Other sights in Brazil
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Forte Duque de Caxias
More commonly known as Forte do Leme, this military base is open to the public on weekends, when visitors can access the forested trail skirting up to the top of Morro de Leme. The short but steep trail passes through Atlantic rain forest and by the ruins of an earlier 18th-century fort that stood here. The views from the top are magnificent.
reviewed
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Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil
Housed in a beautifully restored building dating from 1906, the Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil is one of Brazil’s best cultural centers, with a cinema, two theaters and some of the city’s best (and free) exhibitions. There’s always something going on at CCBB – visit the website for listings.
reviewed
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Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo
The original Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo, founded in 1636, burnt to the ground; the present crumbling neoclassical structure dates from 1828. The nave has a French organ and a baroque altar with a scandalous statue of Nossa Senhora do Carmo. Church historians claim the statue was modeled in the likeness of Isabel II, the daughter of Garcia d’Ávila (of Praia do Forte fame), the largest landholder in the Northeast. The artist, known as O Cabra (Half-Caste), was a slave with no artistic training, who was supposedly besotted with Isabel II. The Christ-child cradled in the statue’s arms has black features – could this be what O Cabra imagined their love child would look …
reviewed
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Jardim Botânico Adolpho Ducke
Spanning over 100 sq km on the eastern edge of Manaus, this massive park and protected area is reportedly the world’s largest urban forest. Its namesake was an Italian-born botanist and entomologist who spent decades studying the Amazon rain forest, especially its complex tree systems. The park has long been used for ecological research, but the city is working hard to make it accessible to casual visitors too. There’s a network of eight short trails (3km in all) and plans to build a nature museum, observation tower, and canopy-level walkway – even an aquarium – are well underway. To get there and back, take bus 448 ‘Ciudad de Deus’ from Praça da Matriz; it’s a solid 90 m…
reviewed
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Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP)
Sampa’s pride, this museum possesses Latin America’s most comprehensive collection of Western art. Hovering above a concrete plaza that turns into an antiques fair on Sundays, the museum, designed by architect Lina Bo Bardi and completed in 1968, is considered a classic of modernism by many and an abomination by a vocal few. The collection, though, is unimpeachable, and ranges from Goya to El Greco to Manet. The impressionist collection is particularly impressive. There are also a few great Brazilian paintings, including three fine works by Cândido Portinari. The museum hosts temporary exhibits, and there is a bright, pleasant cafeteria on the lower level which hosts a …
reviewed
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Solar do Unhão
The Solar do Unhão is a wonderfully preserved 18th-century complex that served as a transfer point for sugar shipments. Legends say it is haunted by the ghosts of murdered slaves. Today, this dark place houses the Museu de Arte Moderna (%3329 0660; www.mam.ba.gov.br, in Portuguese; admission free; h2-7pm Tue-Fri, 2-10pm Sat), with a changing display of avant-garde exhibits (and erratic opening times). A fine restaurant staging a popular evening folklore show (and Saturday evening concert) occupies the former store house. The hillside sculpture garden, with bay views, is stunning at sunset. Take a taxi – the place is off bus routes and the desolate walk is known for touri…
reviewed
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Centro de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim
Centro de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim, greater Belo’s new tourist attraction, is an impressive, sprawling complex of gardens dotted with 16 modern art galleries and numerous outdoor sculptures, 50km west of the city, near the town of Brumadinho. Much of the international artwork on display is monumental in size. The gardens, which were opened to the public in October 2006 and are expanding constantly, boast 1600 different species of plants (including 200 types of palm alone), peacocks and lakes with swans. You can wander at will, or attend daily scheduled programs led by guides trained in visual arts and natural science. The on-site restaurant and café are both excellent.…
reviewed
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Museo do Círio
From the discovery of a tiny statue of Mary in a riverbank in 1700, to idiosyncrasies of the massive procession of today, the handsome new Círio Museum breaks down Belém’s famous religious festival, the Círio de Nazaré. There’s the story of how, in 1855, a rope was used to steady the statue’s carriage, and has since become an integral part of the march, with the faithful jostling for a chance to pull or touch it. The rope was banned by the church for being ‘unsanctified,’ then brought back by public demand. It’s grown along with the festival – at last measure, it was 400m long and weighed over a thousand pounds. Explanations are in Portuguese only.
reviewed
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Museu Afro-Brasileiro
Holding one of Bahia’s most important collections, the Museu Afro-Brasileiro exhibits wood carvings, baskets, pottery and other artwork and crafts linking Brazilian and African artistic traditions. The highlight of the museum is a room lined with 27 huge, breathtaking carved wooden panels by Argentine-born Carybé, who is perhaps Salvador’s most renowned 20th-century fine artist. The panels are stylized depictions of orixás (deities of the Afro-Brazilian religions), inlaid with shells and metals. There’s also a worthwhile exhibit of photography, sacred objects and ceremonial apparel demonstrating the African roots of Brazilian Candomblé.
reviewed
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Mercado Modelo
The original 1861 Customs House was partially destroyed in a fire in 1986. After reconstruction, it was transformed into a tourist market, the Mercado Modelo. When shipments of new slaves arrived into port, they were stored in the watery depths of this building while awaiting auction. Night guards report all sorts of phantasmic activity after closing hours. Live music and free capoeira demonstrations often occur out back – be sure to ask the price before snapping photos of the capoeiristas. There’s a touristy but fun café-restaurant, Camafeu, on the upper level; the terrace, looking over the bay, is ideal for a shopping break.
reviewed
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Edifício Copan
Architecturally remarkable Edifício Copan was designed by modernist master Oscar Niemeyer. The building’s serpentine facade and narrow brises soleil (permanent sunshades) have become a symbol of the city. You can visit its snaking, sloping ground-floor shopping arcade, but the upper floors are made up of private apartments and thus off limits. Note that the leftist architect designed the building to bring together all classes by including sprawling apartments for the rich as well as tiny studios for the working poor – a real rarity in class-conscious São Paulo.
reviewed
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Instituto Butantan
Highly respected for its groundbreaking biomedical research, this institute is best known as a venom farm. Researchers milk a total of tens of thousands of snakes of their poison, which is used to make antidotes to snake and spider bites, as well as in research for other medicines. Located in the leafy Cidade Universitária, the small museum displays snakes in dozens of shapes and sizes. At the time of research a devastating fire had destroyed almost half a million preserved specimens, though no live animals. Check ahead to ensure that the museum is operating normally.
reviewed
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Bonde
The bonde that travels up to Santa Teresa from Centro is the last of the historic streetcars that once crisscrossed the city. Its clatter through the cobbled streets has made it the icon for bohemian Santa Teresa. The tram travels over the Arcos do Lapa and up Rua Joaquim Murtinho before reaching Largo do Guimarães. From there, one line (Paula Matos) takes a northwestern route, terminating at Largo das Neves. The longer route (Dois Irmãos) continues from Largo do Guimarães uphill and southward before terminating near the water reservoir at Dois Irmãos.
reviewed
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Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra
Built in 1698, Bahia’s oldest fort is more commonly called the Farol da Barra for the lighthouse (South America’s oldest) within its walls. In addition to having superb views, the fort houses an excellent nautical museum, with relics and displays from the days of Portuguese seafaring (and lots of interesting information in English.) As you catch the sunset here – from the grassy ledge behind the fort or from the museum’s gorgeous terrace café – realize that Salvador’s peninsula is the only location in Brazil where the sun appears to set over the ocean.
reviewed
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Museu Histórico de Mato Grosso
Inside a restored colonial building on Praça da República, the Museu Histórico de Mato Grosso is an interesting stroll through the state’s history. Each room represents a different period and houses extensive collections of silver, military paraphernalia, and other historical odds and ends. Much of the history is illustrated in vibrant paintings by local artist Moacyr Freitas, though some artistic license is involved, for example in the Destrução do Quilombo do Piolho, where a North American bald eagle soars over the weary yet bemused slaves.
reviewed
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Museu do Seringal Vila Paraíso
This museum is a 25-minute boat ride from Ponta Negra, which is itself a 20-minute bus ride from the center. Fortunately, the trip there is part of the fun, and can be combined with a stop at Praia da Lua, Manaus’ best beach. Guided tours include an opulent rubber baron’s townhouse and a replica rubber-tapper shack, and walking a short trail to see how rubber trees are tapped, and the latex processed in a thatched smokehouse. It’s a bit gimmicky but still interesting, and is the only place in Manaus to learn about this all-important history.
reviewed
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Parque Guinle
This handsomely landscaped park is a pleasant refuge from busy Rua das Laranjeiras outside its sphinx-guarded gates. There’s a small wooded area, a tiny lake with ducks and always a few Cariocas enjoying a lounge on the grass. Designed by French landscape architect Gochet (with later flourishes by Roberto Burle Marx), the park is also home to the dramatic Palácio das Laranjeiras, the state governor’s residence, and currently closed to visitors. The palace overlooks the west side of the park and is partially hidden by the thicket of trees.
reviewed
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Praça XV (Quinze) de Novembro
The first residents on this historic site were Carmelite fathers who built a convent here in 1590. It later came under the property of the Portuguese crown and became Largo do Paço, which surrounded the royal palace (Paço Imperial). The square was later renamed Praça XV (Quinze) de Novembro after Brazil declared itself a republic on November 15, 1822. A number of historic events took place here: the coronation of Brazil’s two Emperors (Pedro I and Pedro II), the abolition of slavery and the overthrow (deposition) of Emperor Dom Pedro II in 1889.
reviewed
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Parque Nacional de Itatiaia
Parque Nacional de Itatiaia is Brazil’s oldest national park, and one of its most ruggedly beautiful. Its lush, dark foliage contains more than 400 species of native birds and is also home to monkeys and sloths. Divided into upper and lower sections, the park features lakes, rivers, waterfalls, alpine meadows and primary and secondary Atlantic rain forests. Don’t let the tropical plants fool you; temperatures drop below freezing in June and, occasionally, the park even has a few snowy days! Bring warm clothes, even in summer.
reviewed
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Páteo do Colégio
Just up the street from Solar da Marquesa lies a mission that occupies the exact spot where São Paulo was founded in 1554 by Jesuit brothers José de Anchieta and Manoel da Nóbregra. The current structure is actually a 1950s replica of the monastery that once stood here, although inside it does possess a nice little collection of original relics from the city’s first days, as well as an interesting set of drawings that chart the city’s growth over the last five centuries. The museum’s café also makes for a tranquil pit stop.
reviewed
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Museu de Arte Sacra
The best of its kind in Brazil, this museum includes works by renowned 18th-century sculptor Antônio Aleijadinho, along with some 200 other ecclesiastical works from the 17th to 20th centuries. The museum is housed in the 18th-century Luz monastery, which is one of São Paulo’s best-preserved buildings of the period and also a fine example of Portuguese colonial architecture. A new annex houses an amazingly large and elaborate Neapolitan manger scene, plus a collection of other manger scenes from around the world.
reviewed
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Parque da Catacumba
On the edge of the lake (but across the busy road), this park and sculptural garden added some new adventure activities in 2010, including a 7m-high rock-climbing wall (R$15), a zipline (R$10), rappelling down a 30m rockface (R$40) and a canopy walk (R$30) through the treetops. It’s operated by Lagoa Aventuras. It’s free to simply stroll through the park, and there’s a short but steep trail (15-minute walk) to the Mirante do Sacopã, which offers scenic views from a height of 130m above Lagoa.
reviewed
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Museu Rondon
The small Museu Rondon has exhibits on the Xavante, Bororo and Karajá tribes and is well worth a visit to check out the ornate indigenous headdresses and some vicious weaponry. It is on the grounds of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT). To get there, catch a 103 Jd Universitário bus (R$1.85) on Av Tenente Coronel Duarte. Once you hit campus, the museum is behind the Aquatic Park. If you are there as the sun sets, hang around to watch the arrival of the flocks of herons and egrets that roost nearby.
reviewed
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Town Center
The town of Cabo Frio is at the end of the long sweeping beach that extends northward from Arraial do Cabo. Cabo Frio lies to the west of the Canal do Itajuru, which links the Lagoa de Araruama to the Atlantic Ocean. Near the bridge is the town's focal point - a hill with a small white chapel. The town center is east of here, and the bus station is to the west (about 2km from the center) near the end of Av Júlia Kubitschek. This road runs almost parallel to the Praia do Forte, named after the fort at its eastern end.
reviewed
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Igreja São Sebastião
Although it’s by no means Manaus’ largest or oldest church – the cement block exterior belies as much – Igreja São Sebastião has a beautifully restored interior (completed to mark the 100-year anniversary of the arrival of the Capuchin Franciscan order) that is well worth a peek. A short nave gives way to the church’s opulent altar, with surprisingly dramatic paintings of saints and priests presiding over earthly battles. The handy location doesn’t hurt; it’s opposite the Teatro Amazonas facing the plaza.
reviewed
