Explore Brazil

Beaches, Christ the Redeemer and the Carnival are what comes to mind when you mention Brazil. And yes it doesn’t disappoint. In fact Brazil has much more to offer to the visitor. Like the open armed Christ, the people of Brazil welcome the visitors with open arms, warm heart and a smile on their face. This South American country has captivated the hearts and imagination of the entire world. A dazzling country of powdery white-sand beaches, pristine rain forests and wild, rhythm-filled metropolises, Brazil’s attractions extend from enchanting, frozen-in-time colonial towns to dramatic landscapes of red-rock canyons, thundering waterfalls and idyllic tropical islands. Brazil’s diverse ecosystems boast the greatest collection of plant and animal species found anywhere on earth. From the lazy beaches to the trek on the blue glaciers, from the bustling towns to the solitude of the Amazons and from the party scenes to the stunning wildlife opportunity, Brazil offers great adventures that fit all budgets - big or small!

Best Time to Visit

Owing to generally temperate weather year-round, there’s no bad time to visit Brazil. Most of Brazil lies in the tropics, so there's very little variation in temperatures in the northern part of the country; it's warm all year round. The further south you travel, the more varied temperatures will be. March to November are the best months in which to visit due to a drier climate. December through February are rainy, hot, and humid months. July through August is the best time to visit the Amazon, although the climate is almost always humid and hot. Brazil during the Carnival is crowded with both foreign tourists as well as vacationing Brazilian families. Hence unless you want to attend and experience the heady Carnival, its best to avoid travel to Brazil in Feb - Mar.

Holidays@Leisure recommends..... “must see” places in Brazil

Get amazing views of Rio from atop Corcovado Mountain. The mountain of Corcovado rises high above the Rio de Janeiro bay with an open-armed Christ at its peak. This statue, which towers over Rio, made the list of the Seven New Wonders of the World in 2007. It stands 120 feet tall and is perched on the top of Corcovado Mountain, overlooking Rio de Janeiro. The famous Christ the Redeemer statue is a point of pilgrimage for Christians throughout Brazil and the world beyond. This statue has become a symbol of Rio and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.

Favelas. Far beyond the shinier parts of Rio are the famed “favelas” of the city or large shanty towns that are home to Rio’s poorest. A duo of artists worked with a few favelas in Rio to engender new pride in their homes. The result was a down-on-its-luck neighbourhood that had been transformed by art into a place of pride for its inhabitants. Enter at your own risk, but be prepared for some truly inspirational, transformational art.

Sugar Loaf. Take a cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf, starting from Urca Beach to Urca Hill, a little brother to Sugar Loaf. Then a second cable car takes you all the way to the peak of Sugar Loaf. Sugar Loaf is a landmark that instantly identifies any picture of the harbour as Rio. The monolithic peak of granite and quartz pokes straight up over the harbour at the mouth of Guanabara Bay. It was named by Portuguese sailors who thought it looked like the lumps of sugar that were common at the time. Enjoy the most exhilarating panoramic views from the observation deck here.

Visit the Brazilian side of the mighty Iguazu Falls. The mighty waterfalls of Iguazu are an unforgettable sight, a vivid portrayal of the gigantic forces of nature. From the Brazil side, you can see the immensity of the falls, how they spread along a cleft of the earth 1.67 miles wide, widest in the world. While other falls may be bigger or have a more continuous curtain of water, it is hard to argue that any others are as beautiful, as the rare formation of land and cliffs provides vistas that other waterfalls cannot claim.

Glide on the Amazon River, second longest river in the world after the Nile River. The Amazon has over 3,000 recognized species of fish and new species are still being discovered. The Amazon Basin is covered by half of the planet’s remaining rainforests. A tenth of the world’s estimated 10 million living species live in the Amazon rainforest. A few hours’ boat ride takes you deep into the heart of the jungle.

Soak up the natural treasures of Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park. Located 220 kilometres from Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil, this destination is rich with waterfalls and has the largest crystal mine in the world. Chapada dos Veadeiros is also one of the most ecological diverse regions on the planet. More than half of every kind of floral species and vertebrate animal species in existence live here.

Visit Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago of 21 islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often cited as a model of environmental protection. Only 420 visitors are allowed at a time. It has been held by the Portuguese, the English, the Dutch and the French. It was used as a prison and was also visited and written about by Charles Darwin in his “Voyage of the Beagle". It’s a favourite spot for divers, who enjoy its rich undersea flora and fauna.

Get a glimpse of the wildlife at the Pantanal. The Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland, lying mostly in Western Brazil but extending into Bolivia and Paraguay as well. Famous for its wildlife, it is one of Brazil’s major tourist attractions. Unlike the Amazon rainforest, in the Pantanal you are virtually guaranteed to actually see the wildlife. Capybara and the Yacare Caiman are present in the millions. The Pantanal is also home to one of the largest Jaguar populations in the Americas.

Rio Carnival. If you can get to Rio during Carnival time you’ll be in for a real treat with four days of hard partying, energetic music and an explosion of colour and sound. The biggest and most famous carnival is undoubtedly the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. The Rio Carnival attracts two million people per day on the streets and almost half a million foreigners during its 4 day celebration. The Carnival is all over the place, in the streets and squares, bars, clubs and all other venues in Rio, concluding in the spectacular Rio Samba Parade at the Sambadrome.

Rio de Janeiro. No trip to Brazil is complete without a day of relaxation on any of the famous beaches in Rio. Rio de Janeiro is lined with glorious tropical beaches with names that resonate with the stuff of legend, such as Ipanema and Copacabana. In fact, saying “Rio” and “beaches” in the same sentence is redundant. Rio is all about its beaches, which hug the city along its meandering coastline. The 4 km beach of Copacabana is a place, where tourists enjoy a pleasant vacation with sun and water or have fun in countless different adventures and water sports.