Brazil travel guide : explore Rio, Amazon rainforest and beaches

What you need to know before visiting Brazil

• Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil)
• Capital: Brasília
• Population: About 213 million people
• Official language: Portuguese
• Currency: Brazilian Real (R$)
• Area: 8,515,767 square kilometres

How Brazilian history shaped its diverse culture

Brazil's historical journey weaves a complex tapestry of ancient civilizations, colonial exploitation, cultural fusion, and economic transformation:

Indigenous peoples: ancient cultures of Brazil

Before European arrival, hundreds of diverse indigenous societies thrived across Brazil. Archaeological evidence reveals sophisticated cultures like the Marajoara, who created intricate pottery and managed extensive raised field systems in the Amazon. The country's original inhabitants developed deep knowledge of the rainforest, cultivating thousands of plant species and establishing complex trade networks spanning thousands of kilometres.

Colonial period: Portuguese influence and African heritage

Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral claimed Brazil for Portugal in 1500, initiating centuries of colonization. The exploitation of brazilwood (which gave the country its name) was followed by sugar plantations and eventually gold mining, with the discovery of gold in Minas Gerais creating a rush that extracted approximately 800 tonnes of the precious metal. The tragic importation of enslaved Africans—nearly 4.9 million people, more than any other country in the Americas—profoundly shaped Brazilian society and culture, while decimating African communities.

Brazilian independence: from empire to republic

Unlike other Latin American countries, Brazil achieved independence relatively peacefully in 1822, becoming an empire under Dom Pedro I. The monarchy lasted until 1889, when a military coup established the republic. The early 20th century saw Brazil transition from a primarily agricultural economy to increasing industrialization, though political instability led to periods of authoritarian rule, including a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985.

Modern Brazil: economy and contemporary society

Since returning to democracy, Brazil has emerged as a regional and global power, with the world's 12th largest economy. The country has made significant social progress, though it continues to address challenges of inequality, environmental protection, and political governance. Brazil's hosting of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games showcased its global prominence, while its leadership in renewable energy (with 45% of its energy matrix coming from renewable sources) points to its potential to shape a sustainable future.

Brazilian culture: language, music and cuisine

Brazilian Portuguese language

Brazilian Portuguese, spoken by over 210 million people, differs from European Portuguese in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, creating a language that Brazilians proudly call Português Brasileiro. The language has been enriched by approximately 6,000 words from Tupi-Guarani indigenous languages and numerous African terms, particularly in food, music, and dance. Regional accents vary dramatically across Brazil's 8.5 million square kilometres, from the sing-song cadence of the Northeast to the clipped rhythm of São Paulo.

Brazilian arts: music, dance and cinema

Brazilian creativity bursts forth in countless forms, from literature to music. Writers like Jorge Amado and Clarice Lispector have explored Brazilian identity through internationally acclaimed works. Bossa nova, created in the 1950s, blended samba rhythms with cool jazz to create a sophisticated sound that conquered the world, while MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) encompasses a rich spectrum of styles. Brazilian cinema has gained international recognition through directors like Glauber Rocha and Fernando Meirelles, whose "City of God" depicted life in Rio's favelas with unflinching realism. The country's visual arts tradition spans from baroque churches adorned with 45 kilograms of gold to the modernist architecture of Oscar Niemeyer's flowing concrete curves.

Brazilian food: what to eat during your visit

Brazilian cuisine reflects the country's multicultural heritage with regional variations:

• Feijoada (a hearty black bean stew with various cuts of pork, typically serving 6-8 people with 1.5 kilograms of beans)
• Churrasco (Brazilian barbecue featuring up to 15 different cuts of meat, with the average Brazilian consuming 42.1 kilograms of beef annually)
• Moqueca (fish stew simmered in coconut milk with palm oil, typically prepared in a traditional clay pot weighing 2-3 kilograms)
• Pão de queijo (cheese bread made from cassava flour, with each small roll typically weighing 25-30 grams)
• Açaí (Amazon superfood berry served as a frozen pulp, with Brazil producing 1.2 million tonnes annually)

Coffee remains central to Brazilian culture and economy, with the country producing 3.6 million tonnes annually— approximately 35% of the world's coffee. The caipirinha, Brazil's national cocktail made with cachaça (sugarcane spirit), lime, and sugar, embodies the country's refreshing approach to life, with Brazilians consuming about 800 million litres of cachaça each year.

Brazilian celebrations: carnival, festivals and football

Carnival, Brazil's most famous celebration, transforms the country each February or March with five days of music, dance, and elaborate costumes. Rio's Sambadrome, a 700-metre parade avenue, hosts competing samba schools with up to 4,000 performers each, wearing costumes that can weigh 30 kilograms or more. Throughout the year, Brazilians celebrate hundreds of festas combining Catholic traditions with African and indigenous influences. Football (soccer) approaches religious status, with the 200,000-capacity Maracanã Stadium in Rio having witnessed some of the sport's most dramatic moments. The Brazilian national team, five-time World Cup champions, embodies the jogo bonito (beautiful game) that reflects Brazil's creative, joyful approach to life.

Where to go in Brazil: top cities and destinations

Rio de Janeiro: exploring Brazil's most famous city

Nestled between mountains and sea, Rio offers breathtaking beauty at every turn:

• Christ the Redeemer: The 30-metre-tall Art Deco statue stands atop 710-metre Corcovado Mountain, with arms spanning 28 metres.
• Sugarloaf Mountain: Rising 396 metres from Guanabara Bay, accessed by a 1,400-metre cable car system dating to 1912.
• Copacabana Beach: A 4.2-kilometre stretch of golden sand lined with a distinctive wave-patterned promenade.
• Tijuca Forest: The world's largest urban rainforest covering 32 square kilometres within city limits.
• Maracanã Stadium: Brazil's football temple, which once held the world record attendance of 199,854 spectators in 1950.

São Paulo: Brazil's largest city and cultural center

Brazil's economic powerhouse and largest city sprawls across 1,521 square kilometres with a metropolitan population exceeding 21 million. This multicultural megalopolis boasts over 12,500 restaurants, 150 museums, and the largest Japanese population outside Japan (approximately 1.5 million people), while its distinctive skyline includes 55 buildings over 150 metres tall.

Brasília: the modernist capital of Brazil

The modernist capital, built from scratch in just 41 months and inaugurated in 1960, resembles an airplane when viewed from above. Designed by urban planner Lúcio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer, this UNESCO World Heritage site features iconic buildings like the Cathedral of Brasília with 16 hyperbolic columns weighing 90 tonnes each, supporting a structure covered by 2,000 square metres of stained glass.

Salvador: experiencing afro-brazilian heritage

Brazil's first capital (1549-1763) remains the center of Afro-Brazilian culture. The historic Pelourinho district features over 800 colonial-era buildings spanning 80 hectares, including the gold-filled São Francisco Church containing an estimated 800 kilograms of gold leaf. The city's vibrant culture is expressed through capoeira (martial art disguised as dance) and religious syncretism blending Catholic and African traditions.

Amazon rainforest: how to visit the world's largest jungle

Manaus, 1,600 kilometres inland from the Atlantic yet accessible to ocean-going vessels, served as the rubber boom capital in the late 19th century. The opulent Teatro Amazonas opera house, built with European materials shipped up the Amazon, features a 2,200-square-metre dome covered in 36,000 ceramic tiles in the colors of the Brazilian flag.

Best natural attractions in Brazil: rainforests to beaches

• Amazon Rainforest: Covering approximately 4.1 million square kilometres (60% within Brazil), containing 10% of all known species and producing 20% of Earth's oxygen.
• Pantanal: The world's largest tropical wetland ecosystem at 150,000 square kilometres, holding 80 billion litres of water during flood season.
• Iguazu Falls: A system of 275 waterfalls spanning 2.7 kilometres, with the Devil's Throat drop measuring 82 metres high and carrying 1,756 cubic metres of water per second.
• Lençóis Maranhenses: A 1,550-square-kilometre desert paradox where seasonal rains create thousands of crystal-clear freshwater lagoons among towering white sand dunes rising up to 40 metres.
• Fernando de Noronha: A volcanic archipelago 354 kilometres offshore featuring 21 islands with beaches ranked among the world's best and visibility up to 50 metres for diving.

Interesting facts about Brazil you might not know

Brazil shares borders with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador, with a total land border length of 14,691 kilometres.

The Amazon River discharges 209,000 cubic metres of water per second—more than the next seven largest rivers in the world combined.

Brazil is home to approximately 20% of the world's biodiversity, including 43,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, and 3,000 freshwater fish species.

São Paulo's subway system, while covering just 104.4 kilometres, is the world's most efficient, carrying 22,000 passengers per kilometre of track daily.

The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is the world's third-largest producer of civil aircraft, creating planes that have collectively flown over 50 million kilometres.

Brazilian contributions to global culture and innovation

• Bossa nova music (revolutionizing global jazz with "The Girl from Ipanema," recorded in over 200 versions)
• Santos-Dumont's flying inventions (including the first practical dirigible and the 14-bis aircraft that flew 220 metres in 1906)
• The pioneering work of physician Carlos Chagas, who uniquely identified the pathogen, vector, and disease of Chagas disease
• The biodiesel production process developed by Count Kvassnoff in 1937, now used globally
• Innovative social programs like Bolsa Família, which has helped lift 36 million people out of extreme poverty