Brazil Travel Guide

Brazil — Rio de Janeiro, Sugarloaf Mountain

South America · The Americas

Rio de Janeiro, the Amazon, Iguazú Falls, and the Pantanal. South America's most extraordinary country — vast, vibrant, and endlessly surprising.

14+

TastesOf Reviews

Apr–Oct

Best Season

The Americas

Region

At a Glance

The Essentials

CountryBrazil

RegionSouth America, The Americas

Best Time to VisitApril–June & August–October (dry season, cooler)

CurrencyBrazilian Real (BRL)

LanguagePortuguese

Best ForBeaches, Carnival, Amazon, Wildlife, Dining

What to Do

Defining Experiences

Rio de Janeiro

One of the world's great cities — Sugarloaf Mountain, the Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado, and the legendary beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Carnival, the world's greatest street party, transforms the city every February into an explosion of samba, colour, and collective joy. The view from the summit of Corcovado at sunset is among the finest urban panoramas on earth.

The Amazon Rainforest

Brazil contains sixty percent of the Amazon basin — the world's largest tropical rainforest and the lungs of the planet. Luxury river cruises from Manaus along the Rio Negro and the Amazon itself offer encounters with pink river dolphins, giant river otters, caimans, and an extraordinary diversity of birdlife. The Meeting of the Waters — where the dark Rio Negro meets the sandy-coloured Amazon and flows side by side for miles without mixing — is one of nature's great spectacles.

Iguazú Falls

Shared with Argentina, the Brazilian side of Iguazú offers the most panoramic views of the 275 individual falls that make up the world's greatest waterfall system. The Devil's Throat — a U-shaped chasm where fourteen falls converge in a roar of mist and spray — is overwhelming in its scale and power. The surrounding Atlantic Forest is home to toucans, coatis, and hundreds of butterfly species.

The Pantanal

The world's largest tropical wetland — larger than France — is the best place on earth to see jaguars in the wild. The dry season (July–October) concentrates wildlife around the remaining water sources, making sightings of jaguars, giant anteaters, capybaras, and hyacinth macaws almost guaranteed. The Pantanal is Brazil's greatest wildlife secret.

Fernando de Noronha

An archipelago of volcanic islands 350 kilometres off the northeast coast, with some of the clearest water in the Atlantic and the finest diving in Brazil. Access is strictly controlled — only 500 visitors at a time — which preserves the extraordinary marine life: spinner dolphins, sea turtles, and reef sharks in water of impossible clarity.

Salvador da Bahia

The heart of Afro-Brazilian culture — the Pelourinho, a UNESCO-listed colonial centre of pastel-coloured churches and cobblestone streets, is the most beautiful historic district in Brazil. The cuisine of Bahia — moqueca, acarajé, vatapá — is the most distinctive and complex in the country, rooted in West African culinary traditions brought by enslaved people four centuries ago.

Where to Stay

Recommended Properties

Belmond Copacabana Palace

Grand Hotel

The grande dame of Rio de Janeiro — a white Edwardian palace on Copacabana Beach, opened in 1923. The pool, the rooftop bar with its view of Sugarloaf, and the Princess Diana Suite are the stuff of legend. The finest hotel in Brazil.

Cristalino Lodge

Eco-Luxury Lodge

A private reserve in the southern Amazon — 12,000 hectares of pristine rainforest with exceptional birding, guided night walks, and canopy towers. The most acclaimed eco-lodge in Brazil, and one of the finest wildlife lodges in the world.

UXUA Casa Hotel, Trancoso

Boutique Resort

Ten casas on the Quadrado — the historic village green of Trancoso in Bahia — each individually designed with reclaimed wood, local art, and private pools. The most beautiful boutique hotel in Brazil, in one of the most beautiful villages in South America.