Brazil Travel Guide

Brazil is a land of contrasts. Here you will find great wealth and grinding poverty, beautiful beaches and filthy waterways fouled by industrial pollution, honest, open people and some of the most crooked politicians in Latin America. However, the contrast is all part of the draw and makes Brazil a fascinating country to visit.

Brazil´s landmass is vast, similar to that of the entire United States if you don’t include Alaska, making it the fifth-largest country in the world. However, over two-thirds of its 181 million people live in the cities along the coast. Brazil is one of Latin America’s biggest tourist draws. The attraction is easy to understand: Brazil has everything... literally.

Brazilians generally think of their country as being divided up into five regions, each of which has its own character, history, cuisine and nature.

The Northeast region is known for having the earliest Portuguese settlements at Olinda and Salvador. Salvador was a center of the slave trade during the colonial era, and today is home to many Afro-Brazilians, which gives the region a unique, lively flavor.

The Northern Region consists of the Amazon River states: each of the seven large states in this region contains part of the Amazon River system. It is known for adventure travel and bird watching.

The Central-Western Region is home to the capital city of Brasilia, itself a UNESCO World heritage site due to its avant-garde architecture. It is also where you will find the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland and home to hundreds of species of wildlife including crocodiles and anacondas.

The Southeastern Region is more urban. Settled as much by Italians and Japanese as by the Portuguese, the huge cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are modern, cosmopolitan cities that have much more to offer than just parties during carnival and nice beaches.

The Southern Region, which was also populated by diverse European and Eastern cultures, is home to the Iguazu waterfalls, one of the largest in the world. It is also where you will find the city of Blumenau where they have the best Oktoberfest outside of Germany.

Brazil claims two of the world´s most famous beaches, Copacabana and Ipanema, and there are thousands more that are less well-known but just as beautiful.

SCUBA Divers will not want to miss diving in Salvador.  The Bay of All Saints is home to more than 100 shipwrecks and numerous marine species.

Of course, Brazil is most famous for carnival. Every year, Brazilians lose all semblance of sanity and take to the streets in celebration. However, even though it is only one week per year, the carnival spirit is a constant: every city in Brazil has fun clubs and bars.