Brazil
From the jungle calls of the Amazon to the curves of Copacabana’s thong-clad crowds,
Brazil is a heady celebration of the big, the bold and the beautiful. Brazil’s vast
coastline is fringed with sandy beaches and island getaways, while buzzing Rio de
Janeiro and stylish São Paulo offer nightlife and culture galore – as well as an
annual dose of Carnival fever.
Whether it’s the big surf of Santa Catarina in the far south, or the sand dunes
of northern Natal, you could spend months hopping from one sun-baked beach to the
next. Offshore islands add further temptation. Some, such as tiny Ilha Catimbau
in the Bay of Paraty, are little more than a pile of rocks. Others, such as Fernando
de Noronha, are a nature lover’s paradise, protected by a pristine national park.
Hard as it may be to drag yourself away from the coast, this enormous country also
offers many inland attractions. Not least the Amazon Basin, the lungs and freshwater
supply for much of the subcontinent. Here you can loll in a hammock as you drift
downstream on a steamboat, looking out for the occasional macaw. You could take
a wildlife safari down a side-creek in a dugout canoe, or simply wonder at the luxurious
lunacy of the Manaus Opera House, clad in Italian marble and sparkling with crystal
chandeliers.
Surpassing even the Amazon for its flora and fauna is the Pantanal, the biggest
wetlands in the world. The sheer abundance of nature here is overwhelming, particularly
in the dry season when thousands of caiman rub shoulders with capybara at the shrunken
waterholes.
The Iguaçu Falls, spanning the Argentinian border, are one of the natural wonders
of the world. Some 275 waterfalls cascade from the tropical forest, as dazzling
blue morpho butterflies flit through the spray. The biggest fall is the Garganta
do Diabo – Devil’s Throat – at 82m (2709ft) more than 1½ times taller than Niagara.
The Northeast is where Brazil’s African roots are strongest, and with much of its
earliest preserved architecture. The sultry coastal city of Salvador, is famous
for its rich cultural heritage; as expressed in its passionate music and dance,
spicy cuisine, and Afro-Brazilian spiritual traditions.
With all of Brazil’s awe inspiring natural beauty and rich cultural wealth, it should
come as no surprise that the Brazilians themselves are also fabulously diverse.
The indigenous peoples were rapidly outnumbered by influxes of settlers from Europe,
as well as millions of slaves transported from Africa. The stereotype hedonistic,
football-mad, body-beautiful Brazilian is no doubt based on Rio’s native Carioca.
But there are also blonde blue-eyed gauchos with German roots in the south, Lebanese
merchants in the Amazon, and the world’s biggest Japanese population outside of
Japan.
Preparing to host the World Cup in 2014, and the 2016 Olympics coming to Rio, the
largest country in South America is gearing up to take center stage. Whether you’re
strolling down orderly São Paulo avenues, or kicking back in the chic coastal resort
of Búzios, you’ll discover a Brazil that is confidently rising to the challenge.
Prices are steadily increasing, so even the simplest Brazilian holidays don’t come
cheap. Crime does happen, especially in the cities, but those who keep their wits
about them and avoid certain areas are highly likely to have an incident-free trip.