Brazil travel guide

Corcovado

The distinctive statue of Christ the Redeemer, arms spread to welcome the world, is the symbol of Rio de Janeiro and one of the seven New Wonders of the Modern World. It rests on top of Rio de Janeiro's Corcovado Mountain, 2,330 feet (710m) above the beaches below, and is accessed via a miniature train that runs from the Cosme Vehlo District through the Atlantic rainforest to the foot of the statue. The train ride offers stunning vistas of Rio, and the view from the summit is breathtaking.

Spread out beneath the statue is the Tijuca Forest, resplendent with attractions to enchant visitors beneath the cooling canopy among natural pools and waterfalls. There is, for example, the Mayrink chapel, which features murals painted by Candido Portinari, one of Brazil's most well-known modern artists, and the Museu do Acude, housing colonial furniture and a collection of china from the East India Company.

Sugar Loaf

An iconic fixture of the Rio skyline, the Sugarloaf Mountain is known worldwide for its sweeping views of the city below. The summit of the 1,299 foot high (396m) belvedere, named Sugar Loaf because of its resemblance to the loaves of sugar used by the Portuguese colonists, can be reached by a two-stage cable car ride. The first stage takes visitors up 722 feet (220m) to the Morro da Urca, where there is a restaurant, amphitheatre, heliport and spectacular view of the Yacht Club and Botafogo Bay. The second stage ascends to the summit for a panoramic view of the city, and the whole of Copacabana beach. The Sugar Loaf cable car is a major icon of Rio's tourism and a trip up the Sugar Loaf is a must for visitors to the city.

Ipanema

Immortalised in a popular song, 'The girl from Ipanema', this neighbourhood of Rio offers not only a legendary beach, but numerous excellent hotels, a bustling nightlife, sophisticated shopping opportunities, and quality restaurants, all within walking distance of each other. Ipanema, the name, incongruously, means 'bad water', is famous for setting fashion trends, particularly in the line of skimpy swimwear. Fashion followers should look out for the famous bikini boutiques like Salinas, Blue Man, and Bum-Bum. Tourists should make sure to explore the Rua Garcia D'Avila to shop for designer fashion, jewellery, and furniture. The nearby Amsterdam Sauer Museum of Gems makes for an interesting tour around the workshop. There are numerous other streets in and around Ipanema to explore, including the eclectic commercial street Visconde de Piraja, lined with speciality shops, bars, restaurants, and some of Rio's best boutiques. Visit the bohemian fair at General Osorio Square on Sundays for wooden sculptures, handcrafts, exotic musical instruments, and artworks.

Copacabana

This famous Rio beach neighbourhood was just a small fishing village until a new highway built in the early 1900s brought crowds of visitors to these golden shores. The Copacabana Palace Hotel first opened its doors in 1923, and since then the area mushroomed with Neoclassical and Art Nouveau skyscrapers, penthouses, and apartments. Visitors still flock, as they have always done, to the glamorous Palace Hotel, which is the place to be seen, especially to have tea or a meal at the famed Cipriani restaurant.

The beach itself white sand and calm water and is festooned with kiosks. It is a popular spot for beach sports like soccer and volleyball, and a good place to sunbathe. Copacabana beach is particularly popular on New Year's Day. According to tradition, visitors dress in white and congregate here to celebrate in droves, with more than 2 million people crowding the beach.

The Meeting of the Waters

Where the dark waters of the Rio Negro join the lighter, muddy waters of the Rio Solimoes, an incredible natural phenomenon results. The separate shades of water run side by side for a length of more than four miles (6km) without mixing. The separation is caused by the difference in temperature, density, and flow of the waters from each river: Rio Negro travels at about a mile (2km) per hour with a temperature of 72ºF (22ºC), while Rio Solimoes flows at between two and four miles (4-6km) per hour with a temperature of 82ºF (28ºC). This phenomenon has become a major tourist attraction in Brazil, best accessed by taking an hour's journey by boat from the floating docks in Manaus to see the dramatically divided waters.

Lake Janauari Ecological Park

This park, an hour by boat from Manaus on the Rio Negro, provides visitors with a taste of the Amazon experience, encompassing 22,240 acres (9,000 hectares) of forest, lowlands, and flooded forest (igapos). Day package trips are available from Manaus, including lunch in a typical regional restaurant and a visit to the area's other main attraction, The Meeting of the Waters, as well as a canoe trip exploring the park's lakes and streams. Visitors can also spot the symbol of the Amazon at Lake Janauari Park; the famous Amazon Victoria-Nympheaceae water lily, measuring up to seven feet (two metres) in diameter, is ubiquitous atop the still shallow waters. The beautiful flowers only bloom for three days, changing colour from white to dark red before dying.

Adolpho Ducke Botanical Garden

This vast forest reserve, covering more than 39 square miles (100 sq km) to the east of Manaus, provides tourists with the opportunity to discover what lies beneath the dense Amazon rainforest canopy. The park building complex contains plant nurseries and an exhibition of the woods of Amazonas, as well as a library and an eatery. A network of trails has been created in the forest, and local youths are trained and employed as guides to direct visitors along the paths (although not all of them speak English). It can be difficult to get into the Amazon for a genuine experience of the rainforest and this vast botanical garden offers a convient oppertunity for close look at the unspoilt forest world.

Estádio do Maracanã

Proudly hosting the opening and closing matches of the 2014 Soccer World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games ceremonies, and still the largest soccer stadium on the continent, Rio's Maracana has seen many records set.

The stadium currently hosts local soccer league games, and is the home of the Brazilian soccer team. But with a capacity of more than 78,000, the Maracana is more than able to host international acts visiting Brazil as a performance venue, with Madonna and Sir Paul McCartney among the big names who have played here. Inside the grounds is a Hall of Fame honouring soccer greats such as Pele, Roberto Dinamite, Romário, Valdo, and Bebeto, all of whom have been honoured by having their footprints cast in the sidewalk. A guided tour takes visitors through the hall, where they can enjoy a display of historical photographs and a great panoramic view of the city, among other things.

Ibirapuera Park

The Parque do Ibirapuera is a large park near the centre of Sao Paulo with many interesting features, including a planetarium, a Japanese pavilion, a gymnasium, the Obelisk of Sao Paulo (a symbol of the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932), and the Cicillo Matarazzo Pavilion, which houses the Museum of Contemporary Art and is typically the venue for large events like the São Paulo Art Biennial and São Paulo Fashion Week. The park is home to many other museums, including the Air Force Museum and Folklore Museum. It also has jogging and walking trails and a picturesque lake. Generally the park is a good spot to explore for those wanting a bit of holiday exercise or some fresh air in the heart of this sprawling city.

Santa Teresa

Having had their fill of the beach, tourists seeking the 'real Rio de Janeiro' should make a beeline for one of its most iconic neighbourhoods, Santa Teresa. Located at the top of Santa Teresa Hill, the neighbourhood is famous for its winding, narrow streets, its 19th century architecture, and its amazing array of restaurants, bars, art galleries, and eclectic shops. A popular area for local artists and tourists alike, Santa Teresa is best reached using its historic tram service, which runs up the hill from the centro (departing from Largo da Carioca square). The tram line, the only one of its kind in Rio, runs right through Santa Teresa's picturesque streets, offering magnificent views of the city below. By all accounts, no visit to Rio de Janeiro would be complete without spending at least a few hours in Santa Teresa.

Rocinha

Even though Rio de Janeiro is one of the world's foremost holiday destinations, with great beaches, vibrant night-life, and significant tourist attractions, the hard fact is that it remains a city of gross economic inequality, as typified by its sprawling urban slums (favelas), the largest of which, Rocinha, is home to nearly a quarter of a million people. For tourists looking to get to grips with this social reality, a local named Zezinho runs widely-celebrated tours of Rocinha, the favela in which he grew up.

Those worrying that it will be a typical, voyeuristic, seen-from-the-back-of-a-Jeep experience can lay those fears to rest: the great strength of Zezinho's tours is that they are conducted out of love for Rocinha, and a desire to share its culture with foreigners. As Zezinho says, 'It is easy to see poverty or poorly built houses, but what I love about Rocinha is the spirit of the people'. All who take part in his tour of Rocinha agree that it's a valuable, moving and humanising touristic experience. There are also other guides and companies offering good tours of the various favelas. It is important to book in advance.

Football Museum

Even for non-football fans, Sao Paulo's Museu do Futebol (Football Museum) is a must-see tourist attraction. The Brazilian team has been unquestionably the most delightful and successful national team in football's history, and the sport is supported with religious fervour throughout the country. The beauty of Sao Paulo's Football Museum, housed within the Pacaembu Stadium, itself an icon of the city, is that is takes a modern, interactive approach toward its exhibitions, with holographic displays, touch-screen information panels, and various other multimedia installations.

Highlights of the museum include the 'History of the World Cup' section, and a display introducing Brazil's 25 greatest-ever players (the Anjos Barrocos, or 'Baroque Angels'). An appreciation of what football means to the country is vital to getting to grips with Brazilian culture, and Sao Paulo's Football Museum is a wonderful introduction in this respect. Be sure to budget at least two or three hours for the museum, as there's a lot to see.

Julio Prestes Cultural Center

This cultural centre and concert venue is located in what was once the Julio Prestes Train Station, an imposing and meticulously restored building. The highlight of the centre is the Sala Sao Paulo, a concert venue which seats nearly 1,500 people and is home to the renowned Sao Paulo State Symphonic Orchestra (OSESP). Specifically designed as a venue for symphonic and chamber music, the Sala has world-class acoustics and is the best place for classical music lovers to catch a concert in the city. Other events are also hosted at the cultural centre, including a vast variety of musical concerts, with pop and rock featuring alongside the traditional, classical offerings.