A visit to Brazil means the discovery of a place touched with warm tropical sun and 5,000 miles of white-sand beaches. As a whole, the country is bathed in sun year-round. It is a land of mango trees, music, dance and baroque colonial towns and villages. And of course, impressive cities of the 21st century, which offer opulence and sophistication.
Manaus is the capital of Brazil’s largest state, Amazonas, and is located in the Northwest of the country. It is an ideal starting point when visiting the rest of the Amazon region. Tour boats leave Manaus to see the Meeting of the Waters, where the black waters of the Negro River meet the white waters of the Solimões River, flowing side by side without mixing for several miles. Visitors can also explore riverbanks and streams, swim and canoe in placid lakes or simply walk in the lush forest. Those in search of real adventures may even choose to go deep into the jungle and experience the Brazilian Amazon and all its flora and fauna face-to-face.
Marajó Island is close to 50,000 km² and is the largest marine-fluvial island in the world. It had an ancient civilisation that was famous for its ceramics. It is divided in two almost equal regions: the eastern half of the island is called the fields region. It is characterised by low-lying fields with savannah type flora, sectioned by strips of remaining forest along the rivers. Various species of palm trees and dense mangrove swamps line the coast. The island's western half, called the forest region, is covered by primary forest.
Located in the middle of the Northeast region, the Cariri Paraibano has a unique landscape with enormous boulders perching on huge, rounded granite hills. The site shows signs of human occupation since the Pleistocene era. The area was also home to the mega-fauna of this time: mastodons, giant sloths and sabre-toothed tigers. This is a fantastic and mystical experience for those who are interested in geology, paleontology and adventure.
Lençóis, with an average altitude of over 3,000 feet, lies 250 miles west of Salvador in the Chapada Diamantina mountain range running north-south through the state of Bahia. The population in Lençóis grew during the diamond boom in the mid 1800s, but began to decline as a result of the discovery of diamonds in South Africa. The residential architecture of the 19th century remains, designating the area a national monument. The Chapada Diamantina Region has been the subject of two extensive studies by the Royal Botanical Gardens in England for its unusual and varied flora. The mesas provide stunning views of the region and its innumerable rivers and waterfalls, including the tallest in Brazil, Fumaça Falls.
Those who venture to the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, will have the opportunity to witness one of the last reservoirs of pure water on the planet. Bathe in waterfalls with heights of up to 150 metres, and step on soil more than 1.6 billion years old. Located in the heart of the country, in the high altitude savannah region of the Planalto Central, Chapada dos Veadeiros enchants visitors with its beauty and natural wealth, as well as for the magic that it possesses. It is considered by many to be the "planetary heart of chakra”.
The Fernando de Noronha Archipelago is composed of 20 islands covering an area of 26 km2. The main island, with a size of 17 km2 and with 545 km of beautiful coastline, is the only inhabited island, and has a population of 3,000 people. The inhabitants devised a system of “sustainable tourism”, creating an opportunity to experience the balance between man and nature in one of the most important ecological sanctuaries of the world. With each passing year, more and more tourists visit this tropical paradise, developing an alternative economy for the local population. The vast majority of the inns on the island are rustic and simple, yet very comfortable, featuring amenities such as air conditioning, TV, refrigerators and private bathrooms. In March 2014, one of its beautiful beaches was chosen as the best beach in the world: Sancho Bay (Baía do Sancho).
Lençóis Maranhenses State Park, also known as the Brazilian Sahara, offers its visitors incredible scenery of infinite oceans and tall white dunes, as well as thousands of crystal-clear lakes. Lençóis Maranhenses State Park is best reached from the city of Barreirinhas, where one can lodge, located three hours from São Luiz. From Barreirinhas to the park, tours are offered in 4x4 vehicles, crossing small rivers onboard thrilling wooden boats, driving through mile-long white sand dunes and fresh-water lakes.
In the Serra da Capivara National Park, located 660 miles from Recife, visitors exploring the park’s canyons will find some 700 naturally occurring shelters and caves, which are home to an incredible collection of paintings and engravings made by prehistoric man who inhabited the region at least 50,000 years ago. The park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the age of its archaeological sites and the aesthetic quality of the rock art. The best way to get there is by plane from Recife to Petrolina, followed by a road trip to Serra da Capivara National Park.
Alta Floresta is located in the extreme north of the state of Mato Grosso. However, the ecosystem is quite different from that found in the Pantanal Swamplands and the Brazilian interior: it is where the Amazon begins. The tropical forest meets with the interior brush and results in a scenery of incredible beauty, making the location one of the main tourist spots of the Amazon region. Alta Floresta has modern commerce and great hotel infrastructure, including a hotel in the jungle itself. The region is considered to be of tremendous potential for sport fishing. Untouched woodlands with ancient trees resist the attacks of the lumber companies and ensure the food for the survival of monkeys, tapirs, deers and more than 400 species of birds, such as macaws, toucans and parrots.
A huge, lowland plain, it is entirely overgrown by lush vegetation dotted by thousands of multi-colored flowers, which bloom during the rainy season (December to March). It shelters innumerable rivers and crystal-clear lakes. Along their shores are rare species of animals such as jaguars, peccaries, bobcats, wild boars, gray teals, partridges and herons, which live in total and undisturbed harmony. No experience is more rewarding than a safari into this privileged wilderness to photograph the countless birds and animals silhouetted against the brilliant backdrop of foliage and blue skies. In the Pantanal visitors will find an area of 77,220 square miles (nearly equal in size to the country of Romania) full of life and nature, much of it untouched by the hand of man.
The South Pantanal is a massive nature preserve around 140,000 km2 large in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. It is largely composed of swamp terrain and contains an abundance of wildlife. The region is home to about 650 species of birds, 240 species of fish, 50 species of reptiles and 80 species of mammals. Some of the animals found in Pantanal are marsh deer (blastocerus dichotomus), giant otters (pteronura brasiliensis), jabirus storks (jabiru mycteria) and the endangered jaguar (panthera onca). Horseback riding is the primary transport used by locals and a popular tourist activity.
Ilha Grande, the largest island in the bay of Angra dos Reis, includes over 100 beaches and is a large attraction in Costa Verde. With over 187 km2 of beauty, including beaches, waterfalls and mountains, it is only a one-hour boat ride from Angra dos Reis or Mangaratiba. The existence of a maximum security prison, shut down in 1994, contributed to the isolation of the island for many decades. Aside from that, Ilha Grande maintains its fishing village atmosphere mainly due to access only by boat and the transformation of the region into a State Park and Biological Reserve. The crystal clear waters are home to rich marine life, and the hiking trails are in the middle of an Atlantic forest leading to creeks, rivers and waterfalls. The charming centre of the island, village of Abraham, guarantees a rustic atmosphere with informal bars and restaurants. Leaving from the Village of Abraham, the open paths of the forest lead to unexplored beaches and coves. The south side of the island has an open sea with rough waters, unlike the north side whose beaches are calmer. In March of 2014, Lopes Mendes Beach was elected the 3rd best beach in Brazil.