Brazil is a fascinating country. A vigorous people who, despite life's difficulties, maintain an unquenchable good mood. A grandiose nature and immense beaches untouched by concrete. Modern and populated urban centres where poverty and wealth must coexist. Five regions that have their own specific cultures and populations. All these factors contribute to forging the country's unique identity. Where to stay in Brazil? There are many possibilities
The Nordeste, a seaside paradise
In the north of the country, visiting the Northeast still offers the opportunity to discover some wild and little frequented places. If there are many crowded beaches and large luxury resorts that offer all-inclusive packages, moving away from these urban centres and major seaside resorts, taking the boat or bus for one or two hours, you can easily find yourself in places that are still unknown, even Brazilians, who prefer the frenzy of more lively places. On the southern coast of Bahia, there are many examples: Praia do Espelho, Itacimirim, Ilha de Boipeba, Marau Peninsula. In all these places there are forests, fine sand and warm seas all year round. Instead of the large hotel complexes, there are charming pousadas, these medium-sized to small properties, often owned by the owners themselves, where decoration and hospitality are well cared for, just like at home
Further north, in Maranhão, it is the Lençois Maranhenses park that makes the State famous. A desert in the middle of the forest, cut by freshwater lagoons that fill during the rainy season. A unique place in the world where nature shows all its genius. Fortunately, the place is protected. To access it, you will have to earn it. The easiest way is to go on an excursion from Barreirinhas, about 300 km from São Luis, the capital of Maranhão.
Salvador and Reef, the two pearls of the North
Salvador, in the state of Bahia, is the largest black city in the country and the influences of African culture are visible in spicy food, religious rites and the practice of capoeira, this mixed sport of martial arts and dance. This great metropolis built on the beaches and heights, like a natural fort. The Baroque church of the Rosario was built by the slaves who dedicated their Sundays to it, already grace in itself, painted in sky blue and white. Salvador, black Rome with 365 churches! The Pelourinho is the great jewel of the city. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has been completely rehabilitated and has since amazed visitors from all over the world. Restaurants, souvenir shops, the district has necessarily lost its authenticity, but the essential thing is that this incomparable magic remains here.
In the state of Pernambuco, it is not difficult to meet people with dark skin and green eyes, inherited from the Dutch who passed through it. This cultural mix lived in a real harmony is undoubtedly one of the country's great treasures, where the influences of gastronomic and religious customs forge the identity of Brazilians who are open to the world and to encounters. The capital of Pernambuco, Recife, was founded in the 17th century and is one of the oldest cities in Brazil. The centres of interest are scattered throughout the city, and on the same day we pass from the colonial remains of the old town centre to the beaches of Boa Viagem, passing through the market district with its permanent turmoil. During his trip, it is easy to combine Recife and Salvador, since the two jewels of the North are just over an hour away by plane.
Jericoacoara, wild and preserved beach
Still in the Northeast, we find the sublime Jericoacoara (Jeri for intimates!). The Washington Post ranks this bay among the ten most beautiful coastlines in the world. And it is deserved! 5 km before reaching it, the heath, stunted and covered with healthy donkeys, gives way to a magnificent and immense space of selenite dunes. Then, a small village and the ocean appear, under coconut trees, in a grandiose bay with turquoise and marine blues, bordered until the horizon by a lace of dunes of a bright white. Everything is wild and preserved. 1 km away, on the beach, a famous rock pierced by which you can see the sunset. The interior of this giant clam shell is made of yellow or red rocks polished by the sea. On the beaches are stored old shaped sailboats, with multicoloured hulls. We also see rubber dinghies, pigs, horses, carts, buggies, capoeirists, blondes in pareo..
The green paradise
As we travel inland to Brazil totravel to the Amazon, the majestic green sanctuaries offer new reasons to be amazed. The vast territory, more than 6 times that of France, is the kingdom of the tropical rainforest with its giant trees, numerous rivers and wild animals that excite the imagination but arouse a certain apprehension to approach a place that seems so hostile even to the experienced adventurer. Tourism initiatives are increasing and supervised trips for the less adventurous are now possible. Last city before rushing into the green monster, Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas, is the main starting point for the tours. The stay in Amazonia is most often in an ecolodge, a mixture of hotels and wooden huts, in the middle of a secure forest. The landscape is lush, you can hear the cries of the animals, you meet little monkeys. It's a mysterious Brazil coming out! And as if the world's largest forest was not enough for this country to the size of a continent, we will find another ecosystem unique in the world in the west-central part. The Pantanal, located between the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, is an ancient inland sea in the middle of pastures. The forest, savannah and swamps are a real sanctuary for wild animals. Some fazendas (farms) offer tourists the opportunity to meet toucans, anacondas, capivaras (the world's largest rodents), anteaters, hyacinth macaws, howler monkeys, armadillos and even jaguars. From October to March, the approach to the territory is more difficult, because it is the rainy season and the landscape is changing. The plains are flooded, the land becomes marshy. The rest of the year, it will be easier to watch animals looking for water, and mosquitoes will no longer be part of the game!
Rio and Iguaçu, the most spectacular beaches and waterfalls in the world
Rio is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful natural and urban sites on the planet... Its relief of hills such as the Sugar Loaf, an inseparable image of the city, and which we call here Morro, merges the ocean with the largest urban forest in the world, the Tijuca Forest. The mountains, the sky, the sea and its inhabitants naturally blend into a landscape unique in the world, in a definitely sybarite and multiple atmosphere. In the popular Rio of the northern districts, there is the Rio without a business complex in the business centre, the bohemian Rio of Santa Teresa, the Portuguese Rio of the historic centre, the seaside Rio of Copacabana, the chic Rio of Ipanema, the new and impersonal Rio of Barra da Tijuca, the natural Rio of the Tijuca forest or the poor Rio of the favelas.
After discovering Rio de Janeiro, you can go to the Iguaçu Falls. These famous waterfalls are among the indescribable sites where the power of nature is most spectacular. Just on the border between Argentina and Paraguay, there are no less than 275 waterfalls, 60 metres high on average. The sound of water falling at an intense speed can be heard from a distance. Seeing such a show is not difficult because the city has a good tourist infrastructure, but you can expect to have company because the site is one of the main tourist attractions in South America. In Foz do Iguaçu, there is also an ecological reserve of 225,000 hectares. Inside, we walk around on foot or by electric bus, but the show-offs can take the helicopter! Sublime, like the rest of this magical country...
Smart info
The specialist. Azul is the ideal company to carry out its internal flights and enjoy as many spots as possible during his Brazilian stay thanks to to the largest network in Latin America. More than 100 intra-Brazilian flights including 26 cities in the Northeast, 4 cities in the Amazonas region, 15 cities in the Pantanal (Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul), 18 cities in the states south of Sao Paulo (Parana, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul) not to mention the state of Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo, Minais Gerais & Goias. Flights from Sao Paulo (Viracopos), Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Belem or Recife to all destinations in Brazil but also to Argentina, Uruguay, Guyana, the United States (Florida) or Portugal.
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