Must-see attractions in Brazil

  • The sunset with Christ The Redeemer on the Corcovado Hill viewed from Paineiras Road at Tijuca Forest with the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.

    Parque Nacional da Tijuca

    Rio de Janeiro

    The Tijuca is all that's left of the Atlantic rainforest that once surrounded Rio de Janeiro. This 39-sq-km tropical-jungle preserve is an exuberant green…

  • Sugar Loaf cable car

    Pão de Açúcar

    Rio de Janeiro

    Seen from the peak of Pão de Açúcar, Rio is undoubtedly a Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City). There are many good times to make the ascent, but sunset on…

  • "Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, View of Copacabana beach at sunset"

    Copacabana Beach

    Rio de Janeiro

    A magnificent confluence of land and sea, the long, scalloped beach of Copacabana extends for some 4km, with a flurry of activity along its length: over…

  • Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina

    Lençóis

    Spanning over 1520 sq km and containing within it innumerable species of plants and animals, deafening waterfalls and vast, rugged plains, Parque Nacional…

  • Instituto de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim

    Belo Horizonte

    The world's largest open-air contemporary art museum, and greater Belo Horizonte's standout attraction, this sprawling, world-class complex of gardens…

  • Edifício Copan

    São Paulo

    Copan was designed by late modernist master Oscar Niemeyer. The building, with its serpentine facade and narrow brises soleil (permanent sunshades), is…

  • Mercado Municipal

    São Paulo

    This covered market is a belle epoque confection of stained glass and a series of vast domes. Inside, a fabulous urban market specializes in all things…

  • Praia do Campeche

    Santa Catarina

    The 3.5km Praia do Campeche is one of Floripa's five-star beaches, an absolute stunner of sun-kissed perfection with wind conditions lending themselves to…

  • Baía do Sancho

    Fernando de Noronha

    The most stunning stretch of sand on an island of magnificent beaches, Baía do Sancho is a protected cove of brilliant turquoise waters backed by forest…

  • Maracanã Football Stadium

    Rio de Janeiro

    Rio’s Maracanã stadium is hallowed ground among football lovers. The massive arena has been the site of legendary victories and crushing defeats. Maracanã…

  • Floresta Nacional do Tapajós

    Pará

    If you came to the Amazon to see primary rainforest, look no further than the Floresta Nacional do Tapajós. Wildlife is a possibility – from birds to…

  • Oscar Niemeyer Museum in Curitiba, Parana State, Brazil. Cassiano Correia/Shutterstock

    Museu Oscar Niemeyer

    Curitiba

    Designed by and named for the architect responsible for much of Brasília, this striking museum features an iconic eye-shaped tower painted with whimsical…

  • The Amazon rainforest, Brazil

    Jardim Botânico Adolpho Ducke

    Manaus

    Spanning over 100 sq km, this 'garden' is actually the world’s largest urban forest. There's a network of five short trails (guides and closed shoes…

  • Rainforest

    Serra do Aracá State Park

    Amazonas

    Although this state park was established in 1990 to preserve the unique canyons carved out by the Rio Aracá, it wasn't until recently that the massive…

  • Lago Maicá

    Pará

    The floodplains east and southeast of Santarém are among the Amazon's most rewarding excursions. Flooded for much of the year, the plains are home to…

  • Parque Nacional da Serra da Capivara

    Piauí

    One of Brazil's most important national parks, this 1300-sq-km reserve contains more than 40,000 rock paintings among spectacular panoramas of immense…

  • Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra

    Rio Grande do Sul

    Located 18km southeast of Cambará do Sul, this magnificent park occupies 102.5 sq km on the border between Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. It's here…

  • Peak Prateleiras mountain in Itatiaia National Park, Brazil

    Parque Nacional do Itatiaia

    Rio de Janeiro State

    Brazil’s oldest national park, Itatiaia shelters a stunning variety of landscapes, from dense rainforests to spare and rugged upland peaks. Most visitors…

  • MAR - Rio Art Museum in Rio de Janeiro

    Museu de Arte do Rio

    Rio de Janeiro

    Looming large over Praça Mauá, the MAR is an icon for the rebirth of Rio's once derelict port. The huge museum hosts wide-ranging exhibitions that focus…

  • Itaipu Binacional

    Foz do Iguaçu

    With a capacity of 14 million kilowatts, this binational dam is the world's second-largest hydroelectric power station, and the one that produces the most…

  • Teatro Amazonas

    Manaus

    This gorgeous theater was built at the height of the rubber boom, using European designers, decorators and even raw materials. The original driveway was…

  • Mercado Ver-o-Peso

    Belém

    The name of this waterfront market, with its iconic four-turreted structure at its southwestern end, comes from colonial times, when the Portuguese would…

  • Praça dos Trés Poderes

    Brasília

    This square is a focal point of the city design, a synthesis of the ideas of architects Niemeyer and Costa, combining various monuments, museums and…

  • Encontro das Águas

    Manaus

    Just beyond Manaus, the warm dark Rio Negro pours into the cool creamy Rio Solimões, but because of differences in temperature, speed and density, their…

  • Parque Nacional Serra dos Órgãos

    Rio de Janeiro State

    Created in 1939, this high country park straddling the Serra dos Órgãos (Organ Pipe Range) just north of Rio is best known for its spectacular mountain…

  • Oficina Cerâmica Francisco Brennand

    Recife

    Francisco Brennand, born in 1927 into an Irish immigrant family and now considered Brazil’s greatest ceramicist, revitalized his family’s abandoned tile…

  • Parque Estadual do Alto do Ribeira

    São Paulo State

    This 357-sq-km state park, with its 450 cataloged caves, is known as Brazil’s Capital das Grutas (Cave Capital). The park's Núcleos de Visitação (Visitor…

  • Museu de Arte de São Paulo

    São Paulo

    Sampa’s pride, this museum possesses Latin America’s most comprehensive collection of Western art. Hovering above a concrete plaza that turns into an…

  • Igreja NS do Bonfim

    Salvador

    This famous 18th-century church, located a few kilometers north of Comércio on the Itapagipe Peninsula, is the source of the fitas (colored ribbons) you…

  • Praia da Trindade

    Paraty

    About 25km south of Paraty, Trindade occupies a long sweep of stunningly beautiful coastline. Here you can lounge or hike along four of Brazil’s most…

  • Piscinas Naturais

    Porto de Galinhas

    A major factor in Porto Galinhas' popularity is the collection of amazing tidal pools full of tropical fish that appear in the coral reefs around 100m in…

  • Mazuma Mineira

    Minas Gerais

    If you've ever wondered how cachaça (Brazil's famous sugarcane alcohol) is made, this is a perfect place to learn. This small-scale alambique (distillery)…

  • Mosteiro São Bento

    São Paulo

    Among the city’s oldest and most important churches, São Bento dates to 1598, though its neo-Gothic facade dates only to the early 20th century. Step…

  • Congresso Nacional

    Brasília

    Featuring photogenic roof ‘dishes’ and twin towers, the Congresso Nacional has one of the more interesting interiors in the city. In addition to the color…

  • Parque Unipraias

    Santa Catarina

    Camboriú's pride and joy is this six-hectare urban reserve. In addition to 500m of walking trails, the real coup is the amusements, which are sold…

  • Palácio da Alvorada

    Brasília

    The official presidential residence, the Palácio da Alvorada, is a Niemeyer building constructed in 1958. It was the first edifice in the city to be…

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