10 iconic experiences in Brazil
Beyond its beautiful beaches, this tropical country has far more historic gems and natural wonders than most people realize.
One of the world’s largest countries, Brazil is a destination where you can make a return visit and always discover something new. Trek to a remote beach, take a boat to one of the Amazon’s floating lodges, or pick up some new dance moves in Salvador or Rio, all while expanding your knowledge of the complex melting pot that is Brazilian culture. Diverse landscapes, ranging from gushing waterfalls to dry savannahs, set the stage for exhilarating discoveries, while iconic experiences deliver on those picture-perfect moments. Start your cultural exploration of Brazil’s best with these 10 must-do experiences.
(The essential guide to visiting Brazil)
1. Join the world’s biggest party at Rio’s Carnaval
The only thing more emblematic of Brazil than Christ the Redeemer is the party that goes on below his outstretched arms every winter in the streets of Rio de Janeiro. “The joy we experience during Carnaval reflects the Brazilian ability to find happiness in life’s simple pleasures,” says Luiz Sardinha, a Rio local who has worked in the city’s hotel industry for over a decade. “It truly captures the essence of Brazilian creativity and showcases the diverse rhythms that are part of our culture.”
A whole week before the Catholic holiday of Ash Wednesday, the city is in full revelry mode with blocos (block parties) popping up in different neighborhoods. Meanwhile, astonishingly creative mega-floats, accompanied by hundreds of costumed dancers from local samba schools, take over the Sambadrome.
(A guide to Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro's lively beach neighborhood)
2. Explore Indigenous ingredients in Brazilian cuisine
The typical lunch Brazilians enjoy usually consists of beans, rice, and meat, but don’t let that mislead you into thinking that the food is predictable. “Brazilian cuisine is an amalgamation of Native American, African, and Portuguese influences. Indigenous ingredients such as açai, guaraná, corn, and cassava are widely used all over the country in day-to-day foods,” says Luciana Sae, a sales manager at UXUA, a leading hotel on Brazil’s gastronomic scene. Instead of trying one meal, Sae recommends indulging in a full day, starting with coffee and pão de queijo for breakfast and feijoada for lunch. The latter is the national dish, a bean stew that traces back both to enslaved Africans working in plantations and to the Portuguese [who] brought a version of the French cassoulet to Brazil, being most probably a mix of both.” In São Paulo, you can try many indigenous-inspired dishes at the Michelin-starred D.O.M., and if you go to Manaus, you can also try the flavors of the Amazon at Biatuwi—don’t underestimate the spice level!
(Where to eat in Belem, Brazil's gateway to the Amazon)
3. Go off-the-grid in the Amazon
The Amazon is one of the world’s most mysterious places, exceedingly rich in biodiversity and home to over 100 remote tribes. The majority of the rainforest sits inside the Brazilian border, and the gateway city of Manaus will give you a quick urban introduction to life in the rainforest. Still, there are many ways to immerse yourself in the Amazon. Located in the Mamiruá Reserve, accessible by a short flight to Tefé followed by a 90-minute boat ride, the Uakari Lodge is a floating inn where you can, depending on the time of year, kayak through flooded forests or walk on the paths that reappear in the dry season.
4. Ride a buggy on the dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
Brazil’s northeastern states are renowned for their vast dune fields, such as Lençois Maranhenses, which is famous for its surrealistic landscape and status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the rainy season, water collects in the dips and divots of the sand, forming natural lagoons where travelers can swim and explore by dune buggy, which they can book with a local guide. It may look like a desert, but 4,000 people live in the park’s traditional communities. “It’s worth experiencing the local community that reinforces the hospitality of the Maranhão people and enjoying the lush nature of the Brazilian state, which boasts the second-longest coastline in the country,” says Ruan Traves Ribeiro, deputy secretary of the Maranhão State Tourism.
5. Dive into Afro-Brazilian culture in Salvador
Many of Brazil’s most famous cultural traditions, from music to capoeira (martial art), can be traced back to the contributions of Afro-Brazilians. There’s no better place to explore this strong community than the northeastern city of Salvador, where you can take a deep historic dive at the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture. Check out the museum before attending a religious Candomblé ceremony, where the samba beat originated, or finding the balance between dancing and self-defense in a capoeira class. Guide and Afro-tourism specialist Manu Rodrigues recommends that visitors enlist the help of a reputable local guide who can assist them in arranging visits to local communities throughout Brazil. In Salvador, specifically, she says that Pelourinho is the best neighborhood to begin. “Pelourinho is a place that breathes ancestry on the colorful slopes and in the drumming of atabaques drums, where you can feel the power of Candomblé, capoeira, and Afro-Brazilian street groups like Ilê Aiyê and Olodum,” says Rodrigues.
(The inside guide to Salvador, the cradle of Brazil's Afro-Brazilian heritage)
6. Find the country’s historic heart in Ouro Preto
Hopping between beach and jungle scenes, travelers visiting Brazil often overlook the landlocked state of Minas Gerais. Home to the gold rush city of Ouro Preto, which is a place where baroque facades glitter and history carry a heavy weight. Enslaved people extracted hundreds of tons of the precious metal during the 17th and 18th centuries under harrowing conditions that are spoken about openly. It is also the site of the Inconfidẽncia Mineira, a failed revolt against the Portuguese that marked the beginning of Brazil’s journey to independence. Rodrigues also recommends specifically visiting the Igreja Nossa Senhora da Rosario, a pillar of the Black community, which celebrates its African roots with the Congadas Festival in January.
7. Experience a real adventure in Tocantins
After the rainforest, one of Brazil’s most important ecosystems is the vast savannah known as the cerrado. It is still one of the most remote regions in Brazil. Until the development of Jalapão State Park, it had been largely off the radar for both Brazilian and foreign tourists—in fact, the state of Tocantins didn’t even exist until the late 1980s. Tours in the park are multi-day off-roading adventures where you can climb golden dunes and swim in bubbling blue springs that emerge like small oases in the middle of this vast outback-like landscape.
8. Go on a jaguar safari in Pantanal
Nowhere on the planet has as much biodiversity as the Amazon, but if you want to see jaguars in Brazil, the Pantanal is the ultimate safari destination. Located in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, the world’s largest tropical wetland has the largest jaguar population and other incredible wildlife, including giant otters, capybaras, and giant otters, which are usually found on the banks of the river. Caiman Pantanal is a sustainability-focused lodge situated on a 53-acre reserve that participates in numerous animal conservation projects to protect not only jaguars but also parrots, tapirs, and macaws.
(The Pantanal wetland is Brazil's jaguar country—and a wildlife photographer's dream)
9. Marvel at the cascades of Foz do Iguaçu
On Brazil’s southern border, meeting the boundaries of Argentina and Paraguay, Iguaçu Falls is a phenomenon of nature’s power. Over a mile wide and up to 269 feet high in some places, over 317,0064 gallons of water flow over the falls every second during the rainy summer season. People are surprised at how many ways to experience the falls. Carola Fresno, a trip specialist with Timbuktu Travel, says, “You can wander along the catwalks, soar above them on a helicopter flight, or take a boat ride that leaves you drenched beneath the cascades, giving a true sense of their height and force. There’s also the chance to meet the Guaraní community and learn their history, which adds depth to the experience.”
10. Escape to nature on a beautiful island
A city beach is nice, but there’s nothing quite like getting away to an idyllic island. From the major cities, Ilhabela (São Paulo) and Ilha Grande (Rio de Janeiro) are some of the best options for nature lovers. Hike to waterfalls in the middle of the rainforest, or trek to distant beaches only reachable by trail or boat. For a more remote and romantic destination, consider visiting Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago and popular ecotourism destination located 200 miles off the northeastern coast of Brazil. It is known for its abundant marine life, including sea turtles, dolphins, and sharks.
(10 of the best hotels in Brazil for every type of traveler)
