdoor café. Don’t miss Oliveira’s exuberant street party during Carnaval or the Frevo dance festival. With the ocean breezes, tranquil plazas, and music floating through the streets, Olinda is an artful paradise.

8. Brasília

Built from scratch in just 41 months in the 1950s as the new capital, Brasília is a city shaped by some of the top modernist architects in Brazil. The airplane-shaped design was revolutionary for its time. Visit the National Congress Building , which looks like a futuristic saucer landing in the middle of a reflective pool. The ** Metropolitan Cathedral** has stained glass windows in an angular crown shape, while the Three Powers Plaza epitomizes the modernist vision. While some may find Brasília’s endless concrete andaxial layout too repetitive, this intriguing planned city offers a look into Brazil’s future-focused optimism of the mid 20th century.

9. Florianópolis

Nicknamed Floripa, the resort island of Florianópolis is beloved for its idyllic beaches, surfing, and laidback lifestyle. Praia Mole , backed by soaring dunes, and Praia do Rosa , flanked by cliffs, are two prime spots for sunbathing, swimming, and water sports. Pedal along the beachfront bike path or stroll through Lagoa da Conceição ‘s lively district. The summer crowds mean buzzing nightlife and lots of live music. Inland, explore Balneário Camboriú’s Cable Car , Cristo Luz , one of the world’s largest statues, or the UNESCO biosphere reserve of Serra do Tabuleiro . Floripa offers the best of the coast and countryside.

Nature lovers flock to the small town of Bonito for its otherworldly landscapes and eco-activities. Home to some of Brazil’s clearest rivers and most photogenic waterfalls, Bonito allows visitors to swim, raft, snorkel and dive in pristine waters teeming with fish. Don’t miss a dip in Balneário Municipal , Abismo Anhumas , or Aquário Natural . The must-do adventure here is floating down the lazy Rio da Prata and watching the jungle glide by. At night, go on a guided tour of Gruta da Lago Azul cave to see the stalactites and bioluminescent lake. Bonito shows an untouched side of Brazil that is breathtaking to experience.

11. Jericoacoara

Looking like a tropical paradise out of a magazine, Jericoacoara (known as Jeri) features white sand dunes and turquoise waters reminiscent of the Caribbean. Take a dune buggy into the Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses to admire the windswept landscape and lagoons. Rappel down rock faces or surf the powerful breaks off Praia do Futuro . At sunset, hike up Pedra Furada, Tatajuba or another sandstone peak to watch the sky light up over the dunes. The chilled out beach town has an alternative bohemian vibe, with music and bonfires on the beach at night. For a rustic, relaxing retreat, head to this northwest Brazilian gem.

12. Foz do Iguaçu

Situated on the edge of Brazil’s border with Argentina and Paraguay, Foz do Iguaçu is home to the astonishing Iguazu Falls , listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The massive cascades, with 275 individual drops up to 80 meters high, are an awe-inspiring display of nature’s wonder. Walkways let you get up close to smaller falls like Salto Floriano and Devil’s Throat . Enjoy panoramic views from helicopters or speedboats, then get soaked on a boat ride directly into the falls! In the evening, visit Itaipu Dam , the world’s second largest hydroelectric producer with a laser light show at night. The power and majesty of Iguazu Falls make Foz do Iguaçu an unforgettable destination.

13. Tiradentes

One of Brazil’s best-preserved historic towns from the colonial period, Tiradentes transports you back to the 18th century. The picturesque narrow streets are lined with charming buildings, churches, museums, galleries, and charming inns. Climb the hillside Santuario de Senhor dos Passos church for scenic views over the red-tiled rooftops. Attend Festa de São João in June, when the town honors their patron saint with processions, folk dancing, Mass, and traditional foods like rice, beans, and roasted chicken. Visit Casa dos Contos to learn about the historic gold mines. With its winding alleys, baroque churches, and quaint cafés, Tiradentes is the perfect country retreat.

14. Porto Seguro

The landing spot of Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500, Porto Seguro is packed with history and natural beauty. Join a 4×4 expedition to the Parque Nacional Monte Pascoal rainforest, home to endangered species like the puma and the red-browed amazon parrot. Take an organized day trip to the sunkissed Praia do Espelho or tranquil Praia do Apaga Fogo . In the historic center, visit the colorful colonial buildings along Rua Direita, as well as Igreja NS da Pena church and Museu de Porto Seguro . Stop at Praia de Taperapuã to see the handprints and signatures left by travelers like Pedro Cabral. With ancient ruins, pretty beaches, and lush jungles, Porto Seguro provides discovery beyond the sun and sand.

A charming resort town just a few hours from Rio, Búzios attracts celebrities and high society crowds with its stylish atmosphere and beautiful beaches. Stretching along a peninsula, the coast alternates between lagoons perfect for water sports and scenic beaches lined with rustic fishing boats. Praia da Ferradura and Praia da Armação are two most popular spots. Visit the trendy shops and restaurants along Rua das Pedras or enjoy waterfront dining overlooking the boats on Praia dos Ossos . Take a sunset cruise, try your luck at deep sea fishing, or opt for a relaxing couple’s massage. With glamorous energy and iconic views, Búzios is an ideal weekend getaway or extended vacation.

16. Ilha Grande

Although just a short ferry from Rio de Janeiro, Ilha Grande feels like you’ve landed on a remote tropical island with its unspoiled beaches and lush mountainous terrain. Activities include excellent hiking trails to waterfalls and through the Atlantic Forest , as well as snorkeling, surfing, kayaking, and stand up paddle boarding. Relax on secluded palm-lined beaches like Praia Lopes Mendes or Praia do Abrãao . Explore the remains of an abandoned prison or check out the island’s historic plantation houses in Abraão. With more than 100 pristine beaches and no cars allowed, Ilha Grande is an unspoiled natural escape from Brazil’s big cities.

17. Armação dos Búzios

Known as just Búzios, this chic beach town offers high-end dining, shopping and nightlife, as well as gorgeous coastline with 23 beaches. Walk along lively Rua das Pedras, browse local fashions, or enjoy waterfront dining and people watching. Some of Búzios’ most scenic beaches include Praia da Ferradura , shaped like a horseshoe and great for snorkeling. Praia dos Ossos is a tranquil spot for watching the boats and fishing fleet. Try your luck at deep sea fishing, take a sunset cruise, or opt for a relaxing couple’s massage at one of the town’s spas. With its beautiful setting and upscale amenities, Búzios attracts visitors looking to indulge in a vacation paradise.

Brazil is a vast country filled with vibrant culture, stunning scenery, and lively cities just waiting to be explored. From the Amazon River to thundering Iguazu Falls, Brazil’s natural wonders will take your breath away. In cities like Rio de Janeiro you’ll find beautiful beaches, outdoor cafes, and world-famous landmarks like Christ the Redeemer watching over the city. The rhythms of samba and bossa nova music set the lively mood across Brazil’s urban nightlife.

Beyond nature and city life, Brazil offers unique glimpses into history. Wandering colonial streets in Ouro Preto transports you back to the 17th century gold rush, while Salvador’s Afro-Brazilian roots shine through in its food, music and sacred candomblé ceremonies. From modern metropolises like São Paulo to charming resort towns like Paraty and Búzios, each Brazilian destination has its own allure.

Brazil’s diversity extends across its regions and landscapes. The Amazon rainforest in the north teems with exotic plants and wildlife. The Pantanal wetlands provide one of the best places on Earth to spot capybaras, caiman, macaws and even jaguars. Iguazu Falls on the border with Argentina showcase nature’s power and beauty on a grand scale. The coastal cities boast iconic beaches and scenic views high above the ocean below.

No matter which destinations call to you, Brazil offers experiences, sights and adventures to suit every interest. Revel in Rio’s fun-loving spirit. Marvel at Brasilia’s futuristic architecture. Wander charming cobblestone streets in colonial towns. Dance to the rhythm of samba and bossa nova. Lounge on white sand beaches surrounded by towering cliffs. Hike through jungles and waterfalls. Brazil’s diversity is its greatest appeal.

While Portuguese is the official language, you’ll find English spoken in major tourist areas. Brazilians are welcoming people eager to share the magic of their country with visitors. Safety precautions are advised but Brazil is an enchanting destination.

From nature to beaches, from cities to remote ecotourism, Brazil shines with its uniqueness. The iconic Christ the Redeemer, with arms spread wide, symbolizes Brazil’s spirit of embracing travelers to its shores. Let yourself be immersed in Brazil’s music, culture, landscapes and joie de vivre. With endless beauty across its cities and regions, Brazil offers an escape like no other, full of moments you’ll treasure forever. Allow yourself to be swept away on the adventure of a lifetime exploring Brazil’s best destinations.

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Most Popular Cities in Brazil

These popular cities share something in common: They are all excellent examples of Brazil 's varied regions, attractions, and culture in large cities and favorite beach resorts.

Rio de Janeiro

Peter Giovannini/Getty Images

Truly a cidade maravilhosa, Rio is spectacularly located, and cariocas and visitors enjoy a vivid lifestyle nestled between fabulous beaches and rainforested hills.

Don't miss out on Ipanema Beach, made popular by the song The Girl from Ipanema. But it's also a destination popular for locals who meet for drinks, as beer is sold all along the beach.

If you're more active, there are plenty of activities like volleyball, soccer, and Brazilian footvolley, which combines the two sports.

If the beach at Ipanema is too crowded, don't worry: You always have the nearby Copacabana.

TripSavvy / Jamie Ditaranto

The city is South America's largest and Brazil's center of trade and industry. Paulistanos work hard and play hard. Sao Paulo is known to locals as "Sampa," and while many complain about its financial focus, there are also plenty of opportunities for art and culture .

If you're into street art, the city is known for its  pichação,  which is a series of tagging in a cryptic style in death-defying locations. Many of the most famous artists try to impress by finding the most difficult locations to tag. 

Sao Paulo is also famous for its shopping and is one of the best places to learn Portuguese in Brazil.

Pelourinho and Salvador

Barichivich/Getty Images

Pelourinho, the old historic center of Salvador, is a city within a city. Centered around the old slave auction, Pelourinho has pastel-hued buildings, churches, museums, shops, restaurants, and fantastic nightlife.

Known as "Pelo" to locals, it's a great location for food and entertainment. It is perfect for photographers who want to shoot its ​colorful colonial buildings.

Werner Büchel/Getty Images

The capital of Pernambuco state, Recife is called the "Venice of Brazil" and offers the visitor two carnivals a year, plus beaches, dance, music, and Olinda.

It's located on the coast and is home to two important rivers leading to the Atlantic Ocean. While this made it an important economic center in years past, it is now known for its beautiful beaches.

If you love soccer, also known as football in Brazil, this is one of the best places to watch a game. It's played and watched with a passion here and was chosen as one of the ten World Cup sites.

Marcelo Nacinovic/Getty Images

An international resort, Buzios is one of the most popular cities in Brazil and a popular day trip from Rio de Janeiro. The town is two hours north of Rio de Janeiro, and its twenty plus beaches and relaxed hedonistic style liken it to Saint Tropez.

If you're not one to soak up the rays on the beach there are plenty of activities such as boat tours, surfing, and scuba diving. 

Truth be told Buzios isn't one city but actually a region with three communities: Ossos on the northern coast which is the oldest and most beautiful with old colonial homes. The beaches here are easily accessible and sheltered from harsh weather. Manguinhos and Armacao are more difficult to reach but the beaches are more beautiful.

You can't go wrong with either, the region is spectacular.

It's easy to see that the most popular cities in Brazil are those with access to beautiful beaches and stunning scenery. It's hard to choose a bad city in Brazil as they all have something to offer with friendly people.

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Discover the World

17 Best Places to Visit in Brazil

By Kay Pierce · Last updated on June 17, 2024

Famous for being home to one of the world’s top football teams, the Rio de Janeiro Carnival and the remarkable Iguazu Falls, Brazil is an exciting world travel destination. As South America’s largest country, Brazil covers a majority of the continent’s northeastern region and borders all of its countries except for Chile and Ecuador .

From the Amazon rainforest in the North to the tropical beaches along the Atlantic , to the Pantanal wetlands and the vibrant metropolises of the Southeast there are plenty of interesting places to visit in Brazil .

17. Jericoacoara

Located in the northeast of Brazil in the state of Ceara, Jericoacoara is a lovely, laidback place nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and a national park of the same name. Often referred to as Jeri or Jijoca, the small and secluded seaside town boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in Brazil and is an increasingly popular tourist destination.

Besides its beautiful beaches, Jeri is surrounded by delightful dunes and lagoons that offer countless recreational opportunities, with hiking, swimming and watersports all very popular. Exploring the area on horseback or in dune buggies is a fantastic way to see as much of its splendid scenery as possible; Pedra Furada – or the ‘Arched Rock’ – is the standout sight and symbol.

While its remote setting makes visiting Jericoacoara a challenge, it is well worth the effort for its sumptuous scenery, wealth of outdoor activities, and surprisingly lively nightlife.

16. Sao Paulo

Not only is Sao Paulo the largest city in Brazil, but it is also one of the largest in the world according to population. Located in southeastern Brazil, Sao Paulo is known for its skyscrapers, gastronomy and robust culture scene. Home to many ethnic groups from all over the globe including the largest Japanese community outside of Japan.

Dividing the city between its old and new districts, Paulista Avenue is the city’s busiest strip, brimming in businesses, shopping malls, art galleries, theaters and restaurants. Although Sao Paulo is known for its concrete jungle, it is also home to a large number of public parks and even portions of the Atlantic rainforest.

15. Brasilia

Located in the Brazilian Highlands, Brasilia was installed in 1960 as Brazil’s capital. Brazil’s former President Juscelino Kubitschek of the late 1950s ordered the city to be planned and developed into what some refer to as a utopia. Brasilia’s modern day infrastructure is designed in the shape of an airplane in which each of its sections serve as different districts such as government, commercial, residential and cultural.

Brasilia’s new and creative architecture attracts many visitors. Most significant is the Three Powers Square, which houses the Presidential Palace , the Congress and the Supreme Court. Other important buildings include the Palácio da Alvorada, the President’s official residence and the TV Tower. The Brasilia Cathedral with its glass roof that resembles hands reaching up to heaven is a must visit.

In addition to all its concrete, steel and glass, Brasilia also features a large artificial lake and several beautiful parks that all offer a variety of leisure activities. The capital is also an important transportation hub for travel within Brazil.

14. Ouro Preto

Tucked away among the mountains of Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto is the most picturesque, popular, and well-preserved colonial town in Brazil. As it was one of the main centers of the Brazilian Gold Rush , wealth and riches poured into its streets – along with the power and prestige that came with it.

Strung out across a series of hills, its historic center is full of steep, winding cobbled streets that meander past gorgeous old buildings and 18th-century churches. The small city also has several interesting museums for visitors to check out; many of these focus on the artworks of Aleijandinho or Ouro Preto’s mining past.

Many people visit the city for its rich history and culture or to visit the numerous mines via a guided tour. In recent years, Ouro Preto’s colorful carnival has attracted more and more revelers to its ancient streets.

Lying in the southwest corner of Mato Grosso do Sul, the small city of Bonito is a great place to go in Brazil if you are looking to explore the gorgeous Pantanal region. While there’s not all that much to see or do in the town itself, it has long been the posterchild of sustainable ecotourism in Brazil.

Awash with natural wonders, the area surrounding Bonito is home to sparkling waterfalls, gushing rivers, and huge sinkholes and lake-filled caves that you can go swimming or snorkeling in. Hiking in the lush rainforest is also popular, with lots of colorful fauna and flora to be spied in Serra da Bodoquena National Park .

Many companies operate out of Bonito’s pousadas, and excursions usually focus on the Pantanal’s rich ecology and ecosystems. Among the most popular are snorkeling below underwater stalagmites at Anhumas Abyss, enjoying a canopy walk in the rainforest, and exploring Blue Lake Cave – one of the largest flooded caves in the world.

12. Fortaleza

Nice beaches, dynamic shopping and lively culture all make Fortaleza one of Brazil’s popular tourist destinations. The capital of the Ceará state on the country’s northeastern coast, Fortaleza is Brazil’s fifth largest city, well-known for its forró music .

Featuring a mix of colonial and modern day architecture, Fortaleza offers plenty of things to see and do. Praça do Ferreira is the city’s main square where restaurants, shops and a movie theater are all located. Praça José de Alencar is another popular square where street performers can be observed.

Fortaleza’s 16 miles of urban beaches are one of the reasons many tourists flock to the city. The most popular beach is Praia do Futuro , but other favorites are Iracema, Mucuripe and Meireles. Not only are the beaches great for swimming, sunbathing, fishing and surfing competitions, but they also offer hotels, restaurants and markets. Fortaleza also serves as the jumping-off point for many visitors to truly spectacular beaches, rolling dunes and idyllic fishing villages along the Ceará coast.

The shopping experience in Fortaleza is another of its main attractions. Because the city is home to a large textile industry, clothing is cheap here. Local handicrafts and fresh seafood and produce can be found among the city’s markets while the Iguatemi Mall offers a little of everything.

11. Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park

Home to sparkling lakes, dramatic waterfalls , and stunning landscapes – as well as some of the oldest and most biodiverse tropical ecosystems in the world – Chapada dos Veadeiros really is a treat to explore. Covering a huge area in the center of Brazil, the marvelous microregion can be found in the state of Goias, some three hours drive north of the nation’s capital Brasilia.

Chapada dos Veadeiros’ main attraction is the wonderful national park of the same name that lies atop an ancient rainforest-coated plateau . Scarred by jagged cliffs and crumbling canyons, the park is fascinating to hike around, with lots of awe-inspiring waterfalls hidden away among its verdant flora and fauna.

Other highlights include the appropriately named Moon Valley , which is home to lunar landscapes. Swimming and bathing in any one of the numerous waterfalls and rivers that dot the area is a must-do. The two main places to stay when visiting Chapada dos Veadeiros are Alta Paraiso and Sao Jorge, a small city and village which lie not too far from all of the main sights.

A paradise of tropical forests, waterfalls, emerald sea and coastal mountains, Parati is a popular tourist destination located along Brazil’s Green Coast in the Rio de Janeiro state. Also spelled Paraty, this beautiful city is a former Portuguese colony established on the shores of the Bay of Ilha Grande.

The heart of Parati is its historic center with cobbled streets and multicolored colonial houses, many of which now serve as bed-and-breakfast accommodations called pousadas . Some of the most visited attractions here are the colonial defense forts that still boast original walls and cannons. The historic center of Parati is pedestrian-only .

Surrounding the city are several beautiful parks and nature preserves where visitors can hike and explore the natural setting of mangrove forest, waterfalls and wildlife. There are also indigenous villages here that can be visited. The bay offers gorgeous beaches where visitors can enjoy swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, diving and boat cruises.

Nicknamed the “ Venice of Brazil ” because of its numerous waterways and bridges, Recife is the capital of the Pernambuco state and one of the largest and most important cities on Brazil’s northeastern coast. Situated amid tropical forests with many islands and rivers, Recife is an interesting place to visit because of its historic old town, beaches and vibrant culture.

Recife was a Dutch colony during the early 17th century, and nowhere is this more evident than the city’s historic district where many colonial buildings still remain. Some of the most significant structures include the oldest synagogue in the Americas and one of Brazil’s most beautiful baroque churches, the Franciscan Convent of Saint Anthony.

Saint Peter Square is also noted for its history and picturesque setting of colorful buildings, shops and restaurants.

The city’s main market, the Sao José Market , is a popular place to find traditional handicrafts, medicinal herbs and locally produced food. Recife’s beaches are considered some of the best in Brazil. Lined with hotels, restaurants and bars, Boa Viagem is the most popular beach with its pristine white sands, clear water and coral reef.

8. Chapada Diamantina National Park

Created in 1985 to protect, preserve, and promote its spectacular scenery and rich ecosystems, Chapada Diamantina National Park lies in the northeast of Brazil in the center of the state of Bahia. Popular among nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts, the park encompasses everything from dramatic mountain ranges and sweeping valleys to teeming rivers and towering waterfalls.

As it is set atop of a plateau, the park is very mountainous, with its tallest peaks reaching more than 2,000 meters. Crumbling, rugged cliffs line the plateau, as do lots of epic waterfalls ; the awe-inspiring 380-metre-high Cachoeira da Fumaca is the tallest in Brazil. Cavernous caves also punctuate its rugged terrain, with Lapa Doce and Pratinha two of the largest.

Thanks to its diverse landscapes and gorgeous scenery, Chapada Diamantina National Park is an increasingly popular tourist destination. Visitors can choose to either camp or stay in one of the small towns, such as Lencois and Vale de Capao. Horseback riding and hiking are popular pastimes, as is swimming in the rivers and pools of the area.

One of Brazil’s best-preserved colonial cities, Olinda is located on the country’s Atlantic Coast in the northeastern state of Pernambuco. Founded by the Portuguese in the early 16th century, the city served as the state’s capital until it was burned by the Dutch, thereafter losing its sovereignty to its nearby neighbor, Recife.

Perched on a picturesque hilltop surrounded by trees, Olinda’s historic downtown is a treasure trove of colonial churches, colorful old houses and numerous artisan studios. Because of its love affair with art, Olinda packs many shops and markets selling paintings, ceramics, sculptures and handicrafts.

Every year, Olinda hosts its lively Carnival celebration that differs somewhat from those of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador in that Olinda’s festival is best at daytime and features the music, dances and traditions of African culture . Olinda’s Carnival involves parades, lavish costumes, giant puppet dolls, street parties and the rhythms of maracatu and frevo.

However, even outside of the Carnival season, Olinda offers an animated culture where every weekend buzzes with parties, bars, nightclubs and singing groups who perform serenades of traditional songs in the streets.

6. Pantanal

Covering a vast swathe of western Brazil, as well as parts of Paraguay and Bolivia , the Pantanal is the world’s largest and most diverse tropical wetland area. Due to its stunning scenery and incredible wildlife, the region is increasingly popular to visit, although its remote and watery nature does pose a few challenges.

During the rainy season, around 80 percent of the floodplains are submerged, so the only way to get around is by plane or boat. It is worth it, however; the endless marshes and grasslands are home to an astounding array of fauna and flora.

Besides exploring the scenic landscapes ranging from swamps and savanna to lakes, forests, and wetlands, visitors are also sure to spot many caiman and capybara . The highlight of any trip is spotting the South American jaguar ; the Pantanal is the best place on the continent to catch a glimpse of the elusive creature.

5. Florianopolis

The capital of Santa Catarina state, Florianopolis lies in the south of Brazil, with half of the city set on the mainland and the other on a beautiful island . Due to its scenic setting, it is a very popular tourist destination and is widely considered one of the best places to live in the country.

An important economic, cultural, and political center, Florianopolis is a modern city with lots of large shopping malls and chic restaurants, as well as lively bars and nightclubs. Despite this, it is a lovely laidback place, and each of its neighborhoods has its own distinct identity.

The main attraction, however, is the wealth of fabulous beaches . While relaxing in the gorgeous scenery is divine, Florianopolis also has stunning dunes, sparkling waterfalls, and forested mountains – as well as a large lagoon for visitors to explore. Hiking and cycling around the ‘Magic Island’ (which it is also known as) are popular activities, as are paragliding and watersports.

The capital of the Amazonas state in northwestern Brazil, Manaus is an important tourist destination because it serves as a gateway to the Amazon rainforest .

As a result of the region’s flourishing rubber industry during the early 20th century, Manaus today is Northern Brazil’s largest metropolitan area, featuring distinguished landmarks like the Amazonas Opera House , the Adolpho Lisboa Market and the Rio Negro Palace.

Not only is the port of Manaus an important commercial hub for several manufacturing industries, but it also serves as the most popular starting point for river tours into the Amazon rainforest. Some of the most striking things to see on these tours include the Paricatuba Waterfall, Love Cascade and glimpses of the Pied tamarin, Brazil’s most endangered monkey. Another significant sight is the Meeting of the Waters , which is a natural phenomenon where the two rivers of Negro and Solimões run side by side for more than three miles without mixing.

Besides the rainforest and river, Manus also offers public parks, a botanical garden and a zoo. Several beaches are here as well such as Ponta Negra with a number of restaurants, bars and hotels.

3. Salvador

A historic Old City, beautiful beaches, lively culture and one of the world’s biggest Carnival celebrations all fashion Salvador into one of Brazil’s top tourist destinations. One of the oldest cities in the Americas, Salvador is Brazil’s third largest city and the capital of the Bahia state.

Formerly a major center of sugar and slave trade, Salvador today still bears traces of its history in Pelourinho or Old City, which features colonial architecture, stunning churches and plazas where important events once occurred. Also found in the old quarter are many restaurants, bars, art galleries and handicraft shops. Contrastively, Salvador’s New City district is where all the modern day developments of shopping megaplexes, entertainment venues, golf courses and residential neighborhoods are located.

Situated on the coast of the Bay of All Saints, Salvador offers fantastic beaches that are ideal for sunbathing, swimming and surfing. Some of the most popular include Porto de Barra, Flamengo and Stella Maris.

One of Salvador’s main crowd-pullers is its annual Carnival celebration . Acclaimed as one of the largest in the world, this extravagant event involves music, dancing, parades, costumes and street parties.

2. Foz do Iguacu

One of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders in the world, Iguazu Falls straddles the Argentine-Brazilian border. It is often compared to Niagara Falls and Victoria Falls, such is its staggering size and scale. Surrounded by dense rainforest, its endless series of cascades stretch for almost three kilometers, making it the largest waterfall system in the world.

Every second, incalculable gallons of water from the Iguazu River course over the Parana Plateau, plunging onto the rocks and pools below. While 80 percent of the falls are in Argentina , it is the Brazilian side that offers the most spectacular views, with Devil’s Throat canyon being the highlight.

Besides gazing in awe at Iguazu Falls and taking in the deafening roar, visitors can take a boat ride beneath the falls or go hiking in the steamy rainforest that surrounds them. The gateway to the falls on the Brazilian side is Foz do Iguaçu, a big and reasonably safe city by Brazilian standards.

1. Rio de Janeiro

There is no destination on earth more animated and exciting than Rio de Janeiro. Located in southeastern Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is the most visited city of South America due to its famous mountains, beaches and Carnival festival.

Rio de Janeiro is situated on one of the world’s largest harbors surrounded by natural attractions that include the Sugarloaf and Corcovado mountains and famous beaches like Copacabana and Ipanema . Within this sprawling metropolis is Tijuca National Park , one of the world’s largest urban forests, teeming in native flora and fauna.

The city’s iconic landmark is the enormous Christ the Redeemer statue sitting atop Corcovado mountain. Other important landmarks include colonial fortresses, former presidential palaces and Maracanã Stadium, one of the world’s largest football stadiums.

See also: Where to Stay in Rio de Janeiro

Sadly, most people also know Rio for its crime and favelas. The favelas are areas of poor-quality housing, slums usually located on the city’s many mountain slopes, juxtaposed with middle-class neighborhoods.

Rio de Janerio is home to one of the world’s largest Carnival celebrations , renowned for its vibrant parades, costumes, dancing, music, fireworks and street parties. Outside of the festival, the city buzzes nightly with an abundance of bars and dance clubs.

Map of Places to Visit in Brazil

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Reader interactions.

October 11, 2019 at 3:37 am

I would also recommend Maceió. Beautiful beaches, great nightlife and safer than the big cities. But, you can’t go to Brasil for the 1st time and not go to Rio (my hometown for 16 years/Copacabana). As one person said above, do your homework before you go and you should be safe. Don’t dress like a gringo… just saying!?

February 16, 2019 at 3:44 pm

I highly recommend you guys to go to Porto de Galinhas (translates to…Hen’s Harbour, yeah), i’ve been there a couple of times and it’s one of the most beautiful places i’ve ever been, with amazing beaches, some handicraft fairs (that show a lot of brazilian’s northeastern culture) and splendid sights and hotels.

March 30, 2018 at 8:04 am

I recommend “Porto de Galinhas-Pernambuco” and “Maragogi-Alagoas”. Paradise! They are safe places. Really Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are very dangerous.

June 29, 2017 at 7:44 pm

@Laura Morgenstern, I have to say that there are some places that are dangerous. But people generalize about it. Like most countries, there ares some dangerous neighborhoods but it is not the entire country. There are very safe cities, and I’m sure that if you speak with local people they will tell you where you have to avoid going to. There are amazing places in Brazil that some people don’t know about such as Gramado, Aguas de Lindóia, Brotas – radical sports in the water, Balneário camboriu

June 11, 2017 at 1:23 pm

Isla do Mel……amazing! Curitiba, fantastic city.

January 10, 2017 at 3:52 pm

And about Espirito Santo… Beaches. Guarapari and Vila Velha and beautiful mountains like Domingos Martins with a wonderful wine by the fireplace

December 22, 2016 at 12:19 am

I went to Brazil for three weeks this summer and there weren’t any cases that made me feel uncomfortable or where I felt unsafe. I was in both Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero during my trip. I wouldn’t recommend going to certain parts of both cities because there are gangs but if you do your research you’ll be able to figure out where not to go and what is safe.

My trip was absolutely amazing and I would recommend going if you ever get the opportunity.

October 20, 2016 at 9:33 am

Gramado is the best city

June 30, 2016 at 12:46 pm

I think Brazil is a beautiful place, but ‘s very dangerous. It’s true?

November 23, 2015 at 11:07 am

Thank you for recommending all these interesting places. My husband I are thinking to go to Brazil next year but I do not wish to go to big cities – may go to Rio for a few days only and then travel to other small places. Which ones would you recommend – We are not beach people. Like the culture and ”naturaleza” from these places people are recommending? which is the best time to go?

October 13, 2015 at 8:21 pm

Forget about the big cities in Brazil… The best and safest tourism here is in small and fantastic places. Keep noted: 1. Bonito – Is, by far, the most amazing place in Brazil!!! There you can swim in small rivers with several fishes and enjoy the real nature 2. Fernando de Noronha – Is an isolated island in the north east of Brazil. Destination of the Hollywood movie stars. You can swim with dolphins or sharks. Amazing beaches and is a very calm place. 3. Iguaçú falls (Foz de Iguaçú) – Much bigger than niagara falls and really beautiful. You can feel the power of nature there. 4. Chapada dos Veadeiros – A lot of water falls and a mistic place. Great site to meditate and to be in touch with yourself.

All these places are safe and really cheap if you have Dollars or Euros. Forget the big cities…

June 12, 2015 at 12:07 am

I do not speak English , I am using a translator , sorry . Anyway , I wanted to leave my opinion ‘m from São Paulo SP Brazil ( love this place <3) , and put the ranking as: 1 – Maranhão – National Park Maranhenses 2 – Amazonas – Manaus, located in the center of the largest tropical forest in the world 3 – Bahia – Morro sp 4 – Bahia – Chapada Diamantina National Park 5 – Pernambuco – Porto de Galinhas 6 – Ceará -the beach of Canoa Quebrada 7 – Rio de Janeiro – Paraty 8 – Minas Gerais – Sao Tome das letras 9 – São Paulo – SP ( Paulista Avenue, Ibirapuera Park) 10 – Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Sao Paulo has little beauty , but it's where you find the best hotels, bars, parties and museums in Brazil.

May 15, 2015 at 6:47 pm

I think that you should mention Mato Grosso do Sul ( Bonito the city) , crystal clear waters, a lot of different animals. It s amazing and perfect

July 30, 2014 at 3:49 pm

Christ the Redeemer statue sitting atop Corcovado mountain is wonderful and unbelievable! I really want to visit that place 🙂 Great!

July 24, 2014 at 10:16 am

I think you should put Graemado and Canela (two cities of Rio Grande do Sul) too! It doesn’t have beaches, but it’s like a cold paradis. It’s VERY beautiful and there are a lot of cultural attractions. I would recommend the dates around Easter and Christmas (specially the last one), because there’s really maaaany beautiful things. During the winter it’s very cold and good to stay there! It’s awesome

May 27, 2014 at 10:58 am

Brazil is Amazing and Fascinating!! I hope I visit it soon and the first place ide love to visit is amazingly the Rio De Jeneiro!! ..its the most wonderful place I’ve heard of and apart from this comes the iguazu Falls..SPLENDID..its Paradise On Earth!..

May 23, 2014 at 6:18 pm

You should visit the south too, specially Rio Grande do Sul, where many cities still conserve the german and italian culture! June and july is the best time of the year

May 14, 2014 at 12:21 pm

Wow, I never knew there were so many beautiful cities in Brazil! I visited Floripa and it IS beautiful!

Please add it between 2 and 6!!

May 8, 2014 at 11:30 am

I agree with you! There are a lot of beautiful cities in Brazil to visit!! Not just São Paulo e Rio de Janeiro! Floripa is very beautiful too

April 14, 2014 at 7:44 am

Thanks for mentioned Sao Paulo!

January 7, 2014 at 2:01 pm

I also would put Floripa between 3 and 6 for sure!

December 26, 2013 at 10:15 pm

I want to understand how Florianopolis isn’t in that list…

December 10, 2013 at 5:55 pm

I appreciate your information about the top ten in Brasil.. But I would like to inform another city: Ouro Preto, very interesting,, cultural and beautiful , the first capital of the important Minas Gerais state. Rich Baroque, churchs from the XVII and XVIII, is a place very important to the cultural tourism. All the gold from Brasil to Europe, in these centuries came from OURO PRETO ( black gold) regions , the name of this city, in the heart of Brazil, between mountains, near the new Capital of Minas Gerais State: Belo Horizonte.

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The 12 Best Cities to Visit in Brazil for a Sensory Overload

Boasting almost one-third of the world’s remaining tropical rainforests, spectacular biodiversity, and loads of breathtaking natural beauty, Brazil is not only the biggest country in South America but also one of its most mesmerizing.

Nature aside, each of its vibrant, captivating cities has its own unique feel and mood, revealing a different slice of Brazil – head to Rio for legendary beach culture, to Brasília for Niemeyer’s modernist architecture, and to Manaus for unparalleled jungle adventures.

Here’s a guide to 12 of the best cities to visit in Brazil, from postcard-pretty Salvador to sexy, high-spirited Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro

Famous worldwide for its stunning natural setting, beautiful golden beaches, and exuberant atmosphere, Brazil’s Cidade Maravilhosa hardly needs any introduction. This is one of the world’s most spectacular cities and the best place to soak up the very essence of Brazil, whether you’re taking in epic panoramic views from the summit of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain), mingling with good-looking Cariocas on Ipanema, or dancing the night away at Pedra do Sal (the cradle of samba).

The ever-popular Zona del Sul boasts most of Rio de Janeiro’s highlights, including the spectacular beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, Christ the Redeemer, the postcard-perfect Guanabara Bay, and the Tijuca National Park – one of the world’s largest urban forests. Also here, you’ll find the charming bohemian quarter of Santa Teresa, as well as the upscale neighborhood of Leblon, with its stylish restaurants, designer shopping boutiques, and excellent nightlife.

For a different taste of Rio, head to the off-the-beaten-path North Zone, where infamous favelas share the land with samba schools, and the iconic Maracana Stadium fuels Brazilian’s ardent passion for football on match days.

A vast and bustling metropolis, cosmopolitan São Paulo attracts urban explorers with its progressive cultural scene, fabulous food, and unparalleled nightlife. The city might lack the good looks of Rio, but it’s Brazil at its most modern and sophisticated.

One of the most attractive areas in this concrete jungle is Vila Madalena, a vibrant mix of trendy cafés, quirky boutiques, art studios, pulsating nightlife, and bohemian flair. Equally inspiring are the sprawling Ibirapuera Park – filled with landmark modernist buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer, or the wonderful Museu de Arte de São Paulo, which is home to the best collection of Western art in the southern hemisphere. The nation’s infectious party spirit is in full force across São Paulo’s swanky nightclubs, live music botecos (local bars), and colorful street parties, and its shopping scene rivals anywhere else in the world.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a stunning example of urban development, Brazil’s futuristic capital is a treasure trove of architectural wonders, with lots of green open spaces and wide esplanades.

The city has the shape of a giant airplane, with many buildings by famous architect Oscar Niemeyer scattered along the Eixo Monumental (Monumental Axis) – the avenue that passes through its fuselage, cutting the city into Asa Sul (South Wing) and Asa Norte (North Wing). These comprise the striking Cathedral of Brasília with its unconventional hyperboloid structure, the Cultural Complex of the Republic, Itamaraty Palace, the National Congress of Brazil, as well as Praça dos Três Poderes and Palácio do Planalto.

Famous for its stunning sand dunes and forro music, this quiet northeastern Brazilian town offers beautiful beaches and lovely blue waters, decent nightlife, and exciting dune-buggy rides. It may not be the liveliest or most atmospheric place in the country, but it’s a safe, sunny city and, more importantly, the getaway to the wonderful Rio Grande do Norte, the region with the purest air in the world, after Antarctica (according to NASA).

The most animated neighborhood in Natal is Ponta Negra, home to the main beach and the spectacular Morro do Careca sand dune, as well as many bars, shops, and restaurants.

Conveniently located on the picturesque northeastern coast of Brazil, this sprawling metropolis of over 2 million people has all the ingredients for a fun-filled trip: lovely beaches, attractive colonial architecture, good shopping, and a vibrant atmosphere that evokes Brazil’s typical exuberance.

The city’s main urban beaches, Praia de Iracema and Meireles, are packed with hotels, shops, and restaurants, while the handsome 5 km-long Praia do Futuro (about 8 km outside the city) is lined up with typical, rustic barracas , where you can drink, eat fresh seafood, and soak up the beach culture.

The Centro, Fortaleza’s oldest part, is a lovely area to wander around and browse small shops, whereas the beautiful Cocó Ecological Park is a paradise for nature lovers, brimming with unique flora and wildlife.

Salvador da Bahia

Once the capital of the New World, Salvador is a showcase of outstanding colonial architecture, delicious Bahian food, and colorful Afro-Brazilian culture. It is one of the prettiest, liveliest, and most exciting cities in Brazil and a wonderful destination to combine music, beaches, and culture into a one-of-a-kind experience.

Spend the day roaming the charming cobbled streets of its UNESCO-listed Old Town ( Pelourinho ), lined with glimmering gold-paved churches and pretty pastel-colored buildings housing boutiques, restaurants, and live music venues. Alternatively, take a peek inside the city’s outstanding nautical museum (Museu Náutico da Bahia) or head to Porto da Barra beach for some fun in the sun, Brazilian way.

In terms of nightlife, Salvador has a serious passion for music, so you’ll have a huge variety of bars and clubs to have fun.

For those who want to infuse their Brazilian vacation with exciting jungle adventures, then Manaus is the place to go. Although situated in the heart of the Amazon, the city is as urban as it gets, with many extravagant buildings, museums, churches, parks, and open squares. Its main sight is probably the beautiful Teatro Amazonas, a majestic opera house built in a striking neoclassical style.

Scenically located at the confluence of two rivers – Rio Negro and Solimoes, Manaus is overflowing with picturesque views. The city is also a great destination to indulge yourself in the exotic, albeit adventurous, Amazonian cuisine, with many decent restaurants to choose from. But, above all, it’s an excellent base for exploring the wonders of the world’s largest tropical rainforest, offering everything from exciting seaplane trips to river cruises to jungle tours.

Just like the other destinations situated in northeast Brazil, Recife enjoys pleasant temperatures all year round. And, with one of the longest and most attractive beaches in the country – Boa Viagem, an atmospheric Old Town (Recife Antigo), and a vibrant cultural scene, the capital of Pernambuco is sure to offer something for everyone.

Home to the main beach in town, Recife’s Boa Viagem area is an upscale enclave of bars, nightclubs, and stylish restaurants, while the characterful Recife Antigo attracts visitors with its lively cafés and eye-catching Portuguese and Dutch-influenced architecture.

Just a few kilometers away lies Olinda, a bohemian UNESCO-listed town chock full of striking Baroque churches, art galleries, and elegant colonial mansions.

A lively city steeped in tradition, Cuiaba is the getaway to some of the nation’s wildest and most spectacular landscapes. It lies in the state of Mato Grosso at the juncture of three of the country’s most amazing biospheres: Pantanal – the planet’s greatest tropical wetland, Cerrado de Chapada dos Guimarães with its spectacular scenery and river basins, and the Amazon. But Cuiaba it’s not all about wilderness spotting, riverboat cruises, and adventurous trips; it’s a place rich in unique culture, indigenous cuisine, and fantastic history.

Also known as Brazil’s Green Capital, Curitiba stands out for its high quality of life, sustainable design, and highly efficient work programs meant to reduce issues like poverty and homelessness. It is one of the world’s best examples of urban planning and has a pleasant cosmopolitan vibe. Moreover, what the city lacks in beaches and Brazilian magnetism makes up for it in fantastic parks, vivid open-air food markets, and ambitious infrastructure.

Major attractions in Curitiba include the eye-shaped Oscar Niemeyer Museum, the Wire Opera House, Tingui Park, and the Botanical Garden of Curitiba. The city abounds in dining options, so there’s certainly something to suit every foodie’s palate.

Porto Alegre

The capital of Rio Grande do Sul region is a vibrant, modern port city teeming with art, culture, nightlife, and delicious regional gastronomy. Most of the bars and microbreweries in town are clustered around the attractive neighborhoods of Cidade Baixa and Moinhos de Vento, or the beautifully restored Centro Historico.

Other places of interest in Porto Alegre are the Museo de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul, the beautiful Catedral Metropolitana, the Piratini Palace, and Farroupilha Park, the city’s largest green space.

Belo Horizonte

The third largest city in Brazil is a friendly, laid-back metropolis with an excellent range of museums, shops, bars, and restaurants, so whatever you’re looking for, you’ll certainly find it here.

If you are into culture and sightseeing, don’t miss the revamped Praça da Liberdade – with its cutting-edge Memorial Minas Gerais Vale, the lovely Museu de Arte da Pampulha, or the whimsical Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, designed by famous Brazilian avant-garde master Oscar Niemeyer.

Otherwise, fashionable neighborhoods like Lourdes and Sion offer great people-watching, along with a plethora of bars, cafés, and excellent restaurants.

As you can see, Brazilian cities are as wonderful and diverse as the country itself, so expect tons of adventure and memorable experiences, no matter which one you decide to visit.

Omg this is awesome I’m brazilian and you made such a good job, the photos and the list are perfect, those are really interesting cities I wish they got more recognition worldwide

Most beautiful ones missing Florianopolis, Gramado.

Europeans won’t find Gramado interesting. The only reason we Brazilians like Gramado is because it feels like Europe, but Europeans don’t come to Brazil to feel like they’re in Europe.

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Home » Travel Guides » 15 Best Places to Visit in Brazil

15 Best Places to Visit in Brazil

Have you been itching for lush rainforests, fantastic cities, tropical islands, and heavenly beaches?  Then you’ve been itching for a Brazilian adventure. You’ll find colonial towns that will make you feel that you’ve stepped back in time, red-rock canyons that will make you feel that you’ve stepped onto another planet, and awe-inspiring waterfalls and jungles that will make you wish you could stay forever.

Brazil is the country of Carnaval, a celebration that takes over every city and every soul. You won’t believe the human capacity for fun and joy until you experience this festas. Ask yourself what you want in your next holiday, and Brazil is guaranteed to have it on offer.

Diverse ecosystems, with rare and wild plant and animal species unique to all other places on earth, kayaking through rainforests, horseback riding, whale watching, snorkelling in coastal reefs, samba dancing, all-night DJ’s, white sand beaches, history, culture, and big, full-power cities. Let’s explore the best places to visit in Brazil !

1. Rio de Janeiro

There’s just no other place like Rio.  Welcome to lush mountains, brilliant beaches, over the top nightlife, and fanatic football fans. Known as Cidade Maravilhosa, the Marvellous City, Rio is ringed by green mountains while the coast stretches for miles.

Most people come first for the beaches.  The cariocas (locals) consider the beach a home away from home and so much happens here that you could never leave and still have a complete vacation. You’ll love biking on the beach, hiking in Tijuca rainforest, hang gliding, rock climbing, and sailing to one of several small islands just off the coast.

Music is everywhere in the city – with the most popular being the African influenced samba vibe. If you want to explore the nightlife, head to Lapa, the cities red-light distinct. You’ll find live music and street parties every night.

2. Salvador

Located in the state of Bahia, Salvador has a phenomenal energy that’s notable even for Brazil.  Most known for being Portugal’s New World capital, it maintains a great deal of its colonial architecture and you’ll find the historic centre of the town in the Pelourinho neighbourhood.

Here you’ll find large squares with small cobblestone alleys leading away, multi-coloured buildings, and churches like São Francisco with gilt woodwork and other baroque features. There’s an amazing arts movement here. You’ll find Olodum drummers on the streets, along with Capoeira martial artists, and crazy festivals happening everywhere you look.

The culture here is decidedly Afro-Brazilian and you’ll see that in the incredible food, religious ceremonies and rituals, and dance.

3. São Paulo State

Another in the long list of incredible things about Brazil is São Paulo state. It offers some of the best of the best that the country has to offer.  São Paulo city is the current Boom Town – everything here is growing:  commerce, industry, culture, finance, and, of course, tourism. But you can also leave the city for a bit and head to Serra da Mantiqueira.

Use this stunning mountain range, with its 2500m peaks, as your cosy mountain getaway. There’s also Ilhabela, to be used as your posh island escape. Or try Iporanga in the midst of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

You’ll also find great beaches with the rainforest as their backdrop – try the lovely Ubatuba for a relaxing few days.

4. São Paulo City

The heartbeat of São Paulo State is Sao Paulo city.  It’s the largest city in Brazil and one of the largest in the world.  It’s a bit of a melting pot, with all kinds of ethnic groups calling it home, including the largest community of Japanese outside of Japan.

You’ll find unbelievable art galleries and experimental theatres, as well as fantastic fine-dining restaurants and upscale bars.  If you want a taste of sophisticated city life, this is your stop.

With 20 million people, Sao Paulo is a mammoth city, and does come with a lot of big city hassles, but for those willing to look a little closer; there is a vibe here that rivals New York City.

5. Brasilia

Built in the 1960’s, Brazil’s capital is a thoroughly planned and intricately organized city. Brasilia’s landmark infrastructure is laid out in the form of an airplane.

Each section of the plane is a different district like residential, government, finance, culture, and commerce.  The architecture here attracts tourists and professional architects alike.

Be sure to check out the Three Powers Square.  Here you’ll find the Supreme Court, Congress, and the Presidential Palace.

6. Fortaleza

Another of Brazil’s big cities is Fortaleza.  It’s best known for an energetic cultural scenes, great beaches, and even greater shopping. If you’re going for the beaches, check out Meireles, Mucuripe, Iracema, and everyone’s favourite, Praia do Futuro.

Spend your mornings strolling through Centro, the oldest part of the city, and then spending your evenings in Praira de Iracema, a neighbourhood densely packed with hotels, restaurants, and nightlife.

Once you’ve had your fill of Fortaleza beaches, use it as starting point to discover the quaint fishing villages and rolling dune beaches of the Ceará coast.

One of the most popular stops for tourists is located along Brazil’s Green Coast in the state of Rio de Janeiro.  Paraty is bursting with waterfalls, emerald green sea, giant coastal mountains and tropical forests.

Once a Portuguese colony, the heart of the town is still the historic centre. Complete with multicoloured colonial buildings and cobbled streets built in the 17th century during the height of the Brazilian gold rush.  Many of the houses have been converted to bed and breakfasts’ which the locals call pousadas.  The entire historic district is great for strolling as the lanes are closed to cars.  It really feels like you’ve stepped back in time.

Don’t forget to check out the colonial forts – many that still have their original cannons – and Capela de Santa Rita, a lovely 18th century church.

There is nothing not to love about the “Venice of Brazil.”  Inside the city is a network of waterways, bridges, islets, and peninsulas, and just outside are tropical rainforests with rivers and islands to explore.  There is a wonderful historic old town here, as well as incredible culture and fantastic beaches.

The old town is known as Recife Antigo and is located on its own island near the harbour. Most would agree that Boa Viagem is the most popular beach in town due to the white sands and coral reef.

Recife is a large city with lots to offer – including an awesome place to spend Carnaval.

Six kilometres from Recife is Olinda, is a 16th century Portuguese colonial town. The historic old town sits on a hill surrounded by trees and filled with churches, museums, and restaurants. In 1982 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The rest of the town is no less charming with tons of 18th century architecture, monasteries and convents, and fantastically painted houses.

Once a leader in the sugarcane industry, Olinda has transformed into a small artists’ colony; full of artists, workshops, studios, and other creative types.  Check out the pousadas in the old town if you’re interested in using Olinda as a base to enjoy Recife.

Carnaval is slightly different here, celebrated primarily during the day with the music and dance focused on traditional African culture.

Considered by many as the gateway to the Amazon Rainforest, Manaus sits on the Negro River. The capital of Amazonas and one of the largest cities in the country it has incredible landmarks like the Rio Negro Palace and the Amazonas Opera House.

If you’re in the mood for some phenomenal nature, check out the Meeting of the Waters, a three mile stretch where the Solimões and the Negro Rivers run side by side without fully mixing. Eventually, both rivers converge to form the Amazon. Most people come here as a stopping point on their way into, or out of, the Amazon.

If you’ve got time, check out the zoo that lets many of the animals roam free, and a little beachside museum just outside the city centre.

11. Iguazu Falls

This stunning natural wonder runs for 2.7km along the border with Argentina.

Iguazu Falls is a series of waterfalls along the Iguazu. The combination of luscious green forest, exotic wildlife, and breathtaking waterfalls is intoxicating.

Use the city of Foz do Iguaçu as your base camp as you enjoy cascades like the 80 metre Devil’s Throat.  With hundreds of fall’s to discover, you might consider a tour in one of the tourist rubber boats called zodiacs.

Bonito is a one-street town full of charisma.  It serves as an ecotourism model for Brazil and as a hub for the surrounding areas.  If you’re an outdoor adventurer and water enthusiast, then this is your spot.

Discover Abismo Anhumas, a gigantic cavern covered in stalactite where you can dive and swim in an underground lake as well as do some abseiling.  Or how about snorkelling in the crystal clear Rio da Prata? If you’re a bird lover you won’t want to miss the macaws that nest deep in the Buraco das Araras.

To top it all off, explore the Serra da Boduquena National Park.

13. São Luís

The historic centre of São Luís has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its well-restored colonial mansions. There are so many museums, crafts, and galleries to explore while here.

São Luís maintains a largely Afro-Brazilian culture and you’ll find both reggae and Bumba Meu Boi music festivals. While you’re here be sure to catch the Centro de Cultura, a museum with exhibits on the three major Brazilian festivals.  You might also like the Archaeological Museum and the Casa das Tulhas, a 19th century market building.

When you’re ready, cross the Baía de São Marcos for a quick day trip to Alcântara to see this historic town as it slowly slips into tropical decay.

14. Jijoca de Jericoacoara

This hidden gem is one of the spectacular beaches in Ceara, Brazil. Named by the Washington Post as one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Beaches in the world, you’ll find calm seas, white sand dunes, and gorgeous blue lagoons.

It’s a nesting spot for large turtles and therefore was declared an Environmental Protection Area; it’s also been a national park since 2002. Thanks to all that, the area has remained largely isolated and untouched.

They’ve had electricity for less than 20 years in Jeri and thanks to local ordinance; the streets can only be lit by the moon.

15. Curitiba

This thoroughly urban capital of Paraná state is a well-known performance centre.  Visit the Wire Opera, a steel tube building with a see-through roof, as well as the Guaíra Theatre for some great programs.

Curitiba is also well known to urban planners across the globe as one of the most efficient cities ever built.  You’ll find a six-block stretch designated as a pedestrian zone, tones of parks and trees, innovative solutions to urban problems like pollution and poverty.

It’s a unique place to recharge before ending your Brazilian adventure.

15 Best Places to Visit in Brazil:

• Rio de Janeiro
• São Paulo State
• São Paulo City
• Iguazu Falls
• Jijoca de Jericoacoara

20 Breathtaking Places to Explore in Brazil

Famous for its love of dancing, fun, festivals, and football, Brazil is one of those bucket list countries most want to visit in their lifetime. It’s a unique place known for its firsts and originality as well as the incredible Rio Carnival. I spent many months traveling around this beautiful country and here are the places I want to share…

1. Rio de Janeiro

This city is famous for its world-famous carnival, stunning skyline and the lush green surrounding mountains where Christ the Redeemer peaks down on everyone!

Whilst here I recommend taking a tour of the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, Sugarloaf Mountain, the attractive Historic Center, the lively Lapa neighborhood and the interesting favelas. 

Don’t forget to sample the nightlife in Lapa, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro with bars and clubs catering to all tastes.

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My favorite highlights…  

• Trying feijoada (black bean stew).
• Going on a tour of Rio’s vibrant favelas (otherwise known as the informal settlements). 
• Seeing an incredible Brazilian Samba and Folklore Show at Ginga Tropical.

2. Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco

Situated 70 kilometers south of Recife, the town was an isolated fisherman village until the 1990s. Now, it is accessible to anyone who wants to relax and enjoy the amazing beaches the town offers.

I highly recommend going snorkelling here as a couple hundred meters out in the sea is a reef home to a stunning selection of colorful fish. When the tide is low, natural pools are created on the beaches behind the reef so make sure you take time to explore these as well. 

Other activities here include include water sports, trekking and capoeira! 

3. Lençóis National Park, Maranhão

Lençóis – located in the North of Brazil – provides a view that made my jaw drop! The national park is a “desert” unlike any other and it’s surreally beautiful spot.

Rain collects in the alleys between the dunes, resulting in what could have been a desert: an area where the dunes are varied and turquoise lagoons are as far as the eye can see.

The lagoons are home to many different species of fish, and one species stays dormant in the moist areas of the sand during the dry season, only to surface when the lagoons once again emerge.

The striking contrast between the bright white dunes there and clear, turquoise lagoons was seriously stunning!

4. Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul

Located mostly in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, this is actually the world’s largest wetland!

The bird and wildlife spotting opportunities here are immense and thankfully the open marshes make it very easy to spot the animals who are thriving in this peaceful habitat. 

The wetland offers beautiful landscapes and the chance to see various birds and other animals. You’ll also see reptiles and jaguars in their natural habitat.

5. Salvador, Bahia

Salvador is the first colonial capital of Brazil and one of the oldest cities in North and South America. Known as the country’s capital of happiness, it offers numerous outdoor parties, and the city’s street carnival is the largest in the world.

It has a gorgeous location by the sea, a rich music and architectural cultural scene and an attractive historic area filled with colorful colonial houses and winding cobblestone streets. I recommend taking a few days to explore the city if you can spare it.

6. Chapada Diamantina, Bahia

The gorgeous National Park Chapada Diamantina takes its name from the region’s cliffs and the diamonds that were once found there.

It’s an unspoilt place with huge canyons, gushing waterfalls, natural swimming pools, interesting caves, varied hiking trails (some of which are challenging so be warned!) and stunning views of the landscapes if you traverse the cliffs. 

7. Jericoacoara, Ceara

This is a remote little beach town in the Ceara state. I traveled here by bus from Fortaleza to Jijoca, I have to admit it wasn’t an easy journey, but it was worth it! Thankfully this paradise-like town has not yet been destroyed by tourism and I just loved it.

The laid-back streets of sand, the beautiful beach, the kite-surfing, the breathtaking sunset views from the dunes, the Capoeira at the beach, the amazingly vast and starry night sky, and the hammocks in the lagoon, which are just a beach buggy ride away, are just some of the reasons why Jericoacoara is one of the country’s hidden treasures.

8. Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco 

This was a seriously wow-inducing beach up there as being one of the most stunning in the country. Located off the coast of Pernambuco and listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a paradise on earth for anyone interested in diving, snorkelling and animal life.

It’s filled with light golden sands, turquoise clear waters and surrounded by coral reefs and stunning cliffs. The marine and wildlife here is incredibly diverse. 

I was lucky enough to see stingrays, sharks, colorful fishes, dolphins and super-cute sea turtles. 

9. Iguazú Falls, Paraná

I personally thought this famous UNESCO World Heritage Site lived up to its hype. It’s a jaw-dropping place, consisting of over 270 waterfalls all of varying sizes to create something truly special.

Surrounded by stunning rainforests I loved hearing the thunderous sounds of the crashing waterfalls mixed in with the birds calling from their nearby home! Don’t forgot to bring your camera! 

10. Paraty, Rio de Janeiro

First settled in 1667, this gorgeous coastal town has a long history with well-preserved colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, magnificent forests, impressive waterfalls and gorgeous sandy beaches.

There is a lot to do and even more to look at when you visit Paraty, and even though it is compact enough to be enjoyed on foot there’s still plenty to see and do here. 

I highly recommend checking out the craft markets, the live music bars (I saw samba and bossa nova shows) the delicious local cuisine

My personal highlights… 

• Trying cachaça, a traditional Brazilian spirit which can be found in all the bars here. 
• Catching a concert at Casa da Cultura. 
• Taking a boat to the stunning hidden gem of Praia do Sono. 

11. Búzios, Rio de Janeiro

A resort town with roughly 34,000 residents, Búzios is the place to go when you want calmness, serenity, and a break from the hustle and bustle of a tourist’s life.

Many of the people who live there are fishermen, and it offers all sorts of water activities, including swimming and surfing.

This town offers a little bit of everything, including shopping, restaurants, bars and lounges, art museums, and just about anything else you need to make your vacation unforgettable.

12. Florianópolis, Santa Catarina 

In southern Brazil, Florianópolis has 60 beaches and is noted for its surfing opportunities. Its economy is based mainly on tourism and information technology, so tourists can find much to do there.

Radical sports and nature offer some of the best tourist opportunities, such as mountain climbing, hang-gliding, rowing, and paragliding.

It is connected to the continent by three bridges, one famous but now-closed Hercilio Luz Bridge.

13. IlhaBela, São Paulo

Also known as Beautiful Island, translated to in Portuguese, IlhaBela has a population of roughly 32,000 and offers attractions such as 360 waterfalls, numerous forests, hiking trails of all difficulty levels, and, of course, beaches.

There are 41 beaches on the main island, so whether you want to swim, sunbathe, or watch dolphins and whales, you’ll never run out of things to do.

With beautiful waters and even more beautiful skies, this is the place to be if you like sand and surf.

14. Maragogi, Alagoas 

Maragogi sits in the northwestern section of Brazil and offers many beaches and living tropical reefs. You can go snorkelling or scuba diving or enjoy the sights that give the place some ambience.

Maragogi is filled with natural beauty and offers plenty of activities, too. You can enjoy sea cliffs that seem to reach the sky and take a boat ride to get up close and personal with the coral reefs. Whatever you do there, it’s a tough place to forget! 

15. Trancoso, Bahia

Trancoso has two things going for it: lots of beaches and an advanced way of reducing their carbon footprint.

There are many festivals to enjoy throughout the year, but its main attractions are the beaches surrounding the area, each seemingly more gorgeous than the previous one.

With white sand, reefs, and water that always seems to be at the perfect temperature, this is the ideal place to be when lots of time in the water and sun is what you’re looking for.

16. Campos do Jordão, São Paulo

A municipality in southeastern Brazil, Campos do Jordão is the highest city in Brazil, reaching 5,341 feet above sea level. Among the many tourist activities are hiking, mountain climbing, treetop cable swings, motorbike, and ATV riding.

There is also a festival that takes place every winter that celebrates classical music. In addition to a fantastic cable car, the town offers bars, restaurants, discos, and other activities that make for great nightlife.

In other words, this town truly offers something for everyone.

17. Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro

One thing you will never be short of in this country is stunning paradise-esque beaches. Ilha Grande is an island located in the sea outside the state of Rio de Janeiro, where you will find tropical beaches that will tempt you to purchase your pousada and enjoy the tranquil island lifestyle for the rest of your days.

Previously a prison island, it offers good snorkeling conditions and opportunities to see coral, tropical fish, whales, and penguins.

The island, which has no roads or motorized vehicles, provides hiking trails to different beaches and villages. On the island, you are likely to spot both monkeys and hummingbirds.

18. Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro

Primarily known as the town home to Brazil’s national football team, this city sits between mountains and hills, has lush green grass, and has some of the most beautiful scenery you’ve ever experienced.

There is a national park found on the part of the city near the city limits, and mountain structures such as Devil’s Needle and God’s Finger are worth visiting.

There are also lakes, statues, and lake houses that are nothing short of extraordinary, and the farms in the area provide a little bit of nostalgia to this now-modern city, which I think is always a win-win situation! 

19. Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro 

Also known as The Imperial City, it is home to nearly 300,000 residents and offers activities to pique anyone’s interests.

These include theaters, museums, and lots of festivals and carnivals. You can also enjoy some very unique architecture. If you love palaces, national parks, or old monasteries, this is, I think, the place to be! You can visit these places individually or join a tour guide.

This large city offers all the advanced benefits of any other large city, so you’ll never run out of things to do. Regardless of which month you visit the city, you’ll always have something interesting to do, I loved this place!

20. Amazon Rainforest 

Although Brazil is known for its beautiful beaches and outstanding landmarks, the Amazon rainforest is another famous place to visit. The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world.

The forest covers 60% of Brazilian territory, 13% of Peruvian land, and 10% of Colombian soil. The remaining 17% is distributed between French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia.

There are so many things to explore in this giant jungle, and one of them is to spot pink dolphins or go bird watching, as the forest is home to over 800 bird species. The best time to visit is during the low-water season, from July until December.

40 thoughts on “20 Breathtaking Places to Explore in Brazil”

Going to Visit brazil next week as I don’t know much about it so I was looking for a blog to know the best things to there thanks for this information. As Know I know What to do there.

WOOOOW the OXXXmmm place Brazil one day i will enjoy these natural beauty

Hope everyone get a chance to come to Brazil specially to Jericoacoara!

Oh Jericoacoara is so beautiful and this PIC is so… Bleh. We can find great pics on google.

Visitem Ibicoara, localizada na Bahia,chapada diamantina.

Rio and Ouro Preto are my top choice 😉

Thanks Escape Hunter! Good choices 🙂

So many reasons to visit Brazil! I’d love to visit Salvador and Ilha Grande especially. Gorgeous photos!

Very true, there’s so much more to the country!

Thanks for the suggestions Gabriel!

Wow what a country, I really must visit one day!

Hope you make it one day Scott!

They all look beautiful! Would love to visit and every one of them!

What a beautiful place, would love to go there.

Ilha Grande is a new find for me.. wow! so beautiful. Brazil is definitely one to really explore – thanks for the post, a great eye opener!

Thanks Adam!

There is also Pantanal in the state of Mato Grosso, not only in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Congratulations though for the overall text and pictures!

I want to go to all of these places! Brazil has been on my list for a long time now! Thanks for sharing.

Happy travels 🙂

I admire travelers who focus on South America, it’s such a gorgeous region with so much to see. Thanks for the inspiration!

Wow, I’ve fallen in love just with the pictures alone! It would be nice to get back to Brazil one day. Clearly Rio has so much to offer I could need an extended trip there.

I’m in love with Rio de Janeiro!!! Hope to make it there soon, perhaps in 2015!

What lovely photos and a great read! I wish I had spent longer in Brazil when I went last year as only saw Rio and Iguazu and would have loved to have visited some other parts including Salvador and Pantanal. I also can’t believe Ilha Grande was right there and I didn’t even know about it till just now! It looks stunning 🙂

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10 Days in Brazil: The Perfect Brazil Itinerary

Ready to spend the perfect 10 days in Brazil? Plan your dream trip, charting vibrant cities, beaches, and national parks along the way. 

It’s been more years than I care to admit since my first visit to South America . But my experiences in Brazil as a young traveller helped lay the groundwork for my career and everything I love about travel. 

Stepping off the plane and into the endless multicultural neighbourhoods in São Paulo or seeing the skies turn deep shades of red and orange behind Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro from Sugarloaf Mountain are experiences I’ll never forget.

But the country also offers abundant wildlife and natural beauty, like the world’s largest waterfalls at Iguaçu and unspoiled white sand beaches in Ilha Grande, which you have to add to any Brazil Itinerary.

I know how hard it is to strike a perfect balance when planning a trip – especially to a country as large as Brazil. No worries – this itinerary will help you enjoy the natural beauty and urban charm of this spectacular country. Let’s go! 

10 Days in Brazil Itinerary 

Days 1-2: são paulo  .

Sometimes visiting large cities can be a bit overwhelming, especially when you only have a couple of days. But São Paulo stimulates the senses in the best possible ways with its action-packed nightlife, rich cultural and artistic traditions, and diverse neighbourhoods.

Keep your eyes open for street art in Little Italy, the twin spires at the neo-Gothic São Paulo Metropolitan Cathedral, and the beautiful art installations and architecture in Ibirapuera Park. 

I won’t lie, you’re not going to see everything São Paulo offers in 2 days. It’s a city of 22 million people covering over 1425 square km (550 square miles) with cultural landmarks dating back to the 16th century.  

But you’ll cover some of my favourite spots in the city, and I promise you’ll leave wanting to come back.   

Things to Do in São Paulo   

Head to ibirapuera park .

Sauntering through the lush and verdant expanse of the Parque do Ibirapuera, it’s difficult to believe you’re in the midst of one of Brazil’s busiest cities. Built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of São Paulo, it was designed by the world-famous architect Oscar Niemeyer and landscape artist Roberto Burle Marx. 

That’s great and all, but it’s the tranquillity that really draws in the crowds – well, that and the cultural institutions housed within the park’s borders. The Museum of Modern Art, the Afro Brazil Museum and the Oca exhibition space are all situated within the park. Plan to spend at least half a day in them and the park itself. 

See the Street Art in Batman’s Alley

Beco do Batman got its name back in the 1980s when the now graffiti-covered walls first featured drawings of the famed comic book character. It’s a long 3 blocks in Vila Madalena celebrating the street art, local culture, and expressing political views, and a must-see on your visit.

Bixiga (Bela Vista) is another excellent neighbourhood for street art, especially on Avenida Paulista. You can take a taxi in about 20 minutes from one area to another.

Marvel at the Catedral da Sé de São Paulo

São Paulo’s cathedral is a wondrous neo-gothic affair – and visiting doubles up as a peek into the city’s history. Officially named the Metropolitan Cathedral of São Paulo, it was completed in 1954. 

The exterior is nothing short of stunning – a complex tapestry of intricate carvings with two statuesque towers. The interior is no less impressive: large enough to house up to 8,000 people, its stained glass windows are some of the largest in Brazil. 

Be sure to head into the crypt to see the resting place of historical figures such as the indigenous chief Tibiriçá. 

Visit the Museum of Art of São Paulo

If you want to discover the finest collection of Western paintings and sculptures (with some excellent Brazilian artwork as well) visit this gorgeous museum designed by Lina Bo Bardi. Even the facade is worth stopping by to admire. It features large red pillars holding up the long, glass and concrete building.

Inside, you’ll find works by Van Gogh, Monet, and Cézanne, among 8,000 others, in the enormous collection.  ​​

Party it Up at Night 

I’m not going to lie, the nightlife in São Paulo is popping – so it would be a shame to spend time in the city and not make the most of one of the most vibrant after-dark scenes on the whole continent. From chic cocktail bars to pulsating nightclubs, it’s the perfect playground for your nocturnal adventures. 

Love classic cocktails? Head to Frank Bar. Named after none other than Frank Sinatra, it oozes with old-school charm – a charm that extends to the expertly-made drinks served with a creative twist. 

More of a clubber? D-Edge is a cool spot with cutting-edge electronic music and a futuristic design. Add to that a state-of-the-art sound system and a roster of well-known international DJs and you can see why it’s a winner. 

Shop and Eat at a Market

You can find some incredible street markets in São Paulo, showing rich Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American heritage through food, gifts, and clothing items. Mercado Municipal and Japan Town’s Liberdade Market are 2 of the best. 

If you can only hit up 1 of the markets, Mercadão is the most famous, and it’s in a gorgeous building with vaulted glass ceilings home to around 300 stalls.

Getting to São Paulo  

You can fly into Aeropuerto Internacional de São Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU) from locations across the world. Then, take a taxi to most hotels downtown for £18 to £26 ($20 to $30). 

Suggested Stay 

H4 La Residence Paulista offers casual but comfortable accommodations in Jardins, near many of the top attractions on your itinerary. Enjoy the on-site breakfast, outdoor pool, and fitness centre between sightseeing.

Check Prices and Availability for H4 La Residence Paulista on Booking.com Alternatively, Check All Accommodation in São Paulo on Booking.com

Days 3-4: Iguaçu Falls  

If you’re flying to South America , few places boast the stunning natural beauty of Iguaçu Falls. Spanning not 1 but 2 countries ( Argentina and Brazil), it’s one of the most beautiful waterfalls you’ll ever see.

What if I told you that Iguaçu Falls are twice as big as Niagara Falls… facts. The towering rapids feature a ridiculous 275 different falls, with the iconic Devil’s Throat featuring a jaw-dropping 80-metre fall (262 feet).

Hiking, sightseeing, and photography are all musts during your time here. 

Things to Do in Iguaçu Falls  

Take a boat ride under devil’s throat.

The 150-metre (490-foot) wide Devil’s Throat is one of the highlights of any trip to Iguaçu Falls, But a boat ride underneath the gushing waterfalls offers an up-close glance like no other. 

Getting There

Get off at the first bus stop in Iguaçu Falls Park, and take a safari boat tour to experience the insane flow rate that reaches over 12,500 cubic metres per second. 

Hike on the Brazilian Side of the Falls

If I told you that 80% of the waterfalls were on the Argentina side, you might think the one hike through Brazil isn’t worth it. Wrong. Brazil’s side of Iguaçu offers first-rate views of many of the waterfalls, including Devil’s Throat.

You get the best views of the waterfalls from across the border in Brazil on this easy-to-manage 2-mile round trip hike .

Nature Hike in Iguazú Falls National Park

On day 2, cross the border to Argentina and visit the other section of Iguazú Falls National Park.

You can choose from 6 trails, but I think this moderate trek is the best. You’ll get excellent views of some of the 2.7 km (1.7 miles) of waterfalls and chances to see monkeys, jaguars, and hundreds of birds in the park.

Dinner at Empório com Arte

One of the best restaurants in the bustling tourist town of Foz do Iguaçu is Empório com Arte, which offers excellent Brazilian fare in a rustic but fashionable space.

Order a caipirinha and try vegan or meat-filled pastries like the delicious Coxinhas (similar to croquettes).

Getting to Iguaçu Falls 

Most visitors find it easy to get to the park, with an international airport and convenient bus system connecting the 2 areas. 

Fly from São Paulo to Foz do Iguaçu International Airport (IGU) in a little under 2 hours. Once you land, it’s only 12 km (7 miles) to Foz do Iguacu, where you can find plenty of accommodation options.

From there, you can take a bus, taxi, or private tour to either side of the park.

I recommend splurging on a taxi or private transfer as they run from around £50 to £100 ($60 to $125) round trip and can save you hours.

Stay at Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel in Iguaçu National Park, which offers 5-star accommodation just minutes from the Brazil side of the park.

The rooms are as nice as you’ll find near the falls, and the hotel shuttle conveniently gets you to the bus station for either side of the park.

Check Prices and Availability for Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel, on Booking.com Alternatively, Check All Accommodation in Iguaçu Falls on Booking.com

Days 5-7: Rio de Janeiro 

When it comes to Rio de Janeiro , what’s not to love? The thriving city between the Atlantic Ocean and tree-lined cliffs like Tijuca Peak and Sugarloaf Mountain is one of the greatest vacation destinations in the world.

You’ll see famous landmarks like the 30-metre (98-foot) Christ the Redeemer statue up on Corcovado Mountain and hidden gems like the dark orange sands and mountain vistas from the beach of Praia Vermelha.

Of course, you can’t leave Rio without experiencing the party. So take time to explore the nightlife in Lapa and dance the samba until the sun comes up at Rio Scenarium. Trust me.

Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro 

Take a cable car up sugarloaf mountain .

The short ride up the 391-metre (1,283 foot) peak in Rio de Janeiro isn’t cheap at R$160 (£24), but you won’t find better panoramic views of Guanabara Bay, Downtown Rio, and Christ the Redeemer Statue anywhere. If you can visit around sunset, you’ll get the best views of the statue.

Walk a few blocks west from Praia Vermelha, one of my favourite beaches in the city.

See the Escadaria Selarón

Visit Escadaria Selarón to see how Artist Jorge Selarón turned what was a rather plain staircase in the Lapus and Saint Teresa neighbourhoods districts in Rio de Janeiro into the iconic 710 metre (2,330-foot) Escadaria Selarón using the colours of Brazil’s flag. It’s stunning.

Do the stairs look familiar? They featured in the classic Snoop Dogg video for Beautiful with Pharell Williams and Mr Charlie Wilson. 

Soak Up the Nightlife in Lapa

Lapa makes a strong case as the best place to grab a cocktail, watch a live concert, or dance to Samba in the country. Go to my favourite spot, Rio Scenarium , and dance until the sun rises while listening to the iconic Samba music.

Sunbathing on Ipanema Beach

Grab some upscale beachwear at Forum de Ipanema before laying out on the sand and sun tanning or taking surf lessons at this beautiful stretch of beach made famous by “The Girl from Ipanema,” from ​​Bossa Nova legend João Gilberto.

Try Feijoada at Bar do Mineiro 

Looking to try the national dish of Brazil? ​​Bar do Mineiro in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most popular places to taste it. 

For over 30 years, hungry locals and tourists have enjoyed the Brazilian specialty in a small but lively setting in the Santa Teresa district. It’s a fun place to have a cocktail and see what all the fuss is about with the slow-cooked black beans, pork, and beef at the local stand by.

Getting to Rio de Janeiro 

Getting to Rio de Janeiro from Iguazú Falls is a breeze. Fly into Galeão International Airport (GIG) from Foz do Iguaçu International Airport (IGU) in about 2 hours, and take a taxi to your hotel, which usually takes around 30-45 minutes.

Stay at Arena Ipanema Hotel , which features an outdoor pool and restaurant with rooftop views just steps from the iconic Ipanema Beach.

Check Prices and Availability for Arena Ipanema Hotel on Booking.com Alternatively, Check All Accommodations in Rio de Janeiro on Booking.com

Days 8-10: Paraty and Ilha Grande 

Paraty is the coastal village that many tourists use as a hub when visiting Ilha Grande, but it’s a cool destination in its own right. Picture  a stunning colonial town with clear (and often tragic) influences from its time as part of the Caminho do Ouro, or Gold Route to Europe and you’re on the right track. 

You’ll find whitewashed buildings and cobbled streets along the 18th-century town on the Atlantic coast alongside great restaurants and bars like the popular Refúgio Restaurante offering inexpensive (and delicious) caipirinhas.

But the UNESCO Site of Ilha Grande is literally a tropical paradise, which is saying a lot, considering that Brazil is home to the Amazon Rainforest, Iguaçu Falls, and over 2,000 official beaches. 

You’ll discover secret stretches of coastline tucked away in places like Parnaioca Beach or Lopes Mendes Beach, where the warm, clear waters and white sands are enough to make you never want to leave.

But there is more to do here than swim and sunbathe (not that I think you need many other reasons to visit). The hiking trails will appeal to nearly any outdoor adventurer, with gems like Parrot Peak offering a bird’s eye view (hehe) of the tropical paradise below.

Things to Do in Ilha Grande 

Hang out in paraty.

Paraty is now one of the most beautiful areas in Brazil, with idyllic shores like Vermelha Beach that offer kayaking, swimming, and surfing. Explore the Centro Historico neighbourhood or take a swim in the tranquil pools below the Cachoeira da Pedra Branca waterfalls before heading to Ilha Grande.

Hike to the Top of Parrot Peak

One of my favourite hiking trails in Brazil, this 6-mile out-and-back trail offers incredible panoramic views of the quiet beaches and lush forests that make up the island.

If you can muster up the energy and have a good torch, hike up to the top for the best sunrise views.

Soak Up the Sun on Lopes Mendes Beach

There are many, many great beaches on Ilha Grande (around 100), but Lopes Mendes is the one that put this island on the map. Regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere in the world, the secret is out on the calm blue-green waters and white sands framed by rolling green hills and coconut trees.

Diving at Sitio Forte

Scuba divers will want to pack their gear for Sitio Forte, where you can check out tropical fish, sea horses, and the Navio Pingüino shipwreck off the coast of Ilha Grande.

Getting to Ilha Grande 

Ilha Grande is about 150 km (93 miles) from Rio de Janeiro. Head to Angra dos Reis by bus or taxi and take a ferry to Ilha Grande, which takes around 30 minutes.

Located on Praia Vermelha beach, Pousada e Mergulho Dolce Vita is a chill spot that’s ideal for travellers who want low-maintenance beachside accommodations at a reasonable price.

Opt for a sea view suite, where you can overlook the Atlantic Ocean from a private patio on your hammock between adventures.

Check Prices and Availability for Pousada e Mergulho Dolce Vita on Booking.com Alternatively, Check All Accommodations in Ilha Grande on Booking.com

Have More Time? Add These To Your Itinerary 

If you can expand your Brazil itinerary past 10 days, by all means, do it. There are so many cool places you can add as a day trip or overnight if you have enough vacation time saved up.

Want a couple of my favourites? For starters, Salvador is one of the coolest cities anywhere in South America.

The Afro-Brazilian shops and restaurants and Capoeira performances in the parks in neighbourhoods like Pelourinho are great places to see the unique culture of Bahia, Brazil.

But if you’d rather spend your time chilling on the beach, explore Northern Brazil. The coastal sand dunes in Natal and crystal clear waters at Ipioca Beach and Praia do Gunga near Maceió are welcome additions to your Brazil itinerary.

If you have more than a few extra days, Pantanal is a must. The Amazon Rainforest may get more acclaim than this large national park on the border of Bolivia and Paraguay. However, exploring the lush wetland forests and rivers in Pantanal gives you the best chances to see wildlife like crocodiles and jaguars.

Handy Tips for Planning Your 10 Days in Brazil 

What to pack.

No matter when you visit, most of the spots in this Brazil travel planner are warm year-round. As such, you’ll want to pack beachwear, some nice dresses, slacks, lightweight shirts, and comfortable footwear like these everyday walking shoes .

Also, pack anti-insect sleepwear , bug spray, and hiking trainers for the national parks. You can get around most places with a daypack , you may want an anti-theft backpack for the busier areas.

Best Time to Visit 

What’s the best time for this Brazil itinerary? September and October are my favourite because you’ll have the best wildlife viewing opportunities at Pantanal, and the crowds are smaller in the cities and at Iguaçu Falls.

But I can’t blame you if you want to go to Carnival in February, when you’ll still enjoy warm weather and a great time everywhere on this list.  

Getting Around 

As I touched on for each destination, flying into the nearest city and taking a taxi or guided tour is the best way to get around Brazil.

I’ve never had too much trouble, but some areas experience higher crime levels, so it’s always best to avoid walking late at night or taking public transportation in unfamiliar areas.

Brazil Itinerary – Map 

Read More Brazil Guides

• The Insider’s Brazil Travel Guide
• The Best Things to do in Brazil
• Famous Landmarks in Brazil You Need to See

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I’m Julianna Barnaby - a professional travel writer and geek extraordinaire. I started The Discoveries Of to help you to discover the best of new destinations from around the world.

Discovering new places is a thrill - whether it’s close to home, a new country or continent, I write to help you explore more and explore differently.

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9 of the best cities and towns for a holiday in Brazil

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Brazil’s range of natural beauty, historic landmarks and sprawling cities rivals almost any other country in the world.

This vast nation has become renowned for its sparkling coastlines and natural landscapes surrounding characterful cities like Rio de Janeiro, but some of its towns and cities remain chronically overlooked.

Rio will continue to grab headlines due to its Carnival celebrations and world-famous landmarks, but other major cities like Sao Paulo and Salvador are catching up, with visitors becoming wise to their wealth of architecture, arts and historic sites.

The capital, Brasilia, is a unique destination due to its avant-garde design, while places like Paraty and Florianopolis welcome those tourists who prefer tropical relaxation over ticking off museums.

Meanwhile, destinations such as Ouro Preto and Olinda are akin to still-standing monuments to colonial times, giving an insight into the country’s fascinating history.

Whether you’re a history buff, beach lover or partygoer, there’s likely somewhere for you in Brazil ; we’ve rounded up a list of the best cities and towns to visit.

Brazil’s largest city is home to around 20 million people, and in recent times has become one of the continent’s most important cities. Similarly to Rio, Sao Paulo is fronted by long stretches of beach and is home to a welcoming population that make it a vibrant place to visit.

There are some green spaces, including the Ibirapuera Park, a 400-acre oasis that is Sao Paulo’s answer to Central Park, but the only jungle here is a concrete one, with the city characterised by an abundance of skyscrapers. For some of the best views, head to the 161m-high Farol Santander building or the 46-storey Edificio Italia.

Sao Paulo is fiercely proud of its past yet is also cosmopolitan, likely helped by its role as the economic heart of the country. It has a variety of museums and cultural centres – focusing on everything from football to the development of the Portuguese language and Afro-Brazilian history – as well as art galleries containing both modern and Renaissance works.

Where to stay

Situated in the safest part of the city in the Jardins neighbourhood, the Tivoli Mofarrej offers quiet luxury in a modern setting. Rooms are spacious and contemporary, and are complemented by an award-winning spa, outdoor pool area and a Japanese-Brazilian restaurant.

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Read more on  South America travel :

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Rio de Janeiro

The country’s capital until 1960, Rio de Janeiro is often seen as the face of tourism in Brazil. It has become a bucket-list destination, as famed for its welcoming atmosphere as it is for its magnificent natural sites and long stretches of beach .

One of the world’s most picturesque cities, Rio sits on a large bay flanked by golden sands and towering hills. The city has three particularly well-known landmarks: the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain are a must for panoramic views over the city, while an afternoon spent sipping cocktails on Copacabana beach is a great way to get acquainted with the city and its locals.

Away from nature, Rio has plenty more to entice tourists. February’s Carnival celebration is one of the world’s largest parties, while the nightlife of Lapa remains buzzing year-round. The city’s museums showcase Brazilian history, modern art and futuristic science exhibits, while its football teams are among the best on the continent.

For a conveniently located stay on Copacabana, choose the Hotel Astoria Palace. Located near the centre of the famed beach, this modern hotel benefits from a rooftop terrace and pool, with rooms that are minimalist yet stylish.

Brazil’s current capital was conceived as part of a nationwide modernisation project, and has been labelled by Unesco as a “landmark in the history of town planning”.

This purpose-built city is replete with forward-thinking design elements, and several of the most impressive sites are government buildings, from the towers of the National Congress to the Itamaraty Palace, home to the Foreign Ministry.

The city’s cathedral and the Dom Bosco Sanctuary have become two of Brazil’s most iconic religious structures, while the Praca dos Tres Poderes is perhaps the most dramatic location in the city, lined with various monuments and important buildings. All of this combines to give the city a rather retro feel, despite its futuristic design.

The Banco do Brasil cultural centre is the cultural heart of the city, with a varied events programme and two galleries for temporary exhibitions, while the Museu Nacional contains the city’s best art exhibitions. Zonal laws mean most of the green spaces (and more lively nightlife areas) are outside the centre, so visit the city’s ‘National Park’, the Paranoa Lake or the Itiquira municipal park to get back to nature during a visit.

The Melia Brasil 21 is a trendy hotel in the city’s well-developed South Wing area, under two miles from most of Brasilia’s main attractions. Rooms are spacious and functional, with the highlight of the hotel being a large rooftop and pool area with amazing views.

Salvador was once Portugal’s colonial capital, and today parts of the city are characterised by the former empire, from a range of colonial architecture to a vibrant Afro-Brazilian culture. Its beaches and more temperate climate make it a popular tourist destination with Brazilians, with many also visiting for Carnival parties that rival Rio’s in scale.

The city’s architecture is a mix of skyscrapers and colonial buildings, the majority of which are in the historic centre. Known as Pelourinho, this mazy area of cobbled streets is lined with dozens of pastel-coloured structures, and has become Brazil’s centre of Afro-Brazilian culture, home to dance schools, capoeira classes and museums on Afro-Brasileiro history and local archaeology and ethnology. The Largo do Pelourinho square, near the centre of the neighbourhood, is one of the city’s most lively nightlife spots.

The Fera Palace hotel sits close to the coast next to the Pelourinho district, offering easy access to some of the most exciting parts of the city. Its rooms are large, colourful and comfortable, while the decor throughout the hotel is exceedingly stylish, from the bar to the rooftop terrace (which comes with panoramic views over the sea).

Manaus is just one of two cities in the Amazon – along with Belem – that is home to over one million people. The city is the gateway for the river and rainforest, close to where many tours set off and providing a final bit of civilisation before setting off on an Amazonian adventure.

Unsurprisingly considering its location, Manaus is home to natural beauty such as the nearby ‘Meeting of the Waters’, where the almost black water of the Rio Negro meets the khaki-coloured Rio Solimoes. The 9,000 acres of the Januari Ecological Park offer an intriguing day trip into the Amazon, but for something on the edge of the city, the Adolpho Ducke botanical gardens provide an urban forest that spans over 100 square kilometres.

Manaus itself has plenty more to keep you occupied away from nature. The 19th-century theatre is one of the city’s most impressive landmarks (and hosts several regular theatre and opera shows), while the Museu da Amazonia houses artefacts from around the state and the rainforest area. Take a tour of the Adolfo Lisboa market for the opportunity to buy a souvenir, or relax in an Amazonian beach at Praia da Lua.

The Juma Opera Boutique Hotel is the best option for staying in a central location in Manaus, and includes a terrace overlooking the theatre, a large outdoor pool and elegant interiors.

Recife and Olinda

Recife is one of the northeast’s major tourism hubs, blending a beautiful coastline with a captivating historic centre and a sprawling urban setting. The city’s museums cover modern art, the city’s history and some of the culture of the state (at the Cais do Sertao), while the coast around the city and to the south has some of the best beaches in the state, including Pina, Carneiros and Boa Viagem.

Recife’s old town, known as Recife Antigo, is located on the island and is one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods of any city in Brazil. Like a more grand version of Salvador’s Pelourinho, it is filled with wide cobbled streets, colourful colonial architecture and a slew of bars and restaurants that have made it the city’s socialising centre.

Olinda, which lies around six miles from Recife, is another colonial-era marvel. Almost like a smaller version of Recife Antigo mixed with the white-washed structures of Ouro Preto, it is home to a network of convents, chapels and Baroque churches dotted among the gardens and hillsides.

The Hotel Luzeiros offers guests affordable luxury not far from the beach and major attractions of the city. Rooms are pared-back but stylish – and come with city views – while a terrace and pool offer opportunities to relax when the beach seems too far away.

Ouro Preto is located in Minas Gerais, a state known for its mining history and a variety of natural beauty. The city was state capital until it was replaced by nearby Belo Horizonte in 1897.

Once the largest city in South America during the continent’s gold rush, Ouro Preto’s expansion was limited by the hills and creeks surrounding the town. Nowadays, these hills provide attractive scenery, while the lack of expansion means that the town has retained a large amount of its colonial architecture. In the old town, splashes of pastel-hued facades are dotted among a sea of russet-roofed, white-washed buildings.

Ouro Preto is less of a tourist town than other places on this list, but it still has enough to keep even intrepid travellers busy. Several of the mines that once made it so famous are still open, including Veloso, Chico Rei and Passagem, one of the largest in the world open to the public. Several churches and religious buildings still stand too, as well as museums dedicated to subjects including oratory, pharmacy and Brazilian artists.

Situated just outside of the centre of Ouro Preto, the Hotel Recanto do Ouro provides idyllic surroundings for a comfortable stay in this former mining town. It sits among verdant hills and tropical trees, with lodge-style rooms and outdoor areas that provide incredible views over the hills and waterfalls.

Located around four hours west of Rio de Janeiro, Paraty is a smaller town that has popped up on the tourism radar thanks to a mix of its striking natural setting and well-preserved colonial architecture. It is surrounded by dense jungle, rising hills and tropical islets, and fronted by a series of bays and beaches including Trindade and Paraty-Marim.

The town is a haven for nature lovers, with the nature reserve of Fazenda Bananal and the magnificent Mamangua Bay two of the most distinguished sites. Water sports are popular too, with the potential to kayak around nearby mangroves, alongside tours of cachaca distilleries.

The Pousada Villaggio is a true jungle retreat, set in a colourful villa with pleasant outdoor and pool areas. Rooms are simple and functional, and the location gives you easy access to the centre and beaches.

Florianopolis

A city that is divided between the Brazilian mainland and the island of Santa Caterina, Florianopolis is a place where the setting welcomes relaxation and exploration. It lies on the coast in front of verdant hills, with the two different parts linked by the grandiose Hercilio Luz bridge, which is the longest suspension bridge in the country and one of the architectural highlights, along with the Metropolitan Cathedral.

The Santa Caterina history museum is one of the city’s only museums, with most people spending time wandering the city in areas like the Praca XV de Novembro. Many will spend the majority of their time relaxing exploring the surrounding natural beauty, from hikes around Spider Mountain to surfing and kicking back on beaches like Praia Mole, Lagoinha da Leste or Joaquina.

The LK Design Hotel stands out for its location and a fantastic outdoor pool area. It lies across the bridge in the central district, close to several attractions, and provides modern rooms with sweeping views over the coast.

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18 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Brazil

Written by Michael Law , Lana Law , and Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Updated Mar 29, 2024 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

The largest country in South America, Brazil occupies almost half the continent. Nearly all of it is in the Southern Hemisphere, and much of it is tropical, with vast stretches of rainforest filled with exotic plants and wildlife.

Brazil's 7,400-kilometer Atlantic coast is lined with golden-sand beaches , and its interior is filled with mineral resources. Gold from Brazil's mines still lines the churches of Portugal, the colonial power that ruled Brazil until 1822. This strong Portuguese influence is evident in Brazil's colonial architecture , in decorative arts such as the glazed tiles in its churches and convents, and in the language.

For tourists, Brazil is both a tropical paradise and an exciting cultural destination with attractions for all tastes, from idyllic beach holidays and jungle explorations to world-class art museums and the pulsing rhythms of Rio's Carnival.

To discover the best places to visit and things to do, use this handy list of the top tourist attractions in Brazil.

1. Cristo Redentor and Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro

2. sugar loaf, rio de janeiro, 3. iguaçu falls, 4. copacabana, rio de janeiro, 5. amazon rainforests, 6. carnaval, rio de janeiro, 7. brasília's modernist architecture, 8. jericoacoara, 10. salvador's pelourinho, 11. ouro preto, 12. museu do amanhã (museum of tomorrow), 13. ibirapuera park, são paulo, 14. museu oscar niemeyer, curitiba, 15. botanical garden of curitiba, 16. porto de galinhas & pernambuco beaches, 17. art museums of sao paulo, 18. belo horizonte.

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, Sugar Loaf, and the bay from the summit of Corcovado. From here, you have possibly the best view in the city .

The 709-meter height on which it stands is part of the Tijuca National Park, and a railway climbs 3.5 kilometers to the 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 steep ride up to the statue on the railway is part of the attraction as it passes through a lush forest, home to a wide variety of tropical birds, butterflies, and plants.

• Read More: Top Attractions & Things to Do in 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. From the summit are outstanding views of Rio and the harbor , as well as a stunning view of Christ the Redeemer. This is an absolute must-do when visiting the city but plan to do this on a clear day and preferably in the morning.

Part of the attraction is the thrill of riding the 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 .

Iguaçu Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. 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 falls, 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.

In early November 2023, water flows that were ten times normal levels caused significant damage to many of the walkways in and around the falls. The most famous, the Devil's Throat, has reopened but the Garganta del Diablo will be closed for quite some time with no reopening date announced as of writing.

It's hard to think of Rio without conjuring up an image of Copacabana. This is Rio's playground, a popular escape from the heat filled with sun-worshipers, swimmers, and kids building sand castles. A seemingly endless assortment of beach shacks offer chair and umbrella rentals, snacks, drinks, and even free showers.

Downtown Rio's most 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. Along this promenade, the famed Copacabana Palace is protected as a national monument. Inside this hotel's lobby, you can easily imagine seeing the royalty and film idols who have stayed here.

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.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Manaus

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.

Brazil's new city of Brasília was carved out of the wilderness and completed in less than three years to replace Rio de Janeiro as the country's capital in 1960. The ambitious plan by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer became a showpiece of city planning and avant-garde architecture, and it remains today as one of the world's few cities that represent a completed plan and a single architectural concept.

Without the normal mix of residential and business districts, the entire governmental section is composed of major architectural highlights, which are the city's main tourist attractions . Some of the most striking surround Praça dos Tràs Poderes : the presidential palace, supreme court, and the two sharply contrasting congress buildings, plus the Historical Museum of Brasília and the Panteão da Liberdade (Pantheon of Freedom), designed by Oscar Niemeyer.

That architect's best-known building in the city is the circular Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida , whose curved concrete columns rise to support a glass roof. Another of Niemeyer's landmark works is the Palácio dos Arcos , surrounded by beautiful gardens designed by Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, who worked with Niemeyer on several projects throughout Brazil.

The round Memorial dos Povos Indígenas (Museum of Indigenous People) is patterned after a traditional Yąnomamö round house. But many consider Niemeyer's finest work to be the Monumento JK , a memorial to President Juscelino Kubitschek, the founder of Brasilia. Brasilia has been named a UNESCO World Heritage city.

If you've ever dreamed of a beachside village where all the streets are sand and like with good restaurants, decent hotels, and the odd donkey wandering around, Jericoacoara is the place for you. Jeri, as it's commonly referred to is, located within the confines of the spectacular Jericoacoara National Park , access is only through a huge expanse of massive sand dunes in a 4WD vehicle or, for the more adventurous, on the back of a beach buggy.

Each night the town comes alive when the mobile vendors set up shop on the sand and the band starts to play. Grab a bite from one of the small BBQ stands and catch the sunset as it sinks into the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, or even better secure a rooftop patio seat. Later on wander the sandy, pedestrian-only streets and enjoy a dinner with your toes in the sand. After dinner, check out one of the many boutiques featuring a variety of beach and resort clothing.

Windswept beaches run for hundreds of miles north and south of Jeri and this draws wind sport enthusiasts from around the world. Jeri is considered by many to be the best place in the world to go kiteboarding and as a result, draws a diverse set of participants from across the globe.

To experience the dunes or explore freshwater lagoons, where you can set up beachside at a restaurant and go for a swim, hire a buggy for the day , and go on an excursion. You can also head down towards Guiru or further along to Tatajuba to see or enjoy more kiteboarding. It's a fun trip that involves a river crossing on a small, flat barge.

You can fly directly to Jericoacoara . As an alternative, you can fly into Fortaleza and hire a car and driver to run you up the coast, which is about a five-hour drive . The best option is to stop off for a night or two along the way in some of the other beach towns like Cumbuco or Guajiru , both of which are popular kiteboarding areas.

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, handicrafts, 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.

The Cidade Alta (Upper Town) of Brazil's former colonial capital has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site for its exceptional collection of 17th- and 18th-century colonial buildings, the finest such ensemble in South America.

Called the Pelourinho, this old quarter is where you'll find Salvador's most beautiful churches and monasteries, built at a time when Brazil was the source of Portugal's riches, and the plentiful gold was lavished on the colony's religious buildings.

The finest and most opulent of the city's churches is São Francisco , built in the early 1700s and filled with intricate carvings covered in gold. In the choir and cloister, you can see excellent examples of Portuguese tile panels, called azulejos.

This was the friary church, and next to it is the church of the Franciscan Third Order. It's impossible to miss the riotously carved façade covered in statues and intricate decoration. The interior is just as ornate, surpassing even the Portuguese Baroque in its opulent detail.

• Read More: Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Salvador

The wealth of Brazil's state of Minas Gerais in its glory days of the colonial period is easy to imagine from the interiors of the churches in its old capital, Ouro Preto. Entire walls are washed in gold that flowed – along with diamonds – from the mines surrounding the city in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Cascading down the sides of a steep valley and surrounded by mountains, Ouro Preto is a jewel of a colonial town, but its steep narrow streets and mountain setting – however captivating for tourists today – didn't meet the needs of a growing provincial capital. The government moved to the newly built capital of Belo Horizonte, leaving Ouro Preto in its time capsule.

The 17th-century Baroque and Rococo churches of São Francisco de Assis and Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar are the best examples, but the entire town is so rich in colonial architecture that Ouro Preto has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The steep streets, so precipitous in places that they become stairways, are lined by gracious colonial mansions, and white churches crown its hills with Baroque bell towers.

The futuristic architecture of the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro gives a clue about its contents. Thought-provoking exhibits invite visitors to think about what the world might be like in the future, exploring scenarios of how our planet may change in the next half-century.

Examining these times of fast-moving changes in society, technology, and the physical world, the museum prompts viewers to consider various paths into the future, and how each opens up based on the choices made every day as individuals and as a society.

This eye-catching science museum overlooking the waterfront was designed by Spanish architect and artist, Santiago Calatrava.

Address: Praça Mauá 1, Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The most visited park in South America, Ibirapuera Park is a vast green space designed by Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, with buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The park is a showcase for modern architecture and a center for Brazilian culture.

Amid its monuments, gardens, playgrounds, trails, and lakes are museums and performance spaces that include Oscar Niemeyer's Auditório Ibirapuera , one of São Paulo's best concert venues. A Japanese Pavilion with sculptures, clothing, and traditional crafts is set in rock gardens with a fishpond.

The Museu da Aeronáutica e do Folclore , the Aeronautics and Folk Art Museum , features thousands of examples of folk arts and exhibits on traditional cultures from across Brazil. The lower floor is devoted to aeronautical equipment and model airplanes. A separate museum, the large Museu Afro-Brasil , features the culture and history of Afro-Brazilians and their contributions.

Address: Avenida Pedro Alvares Cabral, São Paulo

Paving the way for the unconventional building shapes created by later futurist architects such as Frank Gehry and Santiago Calatrava, Oscar Niemeyer left his native Brazil with a treasury of his most iconic buildings. One of these was built as the New Museum, completed in 2002 when Niemeyer was 95 years old, and renamed in tribute to him in 2003.

Balanced on a massive 60-foot pillar, the gallery is formed by a pair of joined arcs that resemble the shape of the human eye, hence its popular name, Museu do Olho – Eye Museum. Access to this raised structure is by a series of curved ramps. Inside the eye, the 2,000-square-foot gallery focuses on architecture, design, and the visual arts, and displays many of Niemeyer's works.

Niemeyer added a later rectangular gallery on the grounds to display changing exhibitions of works by contemporary Brazilian artists. In addition to visiting during its daytime open hours, try to see the Museu Oscar Niemeyer after dark, when it is spectacularly lighted.

Address: Rua Marechal Hermes 999, Curitiba

Reflecting the style of 17 th - and 18 th -century French palace gardens, Curitiba's Botanical Garden was opened in 1991. Formal beds are outlined by low sculpted hedges, in a geometric design inspired by the city's flag. The landscape is enlivened by fountains, waterfalls, and ponds, and in the park surrounding the gardens are forests of native trees, with walking paths.

The focal point of the botanical gardens is the main greenhouse, an Art Nouveau-style conservatory made of glass and white metal, reminiscent of the Crystal Palace in Victorian London. Its unusual shape includes three domes that merge into the rectangular base. Inside are plants native to the region.

Even the grass in the Garden of Native Plants of Curitiba is a native variety, and its flowers are especially attractive to butterflies and other pollinators. The Garden of the Senses (Jardim das Sensações) is a 200-yard path through a wisteria tunnel, where more than 70 plant species are chosen for their fragrance or tactile appeal. Visitors are invited to try walking through it blindfolded to fully appreciate the garden by using their other senses.

Behind the main greenhouse is the Frans Krajcberg Cultural Space, displaying more than 100 large sculptures created from the remains of trees that were burned or illegally cut, calling public attention to the destruction of Brazil's native forests.

The crystal waters, tall palm trees, and broad stretches of silver sand are only a few of the reasons why Porto de Galinhas is frequently cited as Brazil's best beach. For a country with more than 7,000 kilometers of Atlantic coast, much of it sandy beaches, that's saying a lot.

The town stretching along the beach is laid-back, colorful, and just the right blend of old-fashioned beach town fun and chic boutiques. Its hotels and resorts lie close to the land instead of soaring in high-rise blocks.

Jangadas, picturesque sailboats, will take you out to reef-top pools where brilliant tropical fish swim around your feet in ankle-deep water. You can also take a boat to a lagoon where tiny seahorses swim, and you can scuba dive to explore impressive coral reefs or shipwrecks, kayak in the lagoons and estuary, or buy a fanciful kite from a beach kiosk to fly in the steady breeze. Nearby Maracaipe is popular with surfers.

Porto de Galinhas is just one of the beautiful beaches on Pernambuco's 187-kilometer coast. Closer to Recife, 17th-century Olinda is a UNESCO World Heritage Site overlooking a popular beach. The main beaches in Recife itself are Praia da Boa Viagem, São José da Coroa Grande, and the Carne De Vaca.

São Paulo holds some of the best collections of fine arts in Latin America, and the buildings in which they are housed are architectural landmarks as well. The Museu de Arte, MASP, displays the continent's most comprehensive collection of western art, with representative works by artists from the Renaissance through modern masters.

There are 73 bronze sculptures by Degas and works by Renoir, Manet, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, and Miró. From its beginning, the museum has concentrated on works of mid- to late-20th-century artists, and the building designed by architect Lina Bo Bardi is a Modernist landmark.

Oscar Niemeyer designed the Pavilhão da Bienal de Artes in Ibirapuera Park , home to the Museu de Arte Contemporânea. More than 8,000 works of art - one of Latin America's largest collections of 20th-century Western artists - includes Picasso, Chagall, Kandinsky, Miró, and Modigliani along with major Brazilian painters.

Set above Versailles-inspired formal gardens, Museu do Ipiranga houses paintings and decorative arts.

For another kind of art, don't miss Batman's Alley , an open-air gallery of street art by local and international artists. It is in the bohemian Vila Madalena neighborhood, where you'll also find art galleries showing the works of well-known and rising Brazilian artists and craftspeople.

• Read More: Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in São Paulo

The capital of the state of Minas Gerais gave the pre-eminent Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer his first commissions, and today, these early Niemeyer buildings draw tourists and fans of Modernist architecture to the city.

His first major work, which immediately set him apart from conventional architects, was the parabolic-curved São Francisco de Assis church, beside a lake in the Pampulha neighborhood. On the hillside above it, and connected by gardens designed by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, is Niemeyer's earlier casino building, now an art museum.

Overlooking the large Praça da Liberdade in the city center is the sinuous apartment building, Edificio Niemeyer , one of his most famous early works. The clean geometric lines of his later Palácio das Artes mark the edge of the Municipal Park, housing the Minas Gerais Craft Center featuring works of contemporary craftsmen.

The postmodern Rainha da Sucata – Queen of Scrap Iron – is another landmark building in Belo Horizonte, this one the work of Éolo Maia and Sylvio Podestá. It now houses the mineralogy museum.

Read More: Top Attractions & Things to Do in Belo Horizonte & Easy Day Trips

More on Brazil

The Traveling Twin Mama

10 Safest Cities in Brazil in 2024

Looking for information about the safest cities in Brazil for your upcoming trip to South America? You’re in the right place!

Traveling to Brazil is an exciting adventure that promises diverse landscapes, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality. I have personally experienced this beautiful country twice – once as a solo traveler and another time accompanied by my family ( including my energetic four-year-old twins). Brazil has unlimited beauty and adventure to offer, but it’s important to explore it safely. 

Brazil’s allure lies in its breathtaking natural wonders, from the lush Amazon rainforest to the stunning beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Rich in both history and culture, Brazil boasts iconic landmarks like the Christ the Redeemer statue, captivating samba rhythms, and mouthwatering culinary delights. 

It’s important to acknowledge that, like any destination, Brazil has its share of cities and areas that are safer than others. By staying informed about local customs, heeding advice from fellow travelers, and maintaining situational awareness, you can navigate the country with confidence and minimize potential risks.

In this blog post, you will learn about the safest cities in Brazil including unique attractions and experiences in each city. Additionally, you’ll also learn useful safety tips that can be utilized within Brazil and any other travel destination.

What is Brazil’s Safety Rating?

Brazil is full of vibrant culture, friendly people, beautiful beaches, stunning nature, lively festivals, and sprawling cities. However, in recent years, Brazil has gained a reputation as being dangerous for international travelers due to its increased crime rate.

So, is Brazil safe to travel to? Yes, it is possible to travel to Brazil safely. 

The US Department of State currently lists Brazil at a Level 2 Exercise Increased Caution . A Level 2 ranking is common in many places around the world, including many countries in Europe and other popular tourist destinations.

There are a few select places in Brazil that are listed as Level 4 Do Not Travel. Those places include the Favelas, or housing developments, as well as some areas along the international borders near Venezuela and Colombia. 

While it is true that Brazil has dealt with high crime rates in the past, the country is seeing an overall decrease in recent years. Overall, many cities in Brazil are considered safe to travel to, as long as you exercise caution and utilize common safety tips. 

The Top 10 Safest Cities in Brazil

Brazil is a large country with a population of over 214 million people spread throughout many large, urban cities. The following 10 cities are considered to be some of the safest cities in Brazil to visit.

1. Florianópolis

As the capital of southern Brazil’s Santa Catarina state, Florianópolis is widely known for its beautiful beaches. A large portion of the city is actually on Santa Catarina Island, which has several popular tourist areas such as Praia dos Ingleses. 

As a tropical paradise, Florianópolis is quite popular with international tourists . The city has a population of over 500,000, a bit smaller than that of some of the other cities in Brazil. However, Florianópolis has one of the lowest crime rates in the country, making it one of the safest cities in Brazil to visit.

Where to Stay in Florianópolis Brazil

Mid-Range Florianópolis Hotel : Hotel Porto da Ilha 🌟 Rating 8.9/10 Book Here

Located in the city center of Florianópolis, Hotel Porto da Ilha enjoys easy access to shopping centers, restaurants, and cultural sites. With all the modern hotel amenities, this is a very convenient option for travelers.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Hotel Porto da Ilha 👈

Luxury Florianópolis Hotel – IL Campanario Villaggio Resort 🌟 Rating 8.5/10 Book Here

  IL Campanario Villaggio Resort is located in the upscale neighborhood of Jurerê Internacional. This resort offers grand suites with kitchenettes, multiple swimming pools, a spa, a fitness center, and various dining options. Guests can also enjoy beach service and plenty of recreational activities. The elegant design and prime waterfront location, along with the lavish amenities, make this hotel ideal for those seeking a high-end getaway.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of IL Campanario Villaggio Resort 👈

2. Curitiba

Curitiba is the capital of the Paraná region and has about 1.7 million residents. It’s a beautiful city with lots of green spaces. Some of the best things to do are to visit the impressive Botanical Garden of Curitiba (pictured above), check out the Oscar Niemeyer Art Museum, or take a stroll through Tangua Park.

In terms of safety, Curitiba tends to have lower crime rates than other Brazilian cities, making it one of the safiest cities in Brazil to visit. Curitiba also has some of the highest standards of living in Brazil.

Where to stay in Curitiba

Mid-Range Curitiba Hotel : Bourbon Curitiba Hotel 🌟 Rating 8.5/10 Book Here

Bourbon Curitiba Hotel is centrally located and offers modern rooms with free Wi-Fi, a fitness center, a swimming pool, and complimentary breakfast. The hotel also has an on-site restaurant and is within walking distance of many attractions, making it a convenient and comfortable choice for travelers.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Bourbon Curitiba Hotel 👈

Mid-Range Curitiba Hotel: Nomaa Hotel 🌟 Rating 9.5/10 Book Here

For those seeking a more luxurious experience, Nomaa Hotel is a great option. Situated in the upscale Batel neighborhood, it features elegant rooms with high-end amenities, a gourmet restaurant, a fitness center, and a rooftop terrace. The hotel’s sophisticated design and exceptional service, along with its proximity to chic shops and fine dining, provide a luxurious and memorable stay.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Nomaa Hotel 👈

3. Belo Horizonte

Belo Horiz onte is the capital of the Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil. The city has a population of about 2.7 million people and it is famous for its art-deco-style architecture, Mineirão Stadium, and beautiful green spaces. It’s also known as the bar capital of Brazil! 

Belo Horizonte is considered to be among the safest cities in Brazil, with lower crime rates in comparison to other cities of the same size. While you should always take safety precautions when traveling, it is fairly safe to walk around Belo Horizonte, especially during the day.

Where to stay in Belo Horizonte

Mid-Range Belo Horizonte Hotel : Holiday Inn Belo Horizonte Savassi 🌟 Rating 8.9/10 Book Here

Holiday Inn Belo Horizonte Savassi is a perfect choice for those seeking affordable and convenient lodging in this beautiful city. Located in the vibrant Savassi neighborhood, you’ll have everything you need: comfortable rooms, an on-site gym, an outdoor pool, complimentary breakfast, and a hotel restaurant.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Holiday Inn Belo Horizonte Savassi 👈

Luxury Belo Horizonte Hotel : Ouro Minas Palace Hotel 🌟 Rating 8.3/10 Book Here

Ouro Minas Palace Hotel is an excellent choice for those looking for a luxury hotel in Belo Horizonte. This five-star hotel offers luxurious rooms with high-end amenities, an indoor pool, a spa, a fitness center, and multiple dining options. Book your stay here to enjoy a prime location near the Belo Horizonte city center, exceptional service, and a memorable experience!

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Ouro Minas Palace Hotel 👈

4. Brasilia 

Brasilia is the capital of Brazil and is home to over four million people. Brasilia is famous for its unique urban design , which earned the city its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The highlight of Brasilia is its incredible modern architecture.

Brasilia is considered to be one of the safest cities in Brazil. The crime rates here are lower when compared to the safety ratings of other cities of the same size in South America . Especially in the central part of the city, it is quite safe to walk around and explore.

As with any city, there are some areas that tourists would want to stay away from. In Brasilia, these areas are found on the outskirts of the city and are referred to as satellite cities. These include Ceilandia, Santa Maria, Sao Sebastiao, and Paranoa. These satellite cities experience higher crime rates than central Brasilia, so it’s best to avoid them after dark.

Where to stay in Brasilia

Mid-Range Brasilia Hotel : Saint Moritz Hplus Express 🌟 Rating 8.8/10 Book Here

Located in the North Hotel Sector, Saint Moritz Hplus Express offers sophisticated rooms, a rooftop pool, a fitness center, and complimentary breakfast. You’ll enjoy a comfortable and convenient stay in the heart of Brasilia, within walking distance of key landmarks like the Esplanade of Ministries.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Saint Mortiz Hplus Express 👈

Luxury Brasilia Hotel : Royal Tulip Brasilia Alvorada 🌟 Rating 8.8/10 Book Here

For a high-end, relaxing experience, consider Royal Tulip Brasília Alvorada . Situated by Lake Paranoá, this five-star hotel features elegant rooms with luxury amenities, a large outdoor pool, spa, a fitness center, and plenty of dining options. The stunning architecture, lush gardens, and exceptional service make it ideal for those ready to be pampered on vacation.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Royal Tulip Brasilia Alvorada 👈

5. São Paulo

São Paulo is Brazil’s largest city and the most populated city in all of South America. São Paulo is a major tourist destination in Brazil and is known for its museums, parks, and modern skyscrapers.

As with any large city, there are safe areas and unsafe areas of São Paulo. Most areas in the central part of the city are safe for travelers to explore, especially during daylight hours. During my first visit to São Paulo, I explored the city on my own by foot and metro. I felt completely comfortable doing so during the day. As a solo female traveler, I made sure to head back to my hotel in São Paulo when the sun started to set. 

Some of the safest neighborhoods in São Paulo include but are not limited to, Bela Vista, Jardins, Consolação, and Itaim Bibi. 

Where to stay in Sao Paulo

Mid-Range Sao Paulo Hotel : Radisson Sao Paulo Paulista 🌟 Rating 8.2/10 Book Here

If you’re seeking comfortable and convenient, yet affordable accommodations in São Paulo, consider Radisson São Paulo Paulista . Stay in the beautiful Bela Vista neighborhood and enjoy modern hotel accommodations – all within walking distance of shopping, dining, and cultural attractions.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Radisson Sao Paulo Paulista 👈

Luxury Sao Paulo Hotel : Hotel Unique 🌟 Rating 9.2/10 Book Here

Located in the upscale Jardins neighborhood, the iconic Hotel Unique is certainly a more lavish choice. Not only will you enjoy all the high-end amenities of a luxury stay, but the visually striking architecture of this hotel alone will be sure to leave you breathless. Be sure to have dinner or a drink at the acclaimed rooftop bar and restaurant to soak in the panoramic city views!

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Hotel Unique 👈

6. Joinville 

Joinville is located in southern Brazil and is the largest city in Santa Catarina. It is a smaller city, with a population of close to 600,000 people. Today it is considered a German-Brazilian city, but it was originally inhabited by the Guaraní people, and later on by French immigrants to Brazil.

Joinville is considered to be a moderately safe city to visit in South America . Its home state, Santa Catarina, is also considered to be one of the safest regions in Brazil.

  Where to stay in Joinville

Mid-Range Joinville Hotel : Bourbon Joinville Hotel 🌟 Rating 8.5/10 Book Here

For a comfortable night’s rest in Joinville, consider the Bourbon Joinville Hotel . Centrally located, you’ll enjoy the feel of a safe and modern hotel while remaining in proximity to various shopping and dining options.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Bourbon Joinville Hotel 👈

Luxury Joinville Hotel : Hotel Tannenhof 🌟 Rating 9.0/10 Book Here

If you’re looking for a step up from an ordinary stay, look into booking a room at the stunning Hotel Tannenhof . This upscale hotel features elegant rooms with high-end amenities, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, and an on-site restaurant serving gourmet cuisine. Located in the city center, you’ll enjoy easy access to major attractions and business district

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Hotel Tannenhof 👈

Palmas is the capital city of the Tocantins state in central Brazil. It’s a smaller city with a population of just over 300,000 people. Things to do in Palmas include visiting Cesamar Park, Roncador Waterfall, or Sunflower Square – the main historic square in the city.

Palmas is considered to be one of the safest cities in Brazil and tends to have lower crime rates per population than other areas of the country.

Where to stay in Palmas

Mid-Range Palmas Hotel : Ibis Styles Palmas 🌟 Rating 8.1/10 Book Here

For lodging in Palmas, consider Ibis Styles Palmas . Located in the heart of the city, this hotel offers restful sleep at a fair price. Stop by the on-site restaurant for a complimentary breakfast or convenient dinner – or simply walk down the street to grab some authentic and delicious grub at one of the many restaurants in the area.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Ibis Styles Palmas 👈

Mid-Range Palmas Hotel : Hotel Girassol Plaza 🌟 Rating 8.5/10 Book Here

If you’re seeking a little more luxury, look no further than Hotel Girassol Plaza . One of the more upscale hotels in Palmas, this place has stylish rooms, excellent service, and high-end amenities. Take a dip in the outdoor pool or indulge at the on-site gourmet restaurant.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Hotel Girassol 👈

Natal is located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte in Northeast Brazil . Natal has a population of around 800,000 people and is most well-known for its stunning coastline , sand dunes, and beautiful beaches. One of its most popular places to visit in Natal is Ponta Negra Beach.

Natal is considered to be one of the safer cities in the Northeastern part of Brazil. While it is important to still follow common safety practices, it is a relatively safe city in Brazil to visit and enjoy the beautiful beaches.

Where to stay in Natal

Mid-Range Natal Hotel : Golden Tulip Natal Ponta Negra 🌟 Rating 9.1/10 Book Here

Golden Tulip Natal Ponta Negra , located near the famous Ponta Negra Beach provides stylish, comfortable rooms with complimentary Wi-Fi. Guests can enjoy a refreshing dip in the outdoor pool, stay active in the fitness center, and start their day with a delicious complimentary breakfast. This prime location offers easy access to an array of restaurants, bars, and shopping centers.

Mid-Range Natal Hotel : Golden Tulip Natal Ponta Negra 🌟 Rating 8.9/10 Book Here

Serhs Natal Gran d Hotel & Resort is a clear standout when it comes to luxury accommodations in Natal. Positioned between the beautiful Ponta Negra and Areia Preta beaches, this stunning resort boasts an array of high-end amenities – including multiple swimming pools, a serene spa, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and diverse dining options. The rooms are elegantly designed, offering breathtaking panoramic ocean views. The resort’s exceptional service and stunning location make it perfect for those seeking a lavish and unforgettable stay.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Serhs Natal Grand Hotel & Resort 👈

9. Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. There are around four million people living in Porto Alegre and the city is known for its incredible food scene. If you’re lucky enough to visit, be sure to frequent the churrascarias – delicious barbecue steakhouses. Porto Alegre also has beautiful cathedrals, museums, and a stunning state palace.

Porto Alegre is a fairly safe place to visit as a tourist, especially during the daytime. It is still best to practice common safety tips, like avoiding walking around at night by yourself.

Where to stay in Porto Alegre

Mid-Range Porto Alegre Hotel : Golden Tulip Natal Ponta Negra 🌟 Rating 8.2/10 Book Here

For your stay in Porto Alegre, consider the vibrant Intercity Porto Alegre Cidade Baixa . Located directly in the heart of the eclectic Cidade Baixa neighborhood, this hotel has everything you need for an enjoyable vacation. Dive into the rooftop pool for a refreshing swim with city views, and kickstart your morning with a delicious complimentary breakfast. The prime location puts you right in the middle of Porto Alegre’s best nightlife, quirky cafés, and cultural hotspots, making every day an adventure.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Intercity Porto Alegre Cidade Baixa 👈

Luxury Porto Alegre Hotel : Hotel Deville Prime Porto Alegre 🌟 Rating 9.1/10 Book Here

For those that prefer a luxury hotel, look no further than Hotel Deville Prime Porto Alegre . Located near Salgado Filho International Airport, this hotel seamlessly blends elegance and comfort. The opulent rooms provide a serene retreat with top-tier amenities. Guests can unwind by the tranquil outdoor pool, enjoy a game on the tennis courts, or keep up with their workout routine in the fully equipped fitness center. With lush, beautifully landscaped gardens and exquisite dining options, this hotel is more than a place to stay—it’s an experience.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Hotel Deville Prime Porto Alegre 👈

10. Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is the most popular travel destination in Brazil by a landslide. Rio is located in southeastern Brazil and has a population of about 6.7 million. The city is most famous for its impressive Christ the Redeemer statue, stunning Sugar Loaf Mountain , and the beautiful beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Rio is also known around the world for Carnival – a vibrant and exquisite festival that takes place every February. There are also plenty of fun and exciting day trips to take from Rio de Janeiro – so it’s a great home base for your trip to Brazil.

In recent years, Rio de Janeiro has gained a reputation for being unsafe. However, Rio is a large city and there are plenty of neighborhoods that are safe for tourists. These neighborhoods are mostly in the southern zone of the city. 

Some of the safest areas in Rio include Ipanema, Leblon, and Copacabana. My family personally stayed in Barra da Tijuca, an upscale neighborhood, and felt very safe taking evening strolls to dinner and back to our hotel in Rio .

While these are known as safer areas of Rio, it is still best to follow common safety practices and avoid walking on the beaches alone at night.

There are places that tourists should avoid in Rio de Janeiro. These include all of the Favelas, otherwise known as shanty towns. These areas typically have high crime rates and gang violence, so it’s best to avoid them unless you are a part of an organized tour. 

Where to stay in Rio de Janeiro

Mid-Range Rio de Janeiro Hotel : Windsor California Copacabana 🌟 Rating 9.0/10 Book Here

Windsor California Copacabana is perfectly located directly across the street from the beach and within walking distance to anything you may need. Not only is the location great, but the accommodations and service are as well. All at a rather affordable rate.

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Windsor California Copacabana 👈

Luxury Rio de Janeiro Hotel : Belmond Copacabana Palace 🌟 Rating 9.5/10 Book Here

Now, if you’re up for a splurge, check out Belmond Copacabana Palace . Right on Copacabana Beach, here, it’s all about luxury. The rooms are elegant with high-end amenities, not to mention two on-site pools to soak up the sun. You can relax at the spa, hit the gym, and dine at some gourmet restaurants. The place is full of old-world charm and top-notch service – book here for an absolutely unforgettable experience!

👉 Check the Price and Availability of Belmond Copacabana Palace 👈

Is Brazil Safe for Travel?

Now that I’ve covered the safest cities in Brazil, you may be wondering, is Brazil a safe country to travel to? And, if so, who can travel safely to Brazil? 

In short, yes– Brazil is safe for travel. Like all cities around the world, Brazilian cities face issues with crime rates. However, if you follow common safety precautions it is completely possible to have an amazing and safe trip to Brazil. 

Is Brazil Safe for Families?

Brazil is a safe destination for families and is a very family-friendly country to visit. Family is an important part of Brazilian culture so Brazilians are very welcoming to families and children. In Brazil, it’s common for children to come with their parents to restaurants and beaches and take part in other family activities. 

Many of the restaurants we frequented with our twin four-year-olds had either a special section for kids to play or free meals for kids under a certain age.

Traveling with kids to Brazil will take some extra planning, as it does with any destination. In general, you will still follow the same safety precautions, such as making sure to stay in a safe part of town and not wandering around late at night. When traveling with children , another safety aspect to consider is transportation. For example, if you have small children and plan on riding in a car, it may be necessary to bring a car seat. 

We brought our WAYB Pico car seats to Brazil and were very glad we did. Since they are foldable and only 8 pounds each, it was extremely easy to transport them. As a bonus, the carrying case is extra spacious, which allowed us to bring home extra goodies that couldn’t fit in our suitcases. 

Don’t forget to bring kid sun screen for all the family time you’ll enjoy on Brazil’s sunny beaches.

Is Brazil Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Solo female travelers can visit Brazil safely. Brazilian people are very friendly, which makes Brazil a great country to visit as a solo traveler. There are many opportunities to meet people in safe ways, such as staying at hostels and participating in social activities or joining in on a group tour. 

Personally, I loved how Brazilians would always try to have a conversation with you even knowing your Portuguese is limited and their English is not much better. If you’re open to trying, it makes an amazing memory from your trip to Brazil. 

As a solo female traveler, there are certain safety precautions that I always follow , no matter what country I’m in. For example, always let a friend or family member know what your travel plans are and check in with them occasionally throughout your trip. If you are going out, try to go with a group from your hostel or hop on a local tour. Additionally, it’s a good idea to take an Uber or taxi rather than walk home, especially late at night. 

Is Brazil Safe for LGBTQ+ Travelers?

Yes, Brazil is a safe destination for LGBTQ+ travelers. Brazil is one of the 30+ countries around the world that have laws in place protecting LGBTQ+ rights. Same-sex marriage is recognized in Brazil and has been since 2013. As of 2016, transgender rights laws have been passed to allow people to legally use the name and gender of their choice.

In São Paulo, there is a large and very fun Pride Parade that is celebrated throughout the city every June. There are actually over 100 other Pride Parades throughout the country. Many cities in Brazil also have gay bars and clubs, especially in places like Rio and São Paulo. 

In general, LGBTQ+ people are accepted in Brazil, especially in the larger cities. However, it is important to note that in the smaller, rural parts of Brazil, there is still a more conservative and traditional culture that isn’t quite as accepting. An LGBTQ+ traveler visiting smaller towns or rural communities may experience some uncomfortable stares, but violence against LGBTQ+ is extremely rare. Therefore, Brazil is a safe destination for LGBTQ+ travelers, especially in the major cities.

Is It Safe to Take an Uber or Taxi in Brazil?

Taking an Uber or taxi is one of the safest ways to get around the cities in Brazil. In fact, it is typically safer to use a taxi or Uber than it is to walk. 

Public transportation is also available and consists of metros, city buses, and long-distance buses. However, public transport can be iffy in some areas or at night, making Uber and taxis the safest option for getting around Brazil.

Be aware that there are some common scams in Brazil regarding taxis. One of the most common ones is when the taxi driver claims the meter is broken and then charges an inflated price at the end of the ride. It is important to check that the meter is working when getting in a taxi, and if it isn’t working just find another taxi. 

Another thing to consider when taking a taxi is to have your hotel call you a reputable company, so that you can avoid a scam situation.

Taking an Uber is a great way to avoid taxi scams, as you will pay for the ride upfront through the app. Uber is considered to be a safe mode of transportation in Brazilian cities .

Is It Safe to Drink the Water in Brazil?

The tap water in major cities such as São Paulo and Rio is considered safe to drink, but it may not always taste the best. It may be a good idea to drink bottled water instead as a precaution. In more rural areas, it is best to always drink bottled water and avoid the tap. Another option instead of bottled water is to bring a small water filter, such as a life straw , that filters the water for you.

Is the Food Safe in Brazil?

The food in Brazil is safe to eat, including delicious street food. Similar to the regulations restaurants follow in the U.S., Brazil has strict rules when it comes to food safety. These strict regulations ensure that the food is high quality and safe for both locals and travelers to consume. Brazilian street food is also safe to eat and is definitely worth trying during your trip.

Safety Tips for Traveling to Brazil

There are many safety tips to keep in mind when traveling to any country. The following tips are some great ways to stay safe while traveling to Brazil :

• Be aware of your surroundings
• Avoid walking on the beaches after dark
• Don’t leave your cell phone and valuables unattended when taking a dip in the water – instead use a waterproof bag or fanny pack and take them with you
• Leave unnecessary valuables at home
• Don’t give the appearance of wealth (wearing expensive jewelry, etc.)
• Avoid walking after dark or around unknown areas, especially alone
• Always walk along main streets, avoid alleyways and empty side streets
• Let a friend or family member know your travel plans, especially if you are traveling solo
• Hire a local guide to show you around or take guided tours
• Get travel insurance before your trip

FAQ: Safest Cities in Brazil

When traveling to Brazil, questions and concerns about safety are common. Below are a few commonly asked questions about the safest cities in Brazil.

Florianópolis is Brazil’s safest city as it has one of the lowest crime rates amongst the other major cities in Brazil. The city is considered to be one of the safest cities in South America. Known for its beautiful beaches, Florianópolis is a safe place to visit in Brazil.

The southeastern states of São Paulo, Santa Catarina, and Paraná are some of the safest parts of Brazil. Some of the safest Brazilian cities include Florianópolis, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, and São Paulo. There are other safe parts of Brazil as well, and most major cities have neighborhoods or areas that are safer than others.

Yes, solo female travelers can travel to Brazil safely. Despite having higher-than-average crime rates, there are safe cities and neighborhoods for tourists in Brazil. No matter where you travel, be sure to avoid walking around at night, leave valuable items at home, go with a local guide or on guided tours, and tell someone your travel plans.

Yes, there are many safe places to live in Brazil. Brazil is a large country that is home to millions of people, including many expats. Many American expats live in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city. There are many safe places to live in São Paulo, including the neighborhoods of Bela Vista, Jardins, Consolação, and Itaim Bibi.

In Conclusion: Safest Cities in Brazil

Brazil is an amazing country that is filled with natural beauty, history, and culture. Brazilian people are incredibly friendly and many cities in Brazil are safe to visit as an international traveler. While these 10 cities are considered some of the safest cities in Brazil, many other places can be explored as long as you practice common sense and abide by safety tips.

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Brazilians often say they live in a continent rather than a country. It’s an excusable exaggeration. The landmass is bigger than the United States if you exclude Alaska; the journey from Recife in the east to the western border with Peru is longer than that from London to Moscow, and the distance between the northern and southern borders is about the same as that between New York and Los Angeles. Brazil has no mountains to compare with its Andean neighbours, but in every other respect it has all the scenic – and cultural – variety you would expect from so vast a country.

Brazil fact file

Where to go in brazil, festivals in brazil, language in brazil, travel ideas for brazil, created by local experts.

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Blissful Brazil

Welcome to a lavish journey that marries adventure with style, featuring stays in carefully chosen four-star hotels. This reinvigorating trip will have you sightseeing in São Paulo, gazing at the spectacular Foz do Iguaçu falls and relaxing on Rio's finest beaches before you know it.

Breathtaking Brazil: Rio, Beaches and Waterfalls

Explore the lively city of Rio de Janeiro, home to Ipanema and Copacabana beaches; experience the stunning Foz do Iguaçu National Park and see the world’s largest waterfalls system; immerse yourself in cultural Salvador, the magnificent former capital of Portugal’s New World colony.

Extraordinary Brazil - Paraty & Iguaçu

Combine adventure and nature in Paraty with the stunning Iguaçu waterfalls. Your trip starts in the colonial town Paraty, Costa Verde's main attraction. Jeep rides, beaches, and a lot of culture are part of the program. Afterwards, fly to Foz do Iguaçu and see the falls from both Argentina & Brazil.

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Discover the world's largest continental flood area - the Pantanal, one of the richest places in biodiversity. Continue your wildlife trip to the Amazon River. Your lodges throughout the trip are located right in nature, with easy access to lodge trails around.

Despite the immense expanses of the interior, roughly two-thirds of Brazil’s population live on or near the coast and well over half live in cities – even in the Amazon. In Rio and São Paulo, Brazil has two of the world’s great metropolises, and ten other cities have over a million inhabitants. Yet Brazil still thinks of itself as a frontier country, and certainly the deeper into the interior you go, the thinner the population becomes.

Other South Americans regard Brazilians as a race apart, and language has a lot to do with it – Brazilians understand Spanish, just about, but Spanish-speakers won’t understand Portuguese. Brazilians also look different. In the extreme south German and eastern European immigration has left distinctive traces; São Paulo has the world’s largest Japanese community outside Japan; slavery lies behind a large Afro-Brazilian population concentrated in Rio, Salvador and São Luís; while the Indian influence is still very visible in the Amazon. Italian and Portuguese immigration has been so great that its influence is felt across the entire country.

Brazil is a land of profound economic contradictions. Rapid post-war industrialization made it one of the world’s ten largest economies by the 1990s and it is misleading to think of Brazil as a developing country; it is quickly becoming the world’s leading agricultural exporter and has several home-grown multinationals competing successfully in world markets. The last decade has seen millions of Brazilians haul their way into the country’s expanding middle class, and across-the-board improvements in social indicators like life expectancy and basic education. But yawning social divides are still a fact of life in Brazil. The cities are dotted with favelas , shantytowns that crowd around the skyscrapers, and there are wide regional differences , too: Brazilians talk of a “Switzerland” in the South, centred on the Rio–São Paulo axis, and an “India” above it, and although this is a simplification the level of economic development does fall the further north or east you go. Brazil has enormous natural resources but their exploitation has benefited fewer than it should. Institutionalized corruption, a bloated and inefficient public sector and the reluctance of the country’s middle class to do anything that might jeopardize its comfortable lifestyle are a big part of the problem. Levels of violence that would be considered a public emergency in most countries are fatalistically accepted in Brazil – an average of seventeen murders per day in the city of Rio de Janeiro, for example.

These difficulties, however, don’t overshadow everyday life in Brazil, and violence rarely affects tourists. It’s fair to say that nowhere in the world do people enjoy themselves more – most famously in the annual orgiastic celebrations of Carnaval , but reflected, too, in the lively year-round nightlife that you’ll find in any decent-sized town. This national hedonism also manifests itself in Brazil’s highly developed beach culture , superb music and dancing, rich regional cuisines and the most relaxed and tolerant attitude to sexuality – gay and straight – that you’ll find anywhere in South America.

• By far the largest country in South America, Brazil covers nearly half the continent and is only slightly smaller than the US, with an area of just over 8.5 million square kilometres. It shares a frontier with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador.
• Brazil has around 200 million inhabitants, making it the fifth most populous country in the world.
• Almost ninety percent of Brazil’s electricity is generated from hydropower, about six percent from fossil fuels and six percent from nuclear power. Brazil is becoming an important oil exporter, with new reserves recently discovered offshore from Rio.
• Brazilian exports consist mainly of manufactured products (including automobiles, machinery and footwear), minerals and foodstuffs as varied as coffee, beef and orange juice. But only thirteen percent of GDP comes from exports: Brazil‘s growing domestic economy is the powerhouse of its development.

The most heavily populated part of the country is the Southeast, where the three largest cities – São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte – form a triangle around which the economy pivots. All are worth visiting but Rio, which really is as beautiful as it seems in pictures, is the one essential destination. The South, encompassing the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, is the most economically advanced part of the country and includes much of the enormous Paraná river system. The spectacular Iguaçu Falls on the border with Argentina is one of the great natural wonders of South America.

Central Brazil is dominated by an enormous plateau of savanna and rock escarpments, the Planalto Central. In the middle stands Brasília, the country’s space-age capital, built from scratch in the late 1950s and still developing today. The capital is the gateway to a vast interior, Mato Grosso, only fully charted and settled over the last fifty years; it includes the Pantanal, the largest wetlands in the world and the richest wildlife reserve anywhere in the Americas. North and west Mato Grosso shades into the Amazon, the world’s largest river basin and a mosaic of jungle, rivers, savanna and marshland that also contains two major cities – Belém, at the mouth of the Amazon itself, and Manaus, some 1600km upstream. The tributaries of the Amazon, rivers like the Tapajós, the Xingú, the Negro, the Araguaia or the Tocantins, are virtually unknown outside Brazil, but each is a huge river system in its own right.

The other major sub-region of Brazil is the Northeast, the part of the country that curves out into the Atlantic Ocean. This was the first part of Brazil to be settled by the Portuguese and colonial remains are thicker on the ground here than anywhere else in the country – notably in the cities of Salvador and São Luís and the lovely town of Olinda. It’s a region of dramatic contrasts: a lush tropical coastline with the best beaches in Brazil quickly gives way to the sertão, a semi-arid interior plagued by drought and grinding poverty. All the major cities of the Northeast are on the coast; the two largest are sprawling Recife and Salvador, Brazil’s most heavily Afro-Brazilian city and a fascinating place to visit. The coast of the Northeast is developing rapidly these days, taking advantage of proximity to Europe to attract package tourists and holiday-home buyers. But it is big enough for it still to be possible to get away from it all.

Discover more places in Brazil

• Mato Grosso Travel Guide
• Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo Travel Guide
• The Northeast Travel Guide
• São Paulo Travel Guide
• Brazil South Travel Guide

Carnaval is the most important festival in Brazil, but there are other parties, too, from saints’ days to celebrations based around elections or the World Cup.

When Carnaval comes, the country gets down to some of the most serious partying in the world. A Caribbean carnival might prepare you a little, but what happens in Brazil is more spectacular, goes on longer and is on a far larger scale. Every place in Brazil, large or small, has some form of Carnaval, and in three places especially – Rio, Salvador and Olinda, just outside Recife – Carnaval has become a mass event, involving seemingly the entire populations of the cities and drawing visitors from all over the world.

When exactly Carnaval begins depends on the ecclesiastical calendar: it starts at midnight of the Friday before Ash Wednesday and ends on the Wednesday night, though effectively people start partying on Friday afternoon – over four days of continuous, determined celebration. It usually happens in the middle of February, although very occasionally it can be early March. But in effect, the entire period from Christmas is a kind of run-up to Carnaval. People start working on costumes, songs are composed and rehearsals staged in school playgrounds and backyards, so that Carnaval comes as a culmination rather than a sudden burst of excitement and colour.

During the couple of weekends immediately before Carnaval proper, there are carnival balls (bailes carnavalescos), which get pretty wild. Don’t expect to find many things open or to get much done in the week before Carnaval, or the week after it, when the country takes a few days off to shake off its enormous collective hangover. During Carnaval itself, stores open briefly on Monday and Tuesday mornings, but banks and offices stay closed. Domestic airlines, local and inter-city buses run a Sunday service during the period.

The most familiar and most spectacular Carnaval is in Rio, dominated by samba and the parade of samba schools down the enormous concrete expanse of the gloriously named Sambódromo. One of the world’s great sights, and televised live to the whole country, Rio’s Carnaval has its critics. It is certainly less participatory than Olinda or Salvador, with people crammed into grandstands watching, rather than down following the schools.

Salvador is, in many ways, the antithesis of Rio, with several focuses around the old city centre: the parade is only one of a number of things going on, and people follow parading schools and the trio elétrico, groups playing on top of trucks wired for sound. Samba is only one of several types of music being played; indeed, if it’s music you’re interested in, Salvador is the best place to hear and see it.

Olinda, in a magical colonial setting just outside Recife, has a character all its own, less frantic than Rio and Salvador; musically, it’s dominated by frevo, the fast, whirling beat of Pernambuco, and is in some ways the most distinctive visually, with its bonecos, large papier-mâché figures that are the centrepiece of the Olinda street parades.

Some places you would expect to be large enough to have an impressive Carnaval are in fact notoriously bad at it: cities in this category are São Paulo, Brasília and Belo Horizonte. On the other hand, there are also places that have much better Carnavals than you would imagine: the one in Belém is very distinctive, with the Amazonian food and rhythms of the carimbó, and Fortaleza also has a good reputation. The South, usually written off by most people as far as Carnaval is concerned, has major events in Florianópolis, primarily aimed at attracting Argentine and São Paulo tourists, and the smaller but more distinctive Carnaval in Laguna. For full details of the events, music and happenings at each of the main Carnavals, see under the relevant sections of the Guide.

Other festivals

The third week in June has festas juninas, geared mainly towards children, who dress up in straw hats and checked shirts and release paper balloons with candles attached (to provide the hot air), causing anything from a fright to a major conflagration when they land.

Elections and the World Cup are usually excuses for impromptu celebrations, while official celebrations, with military parades and patriotic speeches, take place on September 7 (Independence Day) and November 15, the anniversary of the declaration of the Republic.

In towns and rural areas, you may well stumble across a dia de festa, the day of the local patron saint, a very simple event in which the image of the saint is paraded through the town, with a band and firecrackers, a thanksgiving Mass is celebrated, and then everyone turns to the secular pleasures of the fair, the market and the bottle. In Belém, this tradition reaches its zenith in the annual Cirio on the second Sunday of October, when crowds of over a million follow the procession of the image of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré, but most festas are small-scale, small-town events.

In recent years, many towns have created new festivals, usually glorified industrial fairs or agricultural shows. Often these events are named after the local area’s most important product, such as the Festa Nacional do Frango e do Peru (chickens and turkeys) in Chapecó. Occasionally, these local government creations can be worth attending as some promote local popular culture as well as industry. One of the best is Pomerode’s annual Festa Pomerana, which takes place in the first half of January and has done much to encourage the promotion of local German traditions.

Football in Brazil

Going to a football match in Brazil is something even those bored by the game will enjoy as spectacle: the stadiums are sights in themselves and big matches are watched behind a screen of tickertape and waving flags, huge banners, massed drums, fireworks and firecrackers, to the chants, roars and whistling of the world’s most passionate football supporters.

Brazil’s major teams are concentrated in Rio and São Paulo. In Rio, Flamengo is the best-supported team in the country, and its distinctive shirt of red and black hoops is seen everywhere. Its clashes with perennial Rio rival Fluminense (maroon, green and white stripes) is one of the most intense matches in Brazilian club football, rivalled only by the games between São Paulo’s two leading teams, São Paulo (white with red and black hoops) and Coríntians (white). In Rio, Botafogo (black and white stripes with the famous white-star badge) and Vasco (white with black diagonal stripe) vie with Fla-Flu for dominance, while Palmeiras (green) and Santos (white) make up the big four in São Paulo. The only teams that consistently live with the best of Rio and São Paulo are Internacional (red) and Grêmio (blue, white and black stripes) from Porto Alegre, and Atlético Mineiro (white) and Cruzeiro (dark blue) from Belo Horizonte.

Brazilian stadiums tend to be enormous, concrete, and with a few exceptions rather dingy and lacking in character: they are rarely full save for clássicos, matches between major teams, and rely on the supporters rather than their architecture for colour and feeling. Most pitches are separated from supporters by a wide running track and sometimes even a moat, which puts the play further from the terraces than British fans will be used to. But some stadiums are worth going out of your way for: the Maracanã in Rio, it goes without saying, but also the beautiful Art Deco Pacaembú in São Paulo. No football fan should visit Rio without leaving a morning for the excellent tour of the Maracanã, or miss the superb new Museu de Futbol when in São Paulo.

Tickets are very cheap by European standards; good seats at a clássico will cost no more than R$50, but an ordinary match will be half that or less – the issue is availability rather than price. For clássicos, hotels often have packages that include transport, tickets and a guide for around R$100 all in, an expensive way of doing it but often the only practical option if you can’t get a ticket a few days in advance. For ordinary matches, you can almost always turn up half an hour beforehand and look for the bilheteria, the ticket office, which usually only takes cash. All stadiums are two-deckers, most are now all-seaters but a few still have terracing on the lower deck: upper-deck seats are arquibancada, lower-deck geral. There is not as much of a problem with crowd violence in Brazil as in many European countries, but don’t wear a Brazilian club shirt just to be on the safe side: non-Brazilian shirts are no problem (except for Argentinian ones – the two countries don’t get on well in footballing terms), and Brazilian fans are extremely friendly to foreigners. December is the off season; otherwise, a mixture of state and national championships ensures constant football.

Learning some Portuguese before you go to Brazil is an extremely good idea. Although many well-educated Brazilians speak English, and it’s now the main second language taught in schools, this hasn’t filtered through to most of the population. If you know Spanish you’re halfway there: there are obvious similarities in the grammar and vocabulary, so you should be able to make yourself understood if you speak slowly, and reading won’t present you with too many problems. However, Portuguese pronunciation is utterly different and much less straightforward than Spanish, so unless you take the trouble to learn a bit about it you won’t have a clue what Brazilians are talking about. And contrary to what you might expect, very few Brazilians speak Spanish themselves.

Unfortunately, far too many people – especially Spanish-speakers – are put off going to Brazil precisely by the language, but in reality this should be one of your main reasons for going. Brazilian Portuguese is a colourful, sensual language full of wonderfully rude and exotic vowel sounds, swooping intonation and hilarious idiomatic expressions. You’ll also find that Brazilians will greatly appreciate even your most rudimentary efforts, and every small improvement in your Portuguese will make your stay in Brazil ten times more enjoyable.

People who have learned their Portuguese in Portugal or in Lusophone Africa won’t have any real problems with the language in Brazil, but there are some quite big differences. There are many variations in vocabulary, and Brazilians take more liberties with the language, but the most notable differences are in pronunciation: Brazilian Portuguese is spoken more slowly and clearly; the neutral vowels so characteristic of European Portuguese tend to be sounded in full; in much of Brazil outside Rio the slushy “sh” sound doesn’t exist; and the “de” and “te” endings of words like cidade and diferente are palatalized so they end up sounding like “sidadgee” and “djiferentchee”.

Carnaval plunges Brazil into the most serious partying in the world. Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Notting Hill in London are not even close; nothing approaches the sheer scale and spectacle of Carnaval in Rio, Salvador and Olinda, just outside Recife. But Carnaval also speaks to the streak of melancholy that is the other side of the stereotype of fun-loving Brazil.

Part of the reason is Carnaval’s origins at the time when Brazil was still the largest slaveholding country in the Americas. The celebrations just before Lent acquired a kind of “world turned upside down” character, with slaveowners ceremonially serving their slaves food and allowing them time off work – giving a particularly double-edged feel to Carnaval as servitude reasserted itself come Ash Wedneday. Brazil has come a long way since then, but the traditional freedom to transgress that comes with Carnaval gives its partying an edge that deepens in the small hours, as alcohol and crowds generate their usual tensions – the already high murder rate hits its peak over the festival and traffic deaths are also at their annual high. There is a big difference between day and night. Carnaval during the day is for families, and you can relax along with the Pierrots, masks and brass bands that ply the streets and squares: if you travel with children they will remember a good Carnaval for the rest of their lives. Carnaval at night is memorably spectacular in Rio and the biggest street party you will ever see in Salvador and Olinda, but it’s best to keep your wits about you and your head clear. For more information, see Carnaval dates and the relevant sections of the guide for more information.

Travel advice for Brazil

From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Brazil

• Eating and drinking in Brazil
• How to get to Brazil
• Getting around Brazil: Transportation Tips
• Travel Tips Brazil for planning and on the go

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updated 26.04.2021

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20 Cities in Brazil

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Brazil is South America’s largest country and the only one with Portuguese as its primary language. The majority of the Amazon Rainforest lies in Brazil, yet this vast country also has an extensive coastline with many of the main cities in Brazil sitting on the South Atlantic.

The Portuguese first arrived here early in the 16th century, and their time in the country has left many reminders of colonialism. Brazil gained true independence in 1822, and today it comprises 26 provinces within five regions. The national population of almost 220 million makes it the seventh most populous in the world. Sao Paulo, with over 11 million, is the largest city in Brazil, while the former capital, Rio de Janeiro, with half that number, is the city that attracts the most tourism. The Government decided to create a new city, Brasilia, in the interior as the new capital.

Brazil’s diversity and multiculturalism are just two reasons to visit. Catholicism is important and while “Carnival” is celebrated around the world each year, few do it, as well as Brazil. Add the country’s passion for soccer, the riches of the Amazon and the Pantanal, and you have a country that should be on every traveller’s list. Read on, and you will learn more about the best cities in Brazil. 

3- Porto Velho

4- salvador, 5- fortaleza, 7- sao luis, 9- brasilia, 10- goiania, 11- campo grande, 13- sao paulo, 14- rio de janeiro, 15- belo horizonte, 16- guarulhos, 17- campinas, 18- sao concalo, 19- curitiba, 20- porto alegre, cities in brazil, brazil cities – north.

This is the largest of the five regions, comprising seven provinces and is virtually all Amazonian Rainforest with sparse population density.

Much of it is remote, with limited highways and transport by air or boat.

You might be surprised to discover that major cities in Brazil have been built within the Amazon yet here are three that have developed into sizeable settlements.

Manaus, with a population more than two million, sits where the Negro and Solimoes Rivers meet before they join the Amazon itself.

It takes the name of the indigenous tribe living in this region when the Portuguese first arrived, the Manaos.

It is in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest so it is both the stepping point for exploring but also the city where trade relating to the forest is centred; timber, rubber, nuts and rosewood oil.

Rubber was the product that really led to its growth late in the 19th century.

In the city you will find a variety of indigenous and regional museums, gardens, an opera house and a cathedral.

Top tour: Brazil Manaus Indian Village and Meeting of the Waters Tour.

Belem is a port city 100 kilometres (62.5 miles) upriver from the Atlantic.

It is the capital of Para Province with a population approaching 1.5 million and almost as many again living in the greater metropolitan area.

It was the first colony established on the Amazon by the Portuguese in 1616.

Part of the city still has plenty of reminders of colonial times, but the more modern part has several skyscrapers.

Mango trees abound in the older parts and those early days gave it its name, Santa Maria de Belem in Lisbon, which itself is regularly shortened to Belem.

The third city in the North worth considering is Porto Velho in the Upper Amazon Basin.

Its growth to a population above half a million is partly due to the mining of cassiterite which was discovered a century ago.

That led to the construction of a railroad and increased trading activity from a base of just 1,000 inhabitants. Cassiterite remains the most important source of tin today.

Workers came from the Caribbean, mostly Barbados resulting in a large neighbourhood being nicknamed “Bajan Hill.”

Cities in Brazil – North East

This is a coastal region of nine provinces and where the Portuguese first landed.

Brazil’s first capital, Salvador, is here with highway communications along the extensive coast reasonably good.

However, the northeast remains a relatively poor region of Brazil.

Its lovely beaches alone are a reason to head to this part of Brazil. In addition, the architecture relating to the time when the Portuguese dominated the region remains impressive.

Salvador in Bahai State is famed for its cuisine and music, a planned port city founded in the mid-16th century and Brazil’s first capital city.

Many Africans came here to work, hence Salvador being the centre of Afro-Brazilian culture.

Colonial architecture is a serious reason for travellers visiting this city; UNESCO recognised its value, making it a World Heritage Site in 1985.

Its Carnival is the biggest in the world according to the Guinness World Records.

Its population is just short of three million, with a further one million living in the immediate vicinity.

Top tour: Private City Tour in Salvador .

Fortaleza is almost as big as Salvador in population terms; 2.7 million, with half as many again in the greater metropolitan region.

Its location makes it the closest Brazilian city to Europe, hence its importance as a trading port.

The Portuguese founded a settlement here in 1603, building a fort and naming it Nova Lisboa (New Lisbon).

After the Portuguese defeated the French a decade later, the settlement began to expand.

The Atlantic is just north of the city, with other towns to its south and west.

Top tour: 3 Beaches in 1 Day Tour Leaving Fortaleza .

Recife was one of the early settlements in northeast Brazil, way back in 1537.

Today’s population exceeds 1.6 million, with the total urban area having over four million.

Sugar cane was central to Recife’s economy through its growth, developed by the Dutch West India Company initially.

Its rivers and islands earned it the nickname “Brazilian Venice.”

In recent decades, industries such as vehicles, ships, and electronics have developed.

More recently, medical and educational activities have grown enormously. The beaches and historical sites attract significant numbers of tourists.

Top tour: Half-Day Museum Tour in Recife .

The French founded São Luís on Upaon-acu Island and Ilha de São Luís and today has a population of just over a million.

UNESCO made its original heart a World Heritage Site in 1997.

The highlights for tourists lie in Praia Grande, where there are two palaces, the Palace of the Lions, where the State Governor lives has lovely French art and furniture, and the 17th century La Ravardière Palace.

The city has two ports with the export of iron ore as their primary activity.

Metallurgical industries are essential to the economy.

Top tour: Sao Luis Route of Emotions .

“Maceió” is an Indigenous word for a spring and you will find that there are many flowing into the ocean here if you pay a visit.

Settlement began early in the 19th Century with sugar, tobacco and cotton plantations established, with the products then being exported to Europe.

Trade in leather, spices and coconut also helped in its growth.

Colonial houses in pastel colours still stand in its heart, while other attractions are the 19th-century Cathedral and the Théo Brandão Museum of Anthropology and Folklore in a renovated seafront mansion.

An offshore reef means that its lovely white sandy beaches are a delight. Check out this tour.

Cities in Brazil – Central West

The Federal District of Brasilia and three provinces make up the Central West Region, where transport once again the air and using the country’s rivers.

There is very limited industrialisation, with agriculture an important aspect of the area.

In 1960, Brasilia in the Brazilian Highlands became the national capital, taking over from Rio de Janeiro, which had been the capital since 1763.

It is a planned city whose modern architecture earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987 and “City of Design” in 2017.

Today’s population is around 2.5 million, and Brasilia has domestic flight connections throughout the country.

Its construction finally implemented plans that had been discussed for decades.

Not surprisingly, much of its economic activity is based on its status as capital, Brasilia being the 3rd highest GDP in Brazil.

Find out more about Brasilia on a city tour. 

Goiânia is another planned city. Its population is 1.5 million, with a further million living within the immediate vicinity.

It was built in the 1930s to serve as the capital of Goias Province.

It is located 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Brasilia. Its economy involves industry and agriculture, medicine and fashion.

Green areas for which it was famous are gradually disappearing and the city grows with debate about green areas per capita under constant discussion.

Campo Grande is the largest city in the Mato Grosso do Sul, a city whose nickname, Cidade Morena (“Swarthy City”), is a result of the reddish-brown colour of its soil.

Today’s population of 906,092 is an increase of over three-quarters of a million in half a century.

The city is truly cosmopolitan, with immigrants arriving from the Middle East, Japan and Europe to join the local indigenous peoples and some from Brazil’s neighbours.

The result is an interesting culture that visitors are sure to enjoy.

Top tour: Pantanal Day Trip .

Cuiabá is the gateway to the Pantanal, a truly rich wildlife region to rival anything in South America, founded early in the 18th century when gold was discovered.

It is a city of around half a million in a region known for its livestock and agriculture.

This fast-growing city is the capital of Mato Grosso and has been for two centuries, with its population a mix of European, African and local indigenous peoples.

Travellers will find a city rich in music and dance and known for its distinctive cuisine.

Top tour: 8-Day Jaguars and Pantanal Safari.

Cities in Brazil – South

The four provinces of the South are the economic hub of Brazil, responsible for around 50% of Brazil’s GDP.

This is comfortably the region with the most population; 80 million or so.

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are both cities and provinces, with the two also the dominant ones when it comes to one of Brazil’s real passions, soccer.

Brazil has won the World Cup 5 times, more than any other country.

Brazil’s largest city with its GDP is is Latin America’s biggest city.

In the greater metropolitan area, there are over 30 million people.

Not surprisingly, it is important when it comes to commerce and industry as well as being a centre for entertainment and the arts.

There is much to see and do in a city of monuments, parks and museums.

The annual calendar of events means there is bound to be something happening when you visit.

Perhaps the annual Jazz Festival, the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Fashion Week or the ATP Brazil Open?

If any of these events appeal to you, check on the respective dates when planning a trip.

Top tour: São Paulo’s Full Day City Tour: Main City Sights in 7 Hours .

Mention Rio and your mind is likely to wander to its lovely beaches, Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer (Corcovado).

Few cities in the Southern Hemisphere attract as many tourists annually as Rio de Janeiro.

Photographs of the city from the air are stunning and those views are available to anyone taking the cable car up to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Carnival, the samba and the bosa nova are further reasons to put Rio on your “must see” list.

While there, all soccer fans should visit the Maracana Stadium, where many famous soccer games have taken place, including two World Cup Finals, in 1950 and 2014.

Top tour: Full Day in Rio: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Maracana and Selaron with Lunch .

Belo Horizonte (‘Beautiful Horizon’) is a city of 2.7 million with more than double that amount living in the immediate vicinity.

The capital of Minas Gerais, Brazil’s first planned city, was built on several hills surrounded by mountains.

The first settlement dates from the 18th century with the city you see today planned late in the 19th.

There are many large parks in the area with plenty of forested areas as well.

The Jambeiro Woods (Mata do Jambeiro) is a large nature reserve with over 100 species of birds inhabiting it and 10 species of mammals.

Top tour: Discover Belo Horizonte City .

This city is within the greater metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, with its own population exceeding a million.

The name is from the local indigenous Tupi word translated into “Eaters”, or “big-bellied people”, referring to the region’s original inhabitants.

The first colonial settlement here was established in the middle of the 16th Century by Jesuit priests.

At that time, a few small villages were regularly threatened by other indigenous tribes.

Likewise, Campinas is within “Greater Sao Paulo” and has a population exceeding a million.

The name means “grass fields” which aptly described the area that was once dense subtropical forest with several rivers and rolling hills.

It was founded in 1774 but yellow fever struck, killing a large percentage of the population during the 1800s.

Coffee, cotton and sugar cane were central to the economy with coffee being the main reason for its prosperity.

Its infrastructure quickly developed with theatres, opera houses, newspapers established, together with good educational and medical facilities.

São Gonçalo is a city of over a million within the greater metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro.

Its industrial contribution to the Rio State GDP is important.

Part of the city lies within the Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic created this century aiming to improve conservation locally.

Sao Concalo’s population has increased by 200,000 this century alone, an indication of the opportunities the city provides for employment.

Cities in Brazil – South East

The three provinces of the South East have a relatively good standard of living.

Urbanisation is relatively recent with a significant number of Brazilians of European descent in the largest cities.

Curitiba is capital of the Parana Province and has a population approaching two million.

It is found on a plateau, 932 metres (over 3,000 feet) above sea level.

In its early days, the 18th Century, its role was to link the livestock industry with its market.

Subsequently, its growth continued because of logging, then coffee and agricultural production.

It remains a prosperous city, with around half of the inhabitants arriving from elsewhere.

Reader’s Digest named it the top “Brazilian Big City” for living and has few problems in attracting investment, yet its unemployment rate is surprisingly high.

Find out more on this Curitiba City Tour .

“Joyful Harbour” is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul and boasts a population of 1.5 million.

A further three million live within the greater metropolitan area.

Its origins date back to 1769, with settlement established on the east bank of Guaiba Lake, taking advantage of the fact that there was the potential to develop a port.

At one time, it had a worryingly high crime rate, but happily, that rate has fallen.

Travellers to Porto Alegre should head to the main square where the cathedral, Praca Marechal Deodoro, displays its Renaissance style.

Other landmarks are the Piratini Palace and the Sao Pedro Theatre, both 19th Century. Nature lovers will surely head to the Aparados da Serra National Park.

Top tour: Sailing in Guaíba with White Swan Boats .

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Brazil Travel Guide

Last Updated: August 6, 2024

Brazil is impossible to summarize in just a few paragraphs. It’s the largest country in South America and home to cosmopolitan cities like Rio de Janeiro and its Wonder of the World Christ the Redeemer statue, the rambunctious and world-famous Carnival, the Amazon River and rainforest, and an abundance of lush and untamed nature.

Brazil has more plant and animal species than anywhere else in the world, making it a paradise for travelers who love the outdoors. It’s also home to the towering and awe-inspiring Iguazú Falls.

In other words, you’re going to need longer than a week to visit this massive, diverse country.

Meet the locals at Copacabana Beach in Rio or spend an evening learning how to dance the samba. Cruise the wetlands of the Pantanal or the Amazon River while keeping an eye out for exotic wildlife like toucans and pink dolphins. Gorge on a barbecue feast, and cool off with caipirinha , Brazil’s official cocktail of sugarcane liquor, sugar, and lime.

Throw in passionate fútbol (soccer) matches, beautiful people, and low prices, and it’s easy to see why Brazil is one of the most popular destinations in the world.

This travel guide to Brazil will help you plan your trip, save money, stay safe, and make the most of your time in this amazing country.

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Brazil

Click Here for City Guides

Top 5 things to see and do in brazil.

1. Visit Rio de Janeiro

Home to over 12 million people, Rio de Janeiro has dozens of museums, the world-famous sandy beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, countless party spots, the towering Christ the Redeemer statue (a New Wonder of the World), Sugarloaf Mountain, Tijuca National Park (the largest urban rainforest in the world) right in the city’s backyard, and so much more. No visit to Brazil is complete without a stop here. It’s fun personified, especially if you come during Carnival!

2. Visit Florianópolis

Florianópolis is one of Brazil’s most popular coastal cities, (especially for surfers taking advantage of big waves). Brazilians love to vacation here, and it’s a big spot for backpackers too, thanks to its powdery beaches, cheap seafood, fantastic hiking, and awesome nightlife. Come here to party, lounge, hike, and enjoy the sunshine!

3. Spend time in the Amazon

The Amazon covers 8% of the earth’s surface and is home to 50% of its biodiversity. There are so many ways to experience it: take a jungle cruise down the Amazon River, do a guided multi-day trek , or join a wildlife tour. You can also visit indigenous communities and learn how they live in such a unique place.

4. Go to Fernando de Noronha

Fernando de Noronha was Brazil’s first national marine park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sandy beaches with turquoise waters and excellent snorkeling (there are lots of dolphins here) will take your breath away. 70% of the island is protected, and less than 500 people are permitted at a time, meaning the island is largely empty. It’s one of the most gorgeous places in South America, though be prepared to pay for it in higher accommodation and food costs, as well as a daily visitor tax (87 BRL per day, plus a 330 BRL 10-day visitor pass).

5. See Iguazú Falls

Other things to see and do in brazil, 1. attend a fútbol match in rio.

Fútbol (soccer) is a religion here, and the chaos and excitement during a match are contagious! Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro is one of the largest stadiums in the world, and it seats 100,000 supporters. The best games are the local teams (Flamengo, Vasco, Botafogo, and Fluminese) because you’re guaranteed a game full of singing, cheering, and insult-slinging. You can buy tickets through the teams’ websites or the FutebolCard site. Tickets can be as low as 20 BRL. To learn even more about the sport and stadium, you can take a stadium tour for 77 BRL.

2. Enjoy Rio Carnival

The Rio Carnival is an epic festival of music, samba, and revelers dressed in elaborate, colorful regalia as they take to the streets by the thousands. It’s one of the biggest celebrations in the world (2 million people hit the streets every day during Carnival). The entire celebration is one last hurrah before the start of Lent’s quiet period. Prices for accommodations triple during Carnival (held every February) so be sure to book far in advance for the best deals (highly recommended – they sell out quickly)!

3. Visit Brasilia

Brasilia is the often-overlooked capital of Brazil. This futuristic city was established in 1960 and is a hub for modernist architecture, including the National Congress, with its odd bowl-shaped structures, and Santuário Dom Bosco church which boasts long, narrow windows made of blue-colored Murano glass that represents a starry sky. Visit the 60,000-acre Parque Nacional de Brasilia and walk the trails between tall Cerrado trees while looking for wildlife like anteaters and pampas deer.

4. Explore the Pantanal

Located in Western Brazil, the Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, stretching into parts of Bolivia and Paraguay. Over 11,000 species of animal live here, including the rare marsh deer, the giant anteater, and the hyacinth macaw. The two main access points are Cuiabá and Campo Grande. I recommend the latter as it tends to offer more affordable accommodations and tour options. Most wildlife and sightseeing tours are multi-day and cost a minimum of about 1,325 BRL per day.

5. Relax in Recife

Located on the eastern tip of the country, Recife is the place to be if you want to relax and enjoy some of Brazil’s scenic beaches. Boa Viagem, the 7-kilometer (4-mile) stretch of sand between Pina to Piedade, is very developed with cabanas and sun chairs for rent. Piedade is equally as beautiful but less touristy, lined with restaurants and bars where the locals hang out. For an even more low-key beach area, head south to Porto de Galinhas, where the beach is virtually empty.

6. Visit Salvador

Salvador was Brazil’s first capital city, and today it remains the country’s cultural capital, thanks to its vibrant Afro-Brazilian community. Located down the coast from Recife, Nosso Senhor do Bonfim is a perfect example of this community’s unique spirit: it’s a church that peacefully combines Catholicism and Candomblé (a religion originating from West Africa). Furthermore, the pastel-painted colonial buildings and cobblestone scenes of the Pelourinho neighborhood are extremely photogenic, and if you stay in this area, you’ll have easy access to shopping, restaurants, bars, and live music. Local tour operator Your Tour Brazil offers many different tours to help you dig deeper into Salvador’s culture, including their African Heritage & Acarajé Tasting tour .

7. See São Paulo

São Paulo, the fourth-largest city in the world and the largest in South America, is home to over 23 million people. This sprawling metropolis is for anyone who loves wild nightlife, great museums, interesting street art, live samba music, and fine dining. Every area is like its own micro-city and it’s a completely different vibe than Rio (taking a walking tour is one of the best way to get a handle on this gigantic city). São Paulo also has a flourishing art community, which you can discover through its many experimental theaters and art-house cinemas (including CineSala, an independent street theater founded in 1959).

8. Try capoeira

Capoeira is a combination of dance, music, and martial arts created nearly 500 years ago by enslaved West Africans to disguise their combat training. It kind of looks like breakdancing, emphasizing flow over specific stances. In Brazil’s larger cities you can sign up for intro classes, including in Rio de Janeiro, where classes start from 70 BRL. Angola N’Golo is an affordable school to check out.

9. Unplug in Ilha Grande

You’d never know from the look of it that the tropical island paradise of Ilha Grande was once a pirate’s hideout, a leper colony, and a high-security prison. Nowadays people (especially locals from nearby Rio) come here on the weekends to hang out on the pristine beaches, like Aventura Beach and Palmas Cove. There are a handful of hostels and accommodations here, but mostly the island is made up of undeveloped jungles and beaches. Come here to lounge, disconnect, and chill out.

10. Visit Ouro Preto

Ouro Preto, a 17th-century colonial town, is one of Brazil’s most picturesque towns for its brightly painted houses, Baroque churches, and large leafy plazas. Located around 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Rio, Ouro Preto sits in a valley at the foot of the Serra do Espinhaco, and up in the hills surrounding the town are 23 churches you can hike to visit.

11. Learn samba

Samba is a musical genre and dance born in Rio de Janeiro’s Afro-Brazilian communities in the early 20th century. Today, it’s an important Brazilian cultural symbol, but Rio remains one of the best places in Brazil to learn how to dance. Rio Samba Dancer is my favorite for its all-levels group classes, especially for the classes combined with social outings to samba clubs. Classes start from about 105 BRL.

12. Admire the Azorean fishing villages

Brazil has 7,400 kilometers (4,500 miles) of coastline with many historic fishing villages to explore. Florianópolis has a number of particularly beautiful ones, including Santo Antonio de Lisboa and Ribeirão da Ilha, where you can indulge in delectable oyster and seafood dishes and enjoy secluded beaches, cobbled streets, and jellybean-colored houses. Sights in Ribeirão da Ilha include the Acoriano Casario Church and museum Ecomuseu do Ribeirão da Ilha, where you can learn more about the natural and Azorean cultural history of the area. Museum admission is 5 BRL.

13. Hike in Tijuca National Park

Tijuca National Park is the largest urban rainforest in the world, stretching across 8,300 acres. The area is home to over 350 different species of mammals, birds, and reptiles, including howler monkeys, which only came back to the park recently after a 100-year hiatus. The Corcovado (Christo) hike through Parque Lage to the top of Corcovado is a steep climb, but it’s shaded and only takes about three hours. Another scenic hike is to Tijuca Peak, starting in Rio’s North Zone and going past waterfalls and through dense rainforest. This hike only takes about two hours, and you’ll be rewarded with views over Niteroi and Guanabara Bay. Entrance to the park is free. This is a place where it’s really worth it to go with a tour though. You’ll not only have a more in-depth experience, learning history of the rainforest as well as how to recognize native flora and fauna, but get round-trip transportation to/from your accommodation as well. There are tons of tours available, from the popular jeep tours to full-day adventure hikes that go to lesser visited sections of the rainforest.

14. Visit Paraty

This incredibly well-preserved Portuguese colonial town and UNESCO World Heritige site is located almost halfway between São Paulo and Rio, making it an excellent place to stop and unwind for a few days as you travel between Brazil’s two largest cities. The picturesque cobblestone-lined streets of the 16th-century town are lined with handicraft shops, bars with live music every night, and great restaurants (go to family-run Vinicius for a superb homecooked meal). Located on Brazil’s Costa Verde (Green Coast), there’s a lot of adventure activities to be had here too, including jungle tours of the Atlantic Forest (usually with stops to visit historic cachaca distilleries, as the area is famous for brewing Brazil’s most popular spirit), and boat tours with snorkeling and beach stops. You’ll be able to see and enjoy all the main things to do in about three days here.

  For more information on specific cities in Brazil, check out these guides:

• Fernando de Noronha Travel Guide
• Florianópolis Travel Guide
• Sao Paulo Travel Guide
• Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide

Brazil Travel Costs

Accommodation – Brazil is a huge country (it’s the 7th-largest in the world) and accommodation prices fluctuate from city to city and from season to season (with huge increases during Carnival). Prices in places like Rio de Janeiro and Salvador are pretty consistent, but for beachy destinations like Florianópolis, prices change dramatically depending on the time of year.

A 4-6 person dorm costs about 75-85 BRL per night, while a bed in a 8-10 person dorm costs 60-70 BRL. More remote places like Fernando de Noronha have higher prices, with dorms costing up to 150 BRL per night.

A private double room in a hostel costs about 225-300 BRL, but sometimes you can find rooms for as low as 150 BRL per night.

A budget two-star hotel room in the center of town costs 200-300 BRL per night with air-conditioning and breakfast included. If you’re willing to leave the city center, you can sometimes find rooms for as low as 150 BRL per night.

Airbnb is another great budget option, with private rooms averaging around 100-150 BRL per night, while entire apartments or homes start around 275 BRL.

Campgrounds are plentiful by the beaches and national parks. Expect to pay around 40-70 BRL per night for a basic plot. Amenities generally include free Wi-Fi, bathroom facilities including hot showers, and charging stations.

Food – Brazilian cuisine — like the country itself — is a mix of many cultures, with European, Amerindian, African, and Japanese influences. As such a large country, food varies per region, with seafood plentiful on the coastlines and Brazilian barbeque dominating in the south. Rice and beans are a staple no matter where you are.

Common vegetables include tubers like cassava and yams, tomatoes, red peppers, okra, and more. Being a subtropical country, there’s a huge variety of fruits, with the most famous being the superfood açaí, though cupuaçu, mango, papaya, guava, orange, passion fruit, and pineapple are all common as well.

Feijoada , Brazil’s national dish, is a meaty bean stew that is traditionally eaten for Wednesday or Saturday lunch. Other popular dishes include moqueca (fish stew), polenta, and vatapá (a stew of bread, shrimp, coconut milk, and peanuts) among countless others.

Some popular street food snacks include pão de queijo (cheese bread rolls), acarajé (black eyed pea and shrimp fritters), coxinha (chicken croquettes), and pastéis (savory fried pies with assorted fillings).

All of this is to say that Brazil has such a variety of food and flavors that you never have to go far to find an affordable meal.

Street food like pastel (a deep-fried pastry with filling) or coxinha costs around 8-10 BRL. An açaí (served pureed and frozen, with toppings you can choose from) from a street stand or takeaway spot is 15-20 BRL. A sandwich and drink at a juice bar should be no more than 35-40 BRL, while a combo meal at a fast-food restaurant (think McDonald’s) is around 30-35 BRL. A meal at a Chinese takeout restaurant costs about the same, at 35 BRL for a dish like fried rice. Burgers cost 25-30 BRL and pizzas are around 50-60 BRL.

Buffets, where you pay by weight, are very common throughout Brazil. You usually pay around 65-80 BRL per kilo.

A meal at an inexpensive restaurant serving typical Brazilian dishes costs about 20-40 BRL, depending on the region and city. A meal with two courses at a casual restaurant starts from 60 BRL, though prices at restaurants along the beach can go much higher, often starting at 80 BRL for a dish.

If you want to splash out, a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant costs about 150-180 BRL, but you can expect to pay nearly double this price at some places in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo.

Dishes at higher-end seafood restaurants cost 150-225 BRL and up. At many restaurants in coastal areas, seafood dishes and platters are meant for two (often served with an entire fish) – it’s a huge portion of food that could easily be split between three people.

A domestic beer costs about 10-15 BRL, while a cocktail is 15-25 BRL. Wine is expensive (and not very good) in Brazil, so expect to pay at least 15-20 BRL per glass. A soda or juice is 5-8 BRL, and a cappuccino is 9-11 BRL.

Grocery shopping costs about 100-200 BRL per week for basic staples like fresh veggies, pasta, rice, and some meat or fish.

Backpacking Brazil Suggested Budgets

If you are backpacking Rio de Janeiro, expect to spend about 215 BRL per day. This covers staying in a hostel dorm, eating street food, cooking some of your meals, limiting your drinking, using public transportation to get around, and doing mostly free activities like enjoying the beach and hiking.

On a mid-range budget of about 420 BRL per day, you can stay in a private hostel or Airbnb room, eat out for all your meals at cheap local restaurants, take the occasional taxi to get around, take buses between destinations, enjoy a few drinks, and do more paid activities like surfing or samba lessons.

On a “luxury” budget of about 750 BRL per day or more, you can stay in a hotel, eat out for all your meals, enjoy more drinks, take taxis everywhere, fly between cities, and enjoy all the tours and activities you want. This is just the ground floor for luxury though. The sky is the limit!

If you’re coming during Carnival, expect prices for accommodations and activities to increase significantly (sometimes triple or even quadruple) — especially if you’re booking last minute.

If you’re staying in Fernando de Noronha, budget double the above suggestions.

You can use the chart below to get an idea of how much you need to budget daily, depending on your travel style. Keep in mind these are daily averages – some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in BRL.

Brazil Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Brazil is one of the most expensive countries in South America, but prices depend on where in the country you are and what kind of activities you’re doing. Brazil’s main cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are more expensive than rural areas (unless you’re seeking out less touristy locales, like Fernando do Noronha). Here are some money-saving tips to help you get started:

• Agree on taxi prices – Agree on the price for your journey with the taxi driver before setting off. Many drivers refuse to use their meters and try to rip you off. It’s much better to take a bus most of the time.
• Stay with a local – Couchsurfing connects you with locals who can give you a free place to stay and share their insider tips and advice. It’s the best way to meet locals and save money.
• Visit off-season – December to March is a pretty busy time as people from the Northern hemisphere escape the winter. Try to avoid these dates if you want to keep prices low.
• Skip Carnival – Carnival might be fun, but it’s also super expensive. If you’re on a budget, avoid visiting during Carnival.
• Get an Airpass – If you book your domestic flights in advance, the Airpass can save you money on flights. It’s the cheapest way to fly around the country (more on this below).
• Cook your meals – Eating out here can easily blow your budget so try and stay somewhere with a kitchen so you can do some cooking. It’s not glamorous, but if you live like the locals you’ll save a fortune.
• Pack a water bottle – The tap water here isn’t safe to drink so bring a water bottle with a filter to save money and reduce your single-use plastic usage. My preferred bottle is LifeStraw as it has a built-in filter to ensure your water is always clean and safe.

Where to Stay in Brazil

Hostels are widespread all over Brazil. You’ll also find a ton of B&Bs and cool Airbnbs. Basically, there are a lot of budget options here. My suggested places to stay in Brazil are:

• Joy Hostel (Brasilia)
• Barra Beach Club Oceanfront Hostel (Florianópolis)
• Submarino Hostel (Florianópolis)
• The Search House Beachfront Hostel (Florianópolis)
• Tucano House Summer Hostel (Florianópolis)
• Hostel e Pousada El Shaddai (Iguacu)
• Hostel Bambu (Iguacu)
• Books Hostel (Rio)
• Selina Lapa Rio de Janeiro (Rio)
• Mango Tree Hostel Ipanema (Rio)
• Bamboo Rio Hostel (Rio)
• O de Casa Hostel Bar (São Paulo)
• Hostel Galeria 13 (Salvador)

How to Get Around Brazil

Public transportation – City transportation in Brazil is efficient and modern. Many places (like Rio and São Paulo) have an extensive subway system. Fares cost around 5 BRL per one-way ticket. In most places, you can pick up a multi-day metro card to save money.

Buses are everywhere. A one-way ticket costs about 3-5 BRL, and as with the subway, there are usually multi-day metro cards available.

Taxis – Taxis are recommended in the evening when public transportation may not be as safe. Fares start at 6-8 BRL and then go up to about 3-6 BRL per kilometer. Use an app like 99 (formerly 99Taxis) to ensure you get a licensed taxi. Ridesharing like Uber is also available and common here.

Bus – Long-distance buses are a convenient, economical, and comfortable way to travel in the country. There are hundreds of routes. You can use Brazil Bus Travel to check schedules and book your tickets.

A bus from Rio to São Paulo takes 6.5 hours and costs about 180 BRL, or you can book a sleeper bus with a bed for 420 BRL. Rio to Florianópolis is a 20-hour journey that costs about 520 BRL for a regular seat or 1,050 for a bed.

To find bus routes and prices, use BusBud .

Train – Train service is limited to the tourist-oriented steam train that offers transport in between São Joao del Rei and Tiradentes. It’s expensive, so I don’t recommend doing this.

Flying – Air travel is useful if you’re trying to get around the country on limited time (especially if you’re traveling between the big cities, or between places like Rio and the Amazon). The country’s major airlines are:

If you’re booking a flight two months in advance from Rio de Janeiro to Manaus (the easiest way to reach the Amazon), you can find airfare for as low as 1,700 BRL (round-trip). Rio to Salvador is about 360 BRL (one-way), while flights between Brasilia and São Paulo can be as little as 155 BRL (one-way).

An Airpass is a practical option if you’re going to take a lot of flights within 30 days (especially if you’re going to the Amazon, which is far and expensive to get to). With GOL you can get a 90-day pass with four domestic flights in its network for 2,600 BRL. Azul offers something similar with four flights within three weeks for the same price. Brol.com can help you find the right pass.

Just keep in mind that you have to book in advance for these passes so this doesn’t allow for flexible travel. You also cannot use these passes during popular time periods, like during Carnival and Christmas/the New Year.

Car rental – Car rentals cost around 65-90 BRL per day for a multi-day rental. However, the road conditions aren’t great here and drivers are aggressive. Moreover, since break-ins and carjackings are common, I’d likely skip the rental here just to be safe.

When to Go to Brazil

Brazil covers such a large territory that the country is broken up into different climate areas. The “coldest” part is in the far south and southeast, with the winter season lasting from June to September. Brazilians will complain about the cold here, but it rarely dips below freezing. The summer months from December to March are hot.

If you’re sticking to Brazil’s coastal areas, the weather is warm year-round. During the winter (December to March), the temperature is always higher than 25°C (77°F). There’s near-constant sunshine, but there is also a rainy season, which lasts from October-January. The rainy season often starts earlier in Salvador and Recife.

The northeast (around the Amazon) is always hot, with temperatures often climbing to 40°C (104°F). There’s no real winter season. In Manaus and the central Amazon, the dry season is from July-October. This period is also the best time to visit wildlife in the Amazon as the water recedes and animals gather at watering holes. The same goes for the Pantanal.

If you come during the Brazilian winter, you’ll find much fewer crowds and lower prices. I consider this the best time to be here, but only if you’re not trying to escape the North American winter.

If you’re super budget-minded, don’t come during February when it’s Carnival and prices skyrocket!

How to Stay Safe in Brazil

Travelers need to be vigilant in Brazil . Pick-pocketing and other petty crimes are common here, especially in Rio. Don’t flash expensive belongings and always keep your phone and wallet secure and out of reach. Don’t bring anything valuable to the beach either. Be sure to lock up your valuables before leaving your accommodation, whether you’re staying in a hostel dorm or in a private hotel/Airbnb room.

Avoid going out alone in the evenings after dark. If you do need to travel at night to get back to your accommodation, take a taxi (use the 99 app to call one) or an Uber.

Solo female travelers will want to exercise caution here. Avoid walking around alone when possible and definitely avoid walking around at night. Always keep an eye on your drink (even when it’s being poured) and never accept drinks from strangers.

Use ATMs inside a bank or have a friend with you to keep an eye out while you withdraw cash.

To learn which scams to be on the lookout for, read about this post about common travel scams .

Carjacking and break-ins are common, so I’d probably avoid renting here just to be safe.

When hiking, always bring a lot of water and sunscreen. Be sure to check the weather before you depart and dress accordingly. Don’t pick fruit off a tree and eat it without knowing what it is (it might be poisonous). There is also a risk of the Zika virus and/or Malaria in certain areas. Carry bug spray and use it often.

Always trust your gut instinct. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID. Forward your itinerary along to loved ones so they’ll know where you are.

If you experience an emergency, dial 190 for assistance.

For more in-depth coverage of how to stay safe in Brazil, check out this post that answers some frequently asked questions and concerns.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past.

Brazil Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.
• Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!

Brazil Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on backpacking/traveling Brazil and continue planning your trip:

The 6 Best Hostels in Rio de Janeiro

Is Brazil Safe to Visit?

Get your  free travel starter kit.

Enter your email and get planning cheatsheets including a step by step checklist, packing list, tips cheat sheet, and more so you can plan like a pro!

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• Booking Resources
• Related Blogs

Passing Thru

Travel Smart: Don’t Miss These Dangerous—but Amazing—Cities

Posted: August 10, 2024 | Last updated: August 10, 2024

Traveling to a city known for its dangers might seem daunting, but with the right precautions, you can safely enjoy some of the world’s most exciting destinations. Here are some dangerous cities you don’t need to avoid—just be wiser about your visit.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Catarina Belova

Rio is famous for its stunning beaches, vibrant culture, and lively festivals, but it’s also known for high crime rates, especially in certain neighborhoods. Stick to well-populated areas like Copacabana and Ipanema, avoid wandering alone at night, and use reputable transportation services. Enjoy the breathtaking views from Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer, but always stay alert.

Cape Town, South Africa

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Andrea Willmore

Cape Town offers incredible natural beauty and rich history but has high crime rates, particularly in certain areas. Stay in well-known tourist spots like the V&A Waterfront and Table Mountain, and avoid townships unless you’re on a guided tour. Be cautious with your belongings, and don’t flash expensive items. With these precautions, you can safely explore this stunning city.

Mexico City, Mexico

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Alex Cimbal

Mexico City is a bustling metropolis with a rich cultural heritage, but it also has its share of crime. Stick to popular areas like Polanco, Roma, and Condesa, and avoid less secure neighborhoods. Use official taxis or ride-sharing services, and be mindful of your surroundings, especially at night. This way, you can enjoy the city’s vibrant markets, historical sites, and delicious food.

New Orleans, USA

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Kevin Ruck

New Orleans is known for its music, food, and festivals, but it also has a high crime rate in some neighborhoods. Stay in well-known areas like the French Quarter and the Garden District, and avoid venturing out alone late at night. Be mindful of your belongings, and don’t leave drinks unattended. With these tips, you can soak up the unique atmosphere of the Big Easy.

Nairobi, Kenya

Image Credit: Shutterstock / antony trivet photography

Nairobi is a gateway to safari adventures and has a vibrant urban culture, but it also has high crime rates. Stick to secure neighborhoods like Westlands and Karen, and avoid slums and isolated areas. Use reputable tour operators and transportation services, and keep a low profile. By being cautious, you can safely explore Nairobi’s national parks and lively markets.

Detroit, USA

Image Credit: Shutterstock / f11photo

Detroit is undergoing a revival with new restaurants, art galleries, and music venues, but it still has high crime rates in some areas. Stay in revitalized neighborhoods like Downtown and Midtown, and avoid less secure areas. Don’t walk alone at night, and be aware of your surroundings. Enjoy the city’s rich musical heritage and innovative spirit while staying safe.

Caracas, Venezuela

Image Credit: Shutterstock / yordanka caridad almaguer

Caracas has beautiful landscapes and a vibrant culture but is known for its high crime rates and political instability. If you must visit, stay in secure areas, avoid protests, and use trusted local guides. Be extremely cautious with your personal security and avoid displaying wealth. With careful planning, you can experience the city’s natural beauty and cultural richness.

Kingston, Jamaica

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ievgenii Bakhvalov

Kingston is the cultural heartbeat of Jamaica, famous for its music and cuisine, but it also has areas with high crime rates. Stick to tourist-friendly neighborhoods like New Kingston, and avoid inner-city areas. Use reputable transportation, and don’t venture out alone at night. Enjoy the vibrant music scene and delicious food with these safety tips in mind.

Johannesburg, South Africa

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Wesley Lazarus

Johannesburg is a city of contrasts with a rich history and vibrant culture, but it also has a reputation for high crime. Stay in secure areas like Sandton and Rosebank, and avoid downtown after dark. Be cautious with your belongings, and use reliable transportation. With the right precautions, you can safely explore Johannesburg’s museums, markets, and nightlife.

São Paulo, Brazil

Image Credit: Pexels / Kelly

São Paulo is a sprawling metropolis known for its food, culture, and business opportunities, but it also has a high crime rate. Stick to well-known areas like Vila Madalena and Jardins, and avoid sketchy neighborhoods. Use trusted taxis or ride-sharing services, and be mindful of your surroundings. By being smart, you can enjoy the city’s dynamic energy and attractions.

Final Thoughts

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Traveling to these cities requires extra caution, but it doesn’t mean you should avoid them altogether. By staying informed, sticking to safer areas, and being mindful of your surroundings, you can enjoy the unique experiences these destinations offer. So pack your bags, but don’t forget to pack some street smarts, too!

Ghost Roads of America: 12 Haunted Highways with Tales of Terror and Creepy Rest Stops

Image Credit: Shutterstock / donvictorio

Discover chilling tales from America’s spookiest roads, complete with ghostly figures and eerie phenomena, in this thrilling guide to paranormal hotspots—perfect for adventure seekers and ghost enthusiasts. Ready for a supernatural road trip? Ghost Roads of America: 12 Haunted Highways with Tales of Terror and Creepy Rest Stops

18 High-Crime Cities in the US You Should Avoid

Image Credit: Pexels / Adrian Newell

American cities dazzle with culture and history, yet rising crime rates demand cautious exploration. This guide ensures you stay informed and safe. 18 High-Crime Cities in the US You Should Avoid

22 of America’s Most Charming Towns

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Nejdet Duzen

Hit the road and discover America’s coziest towns, real-life versions of those quaint settings from your favorite novels. Explore charming streets where every storefront tells a story and locals greet everyone with a hello. Ready to dive into the charm? 22 of America’s Most Charming Towns

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Aleksandr Ozerov .

For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.

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7 things you should know before traveling to Brazil

Nov 8, 2023 • 5 min read

Keep these tips in mind and you'll have an incredible trip to Brazil © FG Trade / Getty Images

Just mention that you’re planning a trip to Brazil, and the idea will instantly conjure up images of sunny beaches and the infectious rhythm of a samba beat or the sultry melodies of bossa nova. 

From the iconic yellow and blue kit of its national soccer team, the flamboyant outfits of the Carnaval dancers, and the famously fruity headpiece of Carmen Miranda, Brazil’s cultural impression on the world has been wide-reaching. But as a Brazilian-American it always surprises me how little others know about the vast country’s many diverse regions and day-to-day customs. 

Growing up snacking on pão de queijo (cheese bread) and brigadeiros  (chocolate truffles), I’ve been visiting Brazil since I was a kid and regularly return to visit family and explore new regions. 

There are endless ways to experience Brazil, but these are the top things to know if you want to plan a trip to Brazil that goes above and beyond.

1. There’s more than just beaches and jungles

The energy of Copacabana Beach and the alluring biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest may have captured the world’s attention, but that’s really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Brazil’s natural beauty. 

Adventurous nature lovers will find Brazil to be a treasure trove that contains a wealth of geographical diversity.

In the northeastern regions, you can explore the massive dunes and natural swimming pools in the states of Ceará  and Maranhão or venture to the landlocked state of Tocantins, where a vast savannah is home to the remarkably unique park of Jalapão . 

National parks like Chapada Diamantina and Chapada dos Veadeiros stun visitors with their mountain vistas and waterfalls, not to mention the staggering power of Iguaçu, one of the world’s largest waterfalls made up of over 200 cascades.

2. There are more urban hubs beyond Rio and São Paulo

While Rio de Janeiro boasts Brazil’s most iconic skyline and São Paulo is a mega-metropolis that hosts many of the country’s cultural and business institutions, these are hardly the only urban centers in Brazil worth visiting. 

Architecture fans should plan a trip to the capital city of Brasilia , where the work of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer takes center stage, while gastronomically inclined travelers should check out Belo Horizonte , the capital of Minas Gerais, a state renowned by Brazilians for its cuisine. 

Up north, Salvador is a center for exploring the epicenter of Afro-Brazilian culture, which is the source of the martial art of capoeira and feijoada  (a meaty bean stew), Brazil’s national dish.

3. Brazil is a cultural melting pot

The USA is hardly the only cultural stew in the Western hemisphere. Brazilian culture melds together the customs and traditions of the indigenous, Afro-Brazilan and immigrant communities.  

In São Paulo, the neighborhood of Liberdade is home to a strong Japanese-Brazilian community; in southern states, you'll see the influence of German immigrants in the region's cross-timbered houses. 

Even the food has Lebanese and Italian roots, with kibbeh  (fried bulgar wheat and meatballs) and pizza being some of the most popular late-night snacks among Brazilians. 

The national dish feijoada , originates from Afro-Brazilian and indigenous communities who used cassava flour long before the arrival of Europeans in Brazil. This flour is a key ingredient for farofa (toasted cassava flour), the most popular side dish to have with your feijoada . 

4. A little Portuguese will be a huge asset

Outside of the traditional tourism sectors, you won’t find many Brazilians who speak English, and whatever your level of Spanish may be, it probably won’t get you far enough.

In addition to studying basic phrases , you should also prime yourself on pronunciation. For example, an r at the beginning of a word makes an h sound, which means the “rio” in Rio de Janeiro is pronounced more like “hio.”

It may seem like a small detail, but it’s an essential thing to be aware of should you ever need to ask for directions.

5. A kiss on the cheek is a customary greeting

In a social situation, a kiss on the cheek is the routine greeting among Brazilians – even if you’re just meeting someone for the first time. 

It doesn’t need to be a full kiss, but cheek-to-cheek contact with a smacking sound is the standard. It’s typically expected between two women or a man and a woman, but men often opt for a handshake.

If the situation is more formal, like a business meeting or a simple shopping exchange, you can skip the kiss. The number of kisses also vary by region: in São Paulo it’s one, in Rio it’s two, and in Bahia , it can be three or more.

6. Safety should be top of mind in urban areas

Crime is a widespread issue throughout Brazil, especially in large cities and the favelas  usually located in the city outskirts. Favela tours are possible, but the business is controversial as many people believe it to be exploitative and unethical. 

Brazilians will generally warn tourists against wearing jewelry when out and openly carrying expensive electronics, especially phones.

This has happened to me many times when I’m out shooting photos, as many people stop to point to my camera with a concerned “ cuidado ” (be careful). Keep your wits about you in crowded areas – especially ones with many tourists – and avoid walking alone at night.

7. It’s illegal to drive in flip-flops

Even though Brazil is famous for its Havaianas , Brazilians are serious when it comes to road safety. Flip-flops can easily get caught on a car's pedals and cause accidents, so if you are caught driving with them, you may get fined. However, it is acceptable to drive barefoot if you don’t have any other footwear on you.

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