Looking at the (enormous) map and getting a bit overwhelmed about picking the best locations to visit in Brazil? Don't worry, we're here to assist you to make the most out of your trip and offer you the best pointers to enjoy Brazil like a local. I'm Brazilian and I will share all my favourite features of my country. From drinking caipirinha at the beach in Rio, to going to a national forest full of pristine blue lagoons in the north or assisting to save turtles in the south, Brazil has an alternative for every sort of backpacker.
From north to south, you're going to discover something incredible to do in every corner of the nation and I guarantee you'll be shocked by how diverse Brazil is. Choose an open heart, listen and talk with the residents-- there is no better method to get to know our culture.
The beaches in the north of the island are more touristy and have numerous well-known clubs, so things can get a bit more costly. I 'd suggest that you check out Praia da Lagoinha, Praia do Specialty, Praia da Daniela, Praia Brava and Praia dos Ingleses. The east side of the island has an amazing backpacker vibe and is an excellent spot for surfing. My favourite beaches there are Joaquina, Praia Mole, Praia da Galheta and Barra da Lagoa. This is likewise the backpacker hotspot of the city, where you'll find people from all over the world, extremely cool bars and restaurants and people offering their art in the street.
If you're trying to find some quiet time surrounded by nature, the south of the island is where you want to be. We're talking unblemished beaches, a few of them only accessible by travelling, like Praia dos Naufragados. If you wish to join the residents, you need to attempt the walking to Lagoinha do Leste, among the most popular treking trails in the south of Brazil. There are three different options with different levels of trouble, the easiest one taking over an hour. You will not be sorry for the views when you arrive though!
Ouro Preto is among the very best locations to visit in Brazil for anyone who wishes to comprehend the country ´ s history. The city's name translates to 'Black Gold' in English, since it was the centre of the gold rush in the 18th century. Nowadays, you can still experience the city's past through its architecture and the art of the remarkable Brazilian carver Aleijadinho. You can visit all the main attractions on foot, and just walking appreciating the scenery is really among the very best things you can do. The main attractions in Ouro Preto are the old mines from the colonial period, where you can take a trip to become aware of how tons of ores and precious stones were extracted and taken back to Europe, and how slave work was used for this.
The city also has numerous museums where you can start to understand more about the history of the country. At Inconfidence Museum you can discover Brazil's self-reliance, and if you're interested in Brazilian art, you ought to have a look at the Spiritual Art Museum. An excellent location to see Aleijadinho's work is São Francisco de Assis church, where you can find many sculptures made by the artist.
One of the coolest things you can do in Ouro Preto is look for a university party. They're super open and accept students from all over the world. All you have to do is go to the student neighbourhood Baixita and ask where the party will occur. You can actually knock at one of the fraternity's doors and ask. If you're checking out throughout Carnival, even much better-- there will be LOTS OF trainee celebrations you can join.Start your experience walking Vila Madalena, a fashionable neighbourhood full of nice coffee shops, dining establishments and classic stores. On Saturdays, you can check out Feira Livre da Vila Madalena, a street market with arts and crafts, loads of fruits and veggies and fantastic street food. For an authentic Brazilian experience, try a pastel (a scrumptious savoury treat) with a sugar walking stick juice. After getting all the energy you need, head to Beco do Batman, a well-known area in the city for street art enthusiasts.
If you're into art, go to the Museum of Art of São Paulo at Avenida Paulista. You're going to see the building quite quickly from a range because of its fantastic architecture design and you can get lost inside for hours.
After checking out the museum, head to Bixiga, among the most standard areas in the city that has lots of terrific pizzerias. Mentioning pizza, you MUST TRY Brazilian pizza. Forget everything you thought you knew about the conventional Italian food and open yourself to a whole new level of nonsense. I am Click here to find out more talking about ice cream pizza and I'm not even sorry.
By this point, you have actually most likely observed that São Paulo is a terrific location to walk and eat tasty food, so if you're not veggie, head to Mercado Municipal to try an ENORMOUS mortadella sandwich. After all this consuming, have a walk in Ibirapuera park and check out the Afro Museum, a space dedicated to informing the story of more than 5 centuries of African history in Brazil.
For an incredible sunset and to join the residents, go to Praça do Pôr do Sol (it literally suggests the sunset park) for among the most stunning views of the city.Still in the historical centre, see Largo Tereiro de Jesus, a location full of lovely churches, restaurants and fantastic architecture. Go To the Afro Museum to get more information about Afro religious beliefs in Brazil, and Casa do Carnaval da Bahia to get to know the history of Carnival in the city. Still around this location, inspect the Lacerda Lift. Built in 1873, this is the most convenient (and least expensive) way to get to the high part of the city. When you're at the top, Tomé de Sousa square is a lovely viewpoint and perfect location to view the sunset.
If you wish to buy affordable and genuine mementos for your loved ones back home, check out Mercado Modelo. This public market has been working for more than 100 years and has more than 250 stalls offering art and food.Now, get ready for an amazing story. Bonfim Church was constructed between 1745 and 1772, and nowadays is the centre of a lovely multi-faith event that occurs in Salvador every year in January. On this day, around 200 women worn white walk a pilgrimage of 8km to clean the stairs of the church with water and flowers, while the locals commemorate with music and chants of African origin. This is a stunning ritual to enjoy and you should think about visiting Salvador throughout this time. And let's not ignore the Senhor do Fim ribbon, a custom which involves putting a colourful ribbon on someone's wrist and asking to make 3 desires. You make one knot for each dream, and when the ribbon falls off on its own, all these dreams will come to life. This tradition becomes part of the Festa do Bonfim (Bonfim Party), however you can find these ribbons throughout the year in many cities in Brazil.
Together with Pelourinho, Barra Lighthouse is one of the most popular postcard pictures of Salvador. The lighthouse was built in the 17th century and nowadays is a museum. Simply in front of the lighthouse, there's a gorgeous beach for you to walk around and watch the sunset.
How can we not speak about food? Food from Bahia is amazing, and you can't leave the city without attempting an Acarajé! It's a lovely mix of beans, shrimp, onion, salt and pepper-- completely and fried in palm oil. It's the most standard food of the city and you can find the very best ones in Largo da Dinha.Galeria 13 hostel is a fantastic base for your Salvador adventure. They have a pool, breakfast until 12pm, happy hours with caipirinhas, Brazilian movie nights and a friendly canine. They're likewise found in the historic centre, which will make your day of checking out much easier.If you have a little bit more time in Recife, you need to consider investing a day in Olinda, a famous historic city with incredible Carnival celebrations and blocks. It's so near to Recife that some people get puzzled and think it's the same city. Check out the historical centre and its vibrant colonial homes on foot, before heading to Alto da Sé, a location with an incredible view of the city and markets offering food and art.The most well-known destination in Olinda is the Carnival and its giant dolls parade. They state everything began in 1931, when an extremely good-looking man used to walk at midnight. After some time, he became well known (The Midnight Male) and all the single women in the city would wait on him every night. After a couple of years, a giant doll of him was developed and a massive carnival parade with him blazing a trail to other giant dolls became a custom. Today the parade still follows the same path as the strange guy! Seeing the Giant Carnival Dolls of Olinda is a really wonderful experience and you're going to be impressed by the energy in the streets throughout Brazilian Carnival.