Manaus
Inaugurated in 1902, Manaus' 'floating port' was a technical marvel of its day, able to adjust 15m or more to seasonal water levels. (Look for high water…
Must-see attractions in Brazil
Pará
Facing Praça da Matriz, the city's pretty blue-painted church dates from 1761. Its predecessor church, made of palm fronds in 1661, was Santarém's first…
Paraty
In a beautiful colonial mansion, Paraty’s Casa da Cultura hosts rotating exhibitions and events, with a focus on local culture. There are nice views of…
Porto Alegre
On the northern side of Praça da Matriz, you’ll find the elegant mid-19th-century Teatro São Pedro, inaugurated in 1858.
Rio de Janeiro
This tiny hidden beach is located between Copacabana and Ipanema. Reach it by heading to the rocky outcropping of Arpoador and turning left. You'll see it…
The Amazon
Palmas' main cathedral has a modern look, with a low sloping exterior and a long interior nave. It lacks the gravitas of Brazil's older houses of worship,…
Santa Catarina
The Museo Pomerano explores the town’s history through household objects, furniture, wooden sculpture, agricultural tools and an impressive collection of…
Foz do Iguaçu
If you are wondering how construction of the Itaipu Dam affected the area’s flora and fauna, check out the Ecomuseu, which also includes a large model of…
Brazil
At the colorful Mercado Municipal, locals sell and barter a wide range of goods; if you're passing through downtown around lunchtime, stop in for a casual…
São Luís
São Luís' 17th-century cathedral looks along Av Dom Pedro II from its top end. Inside are ceiling frescoes decorated with babaçu (palm) motifs and a fine…
Minas Gerais
The park entrance is 2km steeply uphill from the nearest town, Alto do Caparaó. There's a staffed ranger booth here offering general park information, but…
Belo Horizonte
This art museum, with its cute garden designed by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, originally served as a casino and shows the obvious modernist…
Ilha Grande & Vila do Abraão
Just in from the boat docks and picturesquely framed by the parrot-shaped form of Pico do Papagaio, Abraão's village church is an Ilha Grande icon, right…
The Amazon
Tocantins' state legislature meets in this boxy yet lofty structure, with high brick and concrete spires holding up a latticework roof. It's interesting…
Recife
This 19th-century customs house has been converted into a glitzy shopping mall; it's worth dropping in for a coffee or a bite in its food court to check…
Recife
Praça da República contains a formal park with tall trees and a pretty fountain, and includes the Palácio do Campo das Princesas, seat of the Pernambuco…
Bahia
Louco is regarded as one of the masters of the African-inspired style of wood carving for which Cachoeira is famous. You can get a first hand look at his…
Rio de Janeiro State
Enjoy great views of Petrópolis and the surrounding mountains from this 3.5m-tall Italian sculpture of the NS de Fátima Madonna, in the hills on the…
Minas Gerais
On Mariana's central square, this church was severely damaged by fire in 1999, but still retains its original rococo chancel (the only element to have…
Rio de Janeiro State
This showy salmon-hued mansion was once home to Brazil's Princess Isabel, daughter of Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina. It can be viewed from…
Rio de Janeiro
Chronicling the history of the Brazilian navy from the 16th century to the present, this museum also has exhibitions of model warships, maps and…
Igreja NS do Rosário dos Pretos
Minas Gerais
The half-built Igreja de NS do Rosário dos Pretos – started and financed by slaves but never finished – now stands as a memorial to the abolition of…
Belo Horizonte
This former dance hall on Pampulha's lakeshore, designed by Oscar Niemeyer with grounds by landscape architect Burle Marx, now holds all types of…
Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo
Bahia
The Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo has a gilded baroque altar, paneled ceilings and azulejos (handmade tiles imported from Portugal), and dates from…
Santa Catarina
Once among the island’s finest beaches, Praia dos Ingleses has suffered from its popularity. It’s now crowded with high-rise hotels and overpriced…
Minas Gerais
Spanning three centuries, this museum's collection includes vestments, ex votos and hundreds of other historical liturgical objects from Tiradentes'…
Lençóis
The lovely Prefeitura Municipal, built in 1860, was the mansion of Colonel César Sá – the Neoclassical details were reportedly added to please his wife.
Minas Gerais
Marked with a plaque, this 18th-century building is the spot where Gonzaga and the other Inconfidentes conspired to put an end to Portuguese rule in…
Minas Gerais
In a building that served as the public jail between 1737 and 1850, this museum has a small but impressive collection of art from the city’s churches.
The Amazon
Guajará-Mirim's main cathedral is oddly huge, with twin bell towers rising high above the stark flat street level. It's muscular rather than beautiful.
Lençóis
Honors the patron saint of miners – and was built by slaves. The church is open occasionally to visitors during festivals and other special events.
Igreja do Bom Jesus do Matozinhos
Minas Gerais
Dating to 1781, this church at the foot of town is adorned with frescoes and woodwork beautifully painted in shades of red, blue, white and pink.
The Amazon
This squat yellow church is one of the oldest structures in Boa Vista, beginning as a modest oratory in 1725, and renovated and expanded in 1917.
The Amazon
Rio Branco's main cathedral, built in 1959, has a single soaring bell tower and three long, spacious naves lined with 36 stained-glass windows.
Porto Alegre
About 1km southeast of the cathedral lies Parque Farroupilha, the city’s largest park and home to a sprawling flea market on Sunday morning.
Faculdade de Medicina Building
Salvador
A Portuguese prince, upon arrival in Salvador in 1808, founded a school of surgery here that was later named the Bahia School of Medicine.
Museu Histórico Júlio de Castilhos
Porto Alegre
Near the Praça da Matriz is Museu Histórico Júlio de Castilhos, displaying gaúcho artifacts in a typical 19th-century home.
The Amazon
The soaring concave facade and gleaming white paint make this modern church hard to miss, especially as it faces Boa Vista's main plaza.
São Paulo
Displays the work of some of the city’s most cutting-edge contemporary artists, both well-established names and up-and-coming newbies.
Minas Gerais
Built in colonial style between 1930 and 1940 on the site of a much older church, Diamantina's cathedral dominates the historic center.
