Brazil

South America

Sep 30

Written By Naya Traveler

As the largest country in South America, Brazil offers a stirring fusion of people, culture and otherworldly landscapes that stands out amongst the rest of South America.

The country was added to the map when Spanish and Portuguese explorers reached the shores of what is today Bahia in the late 15th century; at this time, Brazil was the homeland of over 30 million indigenous people known collectively as Amerindians. Since then, history has seen diverse groups of new settlers, including Europeans, Africans and Japanese.
Today, Brazilian people have a distinct taste for celebration, with an effervescent personality that lends itself to festive cultural parades pulsating to the sounds of Samba, taking Brazil’s cities and towns by a storm during Carnaval. The parties don’t stop there—during Holy Week, the streets of Ouro Preto get dressed in fresh flower carpets for Easter processions; in the North, the Bumba Meu Boi festival blends indigenous, African and Portuguese folklore; and in Salvador de Bahia, the Goddess of the Sea is venerated during the Celebration of Yemanja.
With over four million plant and animal species, Brazil has an unparalleled variety of wildlife and natural landscapes. The region of Pantanal comprises the largest wetland on Earth and hosts a staggering number of endemic fauna such as giant anacondas and caimans. The Amazon, the world's largest forest with at least 70 uncontacted tribes, has a network of waterways that make up the longest river on Earth. Heading South towards the border with Argentine, you’ll find Iguazu, the biggest waterfall system in the world. Brazil’s beaches, an uninterrupted fringe of pristine white-sand and emerald waters stretching all along the coast, offers some of the best swells in the world, as well as idyllic spots to retreat and relax.

Rio De Janeiro

One of the most stunning urban landscapes in the world, Rio de Janeiro's steamy beaches, dramatic mountains and colorful streets sway to the sound of Samba and Bossanova.

Salvador De Bahia

Established as the capital of the Portuguese colonies, Salvador is an efervescent melting-pot where Africa meets Latin America.

Trancoso

Trancoso retains its original colonial foundations and a bohemian flare from the seventies hippie movement. Located on the unspoilt Bahian coast, this the perfect place to unwind. Trancoso's charming Quadrado, surrounded by brightly-colored casitas are home to local and international artists alike.

The Amazon

The largest equatorial forest in the world and the lungs of Earth, the Amazon is home to great biodiversity across its vast changing landscapes.

Minas Gerais

Brazil's state of Minas Gerais is dotted with exquisite colonial towns that bear testament to the Golden Rush of the 18th Century. Ouro Preto, meaning 'black gold', is contemporary hub for education and the arts, and preserves many of the original churches, buildings and cobbled streets of the colonial period.

Iguazu Falls

A visceral experience of raw power and earthly beauty, a total of 275 individual terraced waterfalls that sit at the frontier of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

Pantanal

Remote and disconnected, the tropical basin of Pantanal hosts a unique array and diversity of species, most notable the pantanal jaguar and yacare caiman.

Fernando De Noronha

A volcanic archipelago, this UNESCO site holds a beautiful yet delicate eco-system of volcanic rock and unsullied turquoise waters, a paradise for divers.