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…
Must-see attractions in Brazil
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…
Parque Nacional Serra dos Órgaos – Vale do Bonfim Entrance
Rio de Janeiro State
Up a dirt road in the foothills 20km northeast of Petrópolis, this remote entrance to Parque Nacional Serra dos Órgaos grants immediate access to a…
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…
Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul
Built on the site of a Bororo burial ground, this superb museum is divided into two parts. One is a collection of over 10,000 insects and stuffed flora…
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…
Espírito Santo
If you've made it to Espírito Santo, don't miss this gorgeous state park. A two- to three-hour self-guided walk affords magnificent views of Pedra Azul…
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)…
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…
Ubatuba
Ubatuba's most coveted beach destination is this tiny, 58-hectare island that is paradise in every sense of the word. Golden sands, lush rainforest and…
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…
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…
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…
Pernambuco
Eight kilometers north of Tamandaré, fashionable and ultrarelaxed Praia dos Carneiros is one of Northeast Brazil's loveliest strands. It has wonderful…
Parque Nacional da Serra Geral
Rio Grande do Sul
Parque Nacional da Serra Geral, 23km east of Cambará do Sul, contains canyons that rival Itaimbezinho. The Cânion da Fortaleza is an 8km stretch of…
Recife
This strikingly red museum is a small and modern house of worship for frevo, the quintessential dance of the Recife Carnaval that is easily identified by…
São Paulo
For one of Sampa’s best panoramas, head to the top of this 161m-high skyscraper, Brazil’s version of the Empire State Building – completed in 1939 and…
São Paulo
This elegant neoclassical museum, formerly known as Pinacoteca do Estado but modernly rebranded 'Pina_Luz' (with the underline!) in 2017, houses an…
Rio de Janeiro
Housed in the colonial arsenal, which dates from 1764, the impressive Museu Histórico Nacional contains relics relating to the history of Brazil from its…
Parque Estadual Serra do Intendente
Minas Gerais
This remote state park, 19km west of Conceição do Mato Dentro at the end of a rugged dirt road, preserves a 13,500-hectare chunk of backcountry within…
Brazil
The most beautiful beach in the region, Coqueirinho is a lovely curving bay lined with swathes of coconut palms and backed by high red cliffs covered in…
Espírito Santo
The 36.7-sq-km Parque Estadual de Itaúnas extends for 25km along the coast and has impressive 20m- to 30m-high sand dunes that afford magnificent views of…
São Paulo
Relatively unknown and blissfully uncrowded, the unassuming Casa Amarela is part NGO handicraft shop, part two-table romantic cafe and part tiny Museu…
Brazil
This is one of Brazil's most beautiful monasteries. São Francisco's construction was interrupted by battles with the Dutch and French, resulting in an…
Ilha Grande & Vila do Abraão
Facing the Atlantic, this seemingly endless beach with good surfing waves (shortboard/longboard rentals available on-site) is considered by some the most…
Santa Catarina
To get a stupendous 360-degree panorama of Joinville and the Baía da Babitonga, head to the city's 250m-high viewpoint. The lookout, at the top of Morro…
Foz do Iguaçu
This 5-hectare bird park, located 300m from the entrance to Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, is home to 800-plus species of birds, including red ibis, bare…
Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul
On the waterfront, this partially interactive museum tells the story of the formation of the Pantanal and 10,000 years of human habitation in the region…
Rio de Janeiro State
For spectacular views all the way to Rio and the Baía de Guanabara, climb Pico da Caledônia (2310m), a popular local launching site for hang gliders. It’s…
Brasília
Palácio do Itamaraty is home to the Foreign Ministry and one of Brasília's most impressive buildings – a series of concrete arches towering over Burle…
Brasília
The Palácio do Planalto, where Brazil's president works, is another Niemeyer design that's worth seeing inside and out. From the curved lines of the…
São Paulo
Across the street from the Parque da Luz sits one of São Paulo's most stunning structures, a classic late-Victorian train station constructed with…
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Belo Horizonte
Inaugurated in late 2013, this magnificent palace on Praça da LIberdade is one of Belo Horizonte's cultural gems. The vast 3rd-floor gallery hosts special…
Sítio Arqueológico São Miguel Arcanjo
Rio Grande do Sul
The most moving of the Brazilian missions, this elegant church, designed by an Italian architect who was also a Jesuit friar, earned Unesco World Heritage…
São Paulo
One of São Paulo's premiere street-art locations, 'Batman's Alley' has slowly risen from secret location for band promotional shots and Brazilian films to…
Arraial do Cabo
This stunning island, accessed by boat from Praia dos Anjos, is Arraial do Cabo's top day-trip destination. Praia do Farol, on the protected side of the…
Brasília
This landmark white dome, gleaming in the sun, was opened to the public on the 100th birthday of architect Oscar Niemeyer. The inside is softer in grays…
Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
Minas Gerais
This exquisite 1774 baroque church, fronted by a palm-shaded, lyre-shaped plaza, is home to two Aleijadinho sculptures (second altar to the left) and one…
São Paulo
São Paulo’s most splendid construction, this theater was begun in 1903 in the style of Paris’ Palais Garnier. Its heavily ornamented facade seems to…
Brasília
Santuário Dom Bosco is made of 80 concrete columns that support 7400 pieces of illuminated Murano glass, symbolizing a starry sky, which cast a blue…
