Parque Nacional da Serra Geral
Rio Grande do Sul
Parque Nacional da Serra Geral, 23km east of Cambará do Sul, contains canyons that rival Itaimbezinho. The Cânion da Fortaleza is an 8km stretch of…
Must-see attractions in Brazil
Recife
This strikingly red museum is a small and modern house of worship for frevo, the quintessential dance of the Recife Carnaval that is easily identified by…
São Paulo
For one of Sampa’s best panoramas, head to the top of this 161m-high skyscraper, Brazil’s version of the Empire State Building – completed in 1939 and…
São Paulo
This elegant neoclassical museum, formerly known as Pinacoteca do Estado but modernly rebranded 'Pina_Luz' (with the underline!) in 2017, houses an…
Rio de Janeiro
Housed in the colonial arsenal, which dates from 1764, the impressive Museu Histórico Nacional contains relics relating to the history of Brazil from its…
Parque Estadual Serra do Intendente
Minas Gerais
This remote state park, 19km west of Conceição do Mato Dentro at the end of a rugged dirt road, preserves a 13,500-hectare chunk of backcountry within…
Brazil
The most beautiful beach in the region, Coqueirinho is a lovely curving bay lined with swathes of coconut palms and backed by high red cliffs covered in…
São Paulo
Relatively unknown and blissfully uncrowded, the unassuming Casa Amarela is part NGO handicraft shop, part two-table romantic cafe and part tiny Museu…
Brazil
This is one of Brazil's most beautiful monasteries. São Francisco's construction was interrupted by battles with the Dutch and French, resulting in an…
Ilha Grande & Vila do Abraão
Facing the Atlantic, this seemingly endless beach with good surfing waves (shortboard/longboard rentals available on-site) is considered by some the most…
Santa Catarina
To get a stupendous 360-degree panorama of Joinville and the Baía da Babitonga, head to the city's 250m-high viewpoint. The lookout, at the top of Morro…
Foz do Iguaçu
This 5-hectare bird park, located 300m from the entrance to Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, is home to 800-plus species of birds, including red ibis, bare…
Rio de Janeiro State
For spectacular views all the way to Rio and the Baía de Guanabara, climb Pico da Caledônia (2310m), a popular local launching site for hang gliders. It’s…
Brasília
Palácio do Itamaraty is home to the Foreign Ministry and one of Brasília's most impressive buildings – a series of concrete arches towering over Burle…
Brasília
The Palácio do Planalto, where Brazil's president works, is another Niemeyer design that's worth seeing inside and out. From the curved lines of the…
São Paulo
Across the street from the Parque da Luz sits one of São Paulo's most stunning structures, a classic late-Victorian train station constructed with…
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Belo Horizonte
Inaugurated in late 2013, this magnificent palace on Praça da LIberdade is one of Belo Horizonte's cultural gems. The vast 3rd-floor gallery hosts special…
Sítio Arqueológico São Miguel Arcanjo
Rio Grande do Sul
The most moving of the Brazilian missions, this elegant church, designed by an Italian architect who was also a Jesuit friar, earned Unesco World Heritage…
São Paulo
One of São Paulo's premiere street-art locations, 'Batman's Alley' has slowly risen from secret location for band promotional shots and Brazilian films to…
Arraial do Cabo
This stunning island, accessed by boat from Praia dos Anjos, is Arraial do Cabo's top day-trip destination. Praia do Farol, on the protected side of the…
Brasília
This landmark white dome, gleaming in the sun, was opened to the public on the 100th birthday of architect Oscar Niemeyer. The inside is softer in grays…
São Paulo
São Paulo’s most splendid construction, this theater was begun in 1903 in the style of Paris’ Palais Garnier. Its heavily ornamented facade seems to…
Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
Minas Gerais
This exquisite 1774 baroque church, fronted by a palm-shaded, lyre-shaped plaza, is home to two Aleijadinho sculptures (second altar to the left) and one…
Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
Minas Gerais
This exquisite church is Brazil's most important piece of colonial art, after Aleijadinho’s masterpiece The Prophets in Congonhas. Its entire exterior was…
Brasília
Santuário Dom Bosco is made of 80 concrete columns that support 7400 pieces of illuminated Murano glass, symbolizing a starry sky, which cast a blue…
Belém
An ambitious renovation project converted three down-at-heel riverfront warehouses into a popular gathering spot, with restaurants, bars, shops and even…
Rio de Janeiro State
Petrópolis’ top draw is this impeccably preserved 19th-century palace. Felt slippers provided at the entrance help protect the fine wood floors – great…
Igreja Matriz de Santo Antônio
Minas Gerais
Named for Tiradentes' patron saint, this gorgeous church is one of Aleijadinho's last designs. The dazzling gold interior is rich in Old Testament…
Rio de Janeiro State
Don't miss the engaging 1½-hour tour (half self-guided, half guided) at Brazil's oldest brewery, where interactive exhibits trace beer-making history and…
Brasília
The 16 curved ribs rising to the crown of the iconic exterior coupled with the light-filled circular interior, which sits under a dome of wavy stained…
Rio Grande do Sul
Bigger and more dramatic than Gramado's stone church, this English Gothic stone cathedral dominates Canela's main square.
The Amazon
This simple wood house is where Chico Mendes lived with his family until his murder on the back steps in 1988. Tours include a graphic description of the…
Rio Grande do Sul
The major attraction of Parque Estadual do Caracol, 9km from Canela, is the spectacular Cascata do Caracol, a 131m waterfall. It’s particularly attractive…
Paraty
This gorgeous fjord-shaped inlet cuts a narrow 7km channel into the mountains southeast of Paraty. Various Paraty-based tour companies offer boat trips…
São Paulo
This hugely important, absolutely fascinating Parque Ibirapuera museum features a permanent 3rd-floor collection chronicling five centuries of African…
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Brasília
Brasília’s most important contemporary museum houses temporary exhibitions in two galleries, an indie cinema, a cafe and a bookstore. Buses 0.103 and 103…
Praia da Pipa
Praia do Madeiro curves northward from the headland at the far end of Baía dos Golfinhos and is perhaps Pipa's most enchanting stretch of sand. It has a…
The Amazon
Not only a great place for a meal or late-afternoon beer, Rio Branco’s refurbished riverside Mercado Velho is a favorite spot for city-sponsored cultural…
Minas Gerais
A riot of gold, red and blue, the diminutive Igreja de NS do Ó is one of Minas’s little gems. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary in her role as protector of…
Belo Horizonte
Praça da Liberdade's standout cultural attraction, this supremely cool contemporary museum chronicles Minas culture from the 17th to 21st centuries via…
