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 When you hear BRAZIL, what images does the word
inspire? Chances are that one of the first
images is Rio de Janeiro, the stunning
city with its famous landmarks of Christ the
Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain and the
Sugar Loaf, the striking
granite mound framing Rio's coastal view.
Of course the second image that comes to mind is
that of the mighty Amazon River and its
vast rainforests.
A next image that may appear is of the Rio
Carnival, of dancing in the streets, rhythm
of samba and bossa nova, the party of all parties
Rio has become famous for.
But there is far more to Brazil and it becomes
more apparent as Rio de Janeiro got selected to
host the 2016 Olympic Games, the very first city
to stage the games in South America!
Suddenly Brazil gains prominence as the
destination and the trend is likely only to
accelerate, for Brazil is as stunning visually
as it is vast geographically. A fifth largest
country in the world in terms of total
population it also constitutes a grand spectacle
of cultural and natural riches.
Brazil is a mixture of races, sounds, colors and
flavors but above all Brazil has 2500-mile long
coastline of stunning sunny beaches. The most
famous ones, the Copacabana and
Ipanema beaches of Rio de Janeiro, are
practically brand names when it comes to mention
of a beach. But the most incredible of beaches
begin in far north of the coastline, in Belem.
After Belem, going south along the coast the
beaches only get more stunning, as you get to
Fortaleza, Natal, Ponta Negra,
Pirangi and Porto Seguro. Then come the beaches
of the Blue Coast, Buzios, Cabo Frio,
and more of the incredible beaches continue
south of Rio, along the Green Coast, namely
around Angra dos Reis, Ilha Grande,
Paratay and Trinidade. There are
not just a few, there a literally dozens of
beaches, and
there are more yet further south, near Sao
Paulo, around San Sebastiao,
Ihlabela, around Ubatuba, and all the
way down south around
Florianopolis.
If you are on a limited time, we can design a
tour for you that will include the best of Rio
de Janeiro and a couple of side trips from Rio,
perhaps one up or down the coast and one into
the interior.
State of Rio de Janeiro
offers wonderful excursions inland,
to Nova Friburgo, settled by the Swiss
immigrants in early 1800s, and to Petropolis,
a mountain summer retreat of Brazil’s emperor
Dom Pedro II.
Side trips from Sao Paulo include Aguas de
Sao Pedro, a site of healing hot springs,
and Campos do Jordao, a mile-high
mountain escape destination from the oppressive
heat of the summer in the coastal areas.
If you prefer sightseeing the marvels of nature,
you have to include a trip south to Iguazu
Falls, the UNESCO Natural Treasures of
Humanity site and
one of world’s most impressive waterfalls.
Once in that part of Brazil it may be you’d like
to continue to another magical creation of
nature, the Pantanal, the vibrant
wetlands biosphere and another UNESCO Natural
Treasures of Humanity site.
And to top off your quest of the wildlife and
nature habitats of Brazil, the Amazon
region constitutes the supreme highlight.
Flowing for some 4000 miles this phenomenal
waterway drains the most astounding rain forest
on earth, and a journey downriver should not
be missed if you even want to experience it in
its vast magnificence. Whether you will stop in
Manaus, a key port and
commercial heart of the upper Amazon, or stop at
Santarem, a half way point to the
Atlantic ocean, you must visit Belem, the
historic city crowning Amazon’s delta.
If your interests are architecture and history,
the inland state of Minas Gerais is a
must-visit destination. Located northwest of Rio
de Janeiro is Bello Horizonte, Brazil’s
third largest city and a starting point for
travel to the region of Serra do Espinahaco,
the area of Brazil’s historic gold towns.
Besides gold this region was famous for
diamonds, and Diamantia, the city of
diamonds, is a destination to add to your Minas
Gerais itinerary.
And if you should visit just one place in Minas
Gerais, make sure it is Ouro Preto, a
historic town of wonderful baroque churches and
yet another colonial UNESCO heritage town. In
fact if colonial architecture is your interest,
than you need to include Salvador into
your itinerary. Of course once in Salvador, and
colonial heritage is your interest, it’s a must
to visit the colonial cities of Olinda
and Recife, the second of the two
referred to as Venice of Brazil, on account of
having many
rivers and bridges within its premises.
Speaking of architecture, Brasilia, the
60s model of modern urban planning, a creation
of urban planner Lucio Costa and architect Oscar
Niemeyer, is further up toward the geographical
center of Brazil and worth a stop if you are
interested in architectural design.
Whether your interests are Brazil’s major
cities, Brazil culture, music, dance and
carnivals, or beaches, colonial heritage, modern
architecture, ecotourism or you prefer to have
an active vacation hiking, diving, surfing or golfing, we can design a Brazil
vacation of your dreams for you. It’s time you
add Brazil to your list of countries to visit in 2010. |
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