Top 10 destinations in Brazil
Spread over half of South America, Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world. Tropical islands, white sand beaches, bustling cities and colonial towns full of energy and charm are studded on the 7500 kilometers long coastline. Inside the country, the touristic attractions consist of imposing waterfalls, lands where wildlife is at its home and the Amazon rain forest, where some isolated tribes are still living, having no contact with the outside world.
Here are the top destinations for this amazing country:
1. Christ the Redeemer
A symbol of Rio and Brazil, Christ the Redeemer is the well-known statue of Jesus Christ, located in Rio de Janeiro. Situated on the top of Corcovado Mountain, 700 meters high, the statue offers breathtaking panoramic views that can be seen toward the Guanabara Bay to the north and the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, in the south. Christ the Redeemer has a height of 39.6 meters, including a 9.5 meter high pedestal.
2. The Iguaçu Falls
One of the most beautiful natural wonders of the world, Iguaçu Falls lies on the border between Brazil and Argentina. The network consists of 275 waterfalls, along the Iguazu River. The most outstanding is the Devil's Throat, an U-shaped waterfall, with a height of 82 meters. It can be reached from the cities of Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, Puerto Iguazú in Argentina and Ciudad del Este in Paraguay. There is a long path along the canyon, on the Brazilian side, where the "Devil's Throat" fall can be reached.
3. The Amazon River
With a length of approximately 6400 kilometers, the Amazon River is the second longest river in the world after the Nile and first in terms of volume of water. On the Amazon there are over 3000 known species of fish and new species are continually discovered. The Amazon Basin is covered with half of the rain forest in the world. Even if a tenth of the 10 million animal species in the world live in the Amazon jungle, the circuits through the rain forest are more river cruises than organized tours to see the animals.
4. The Rio Carnival
There are carnivals in every corner of Brazil, the most popular places being Recife, Olinda and Salvador. The biggest and most famous is without a doubt the one of Rio de Janeiro. The Rio Carnival attracts two million people and nearly half a million foreigners every day, in the four days of celebration. The celebration includes the entire city, streets and squares, bars, clubs and other public places in Rio, culminating in the spectacular Rio Samba parade in the Sambadrome.
5. Pantanal
The Pantanal is the most extensive wetland in the world, which lies mostly in the west of the country, but also reaches up to Bolivia and Paraguay. Renowned for the wildlife, the place is one of the main tourist attractions of the country. Unlike the Amazon jungle, in the Pantanal you have the chance to see species of wild animals in their natural habitat. Capybara (a species of rodent) and the Yacare Cayman are just some of the animals that live here, and their number reaches several million. The largest population of jaguars from the North and South America live in Pantanal.
6. The Salvador Beaches
Salvador, the capital of Bahia, is a charming colonial city with a very vibrant music scene and numerous excellent beaches. The beaches are scattered both inside the calm bays, ideal places for swimming, diving and navigation, and in the restless and open areas that form high waves ideal for surfing. There are also numerous beaches surrounded by cliffs, which formed natural pools, appreciated especially by children.
7. The historical centre of Olinda
Another well preserved colonial city is Olinda, located on the Northeast coast of Brazil. In Olinda there are numerous tourist attractions such as historic churches and the famous Carnival of Olinda. Many bars, restaurants, artists and craftsmen workshops add flavour to this ancient settlement.
8. Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha is a wonderful archipelago with clean beaches, a wonderful scenery and wildlife, which is located 354 kilometers off the coast of the Northeastern Brazil. The archipelago was discovered by Amerigo Vespucci in 1503 and was temporarily occupied by the Dutch and the French, before the Portuguese took it in 1737. Currently, only the largest of the 21 islands that compose the archipelago is populated, the number of its inhabitants rising to 3500. The island is a Mecca for diving enthusiasts, the waters here being warm all year round and have perfect visibility even at a depth of 50 meters.
9. Teatro Amazonas
The Amazon Theatre is a building located in Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon rain forest. It was built in the peak of rubber trade,being used construction materials from all over the world, furniture from Paris, Italian marble and English steel. The exterior dome is covered with 36,000 decorative ceramic tiles painted in the colors of the Brazilian flag. The first performance took place on January 7, 1897, with the Italian opera - La Gioconda. The theatre was closed in the same time with the beginning of the rubber trade decline, Manaus losing its main source of income. For 90 years, until 2001, when he opened its doors again, Teatro Amazonas had no artistic representation.
10. Ouro Preto
One of the best preserved colonial cities in Brazil, Ouro Preto, translated as "black gold", was founded in the late 17th century. This place quickly became the epicenter of the gold rush in Minas Gerais State. The city houses buildings made after the architectural style of the Portuguese colonies and modern buildings as well which respect the historical standards maintained in these places. Churches from the 18th and 19th centuries, decorated with gold and sculptures by Aleijadinho, make Ouro Preto one of the most popular tourist attractions in Brazil.
