So Many Reasons To Visit Brazil
There are so many reasons to visit Brazil. We started our exploration with a cruise down the Amazon River with Oceania Cruises. And then discovered exciting cities, great sand beaches, stunning vistas and beautiful street art. There was certainly a little something for everyone.
Cruise The Amazon River
On our cruise around South America, we spent 7 days cruising on the Amazon River. The broad muddy Amazon was often joined by clear rivers. Larger cities developed at these points. We got views of life on the river. And got to see the smaller towns up close.
In several spots we were introduced to the interesting wildlife found along the Amazon. And we found towns with great traditions that drew crowds from all over for annual festivals.
Cruising the Amazon River was an interesting way to start our visit to Brazil. And certainly one of the reasons to visit Brazil.
Check Out The Great Beaches
Brazil is a large country that runs for over 4,600 miles (7,500 km) along the coast. So we were not surprised we found a lot of beaches in Brazil. For many, this was one of the big reasons to visit Brazil.
When we cruised down the Amazon River, the muddy river was not at all enticing. But the rivers that joined the Amazon were another story. Some of the best beaches in Brazil were found along the Amazon.
Rio de Janeiro is a city that is well known for its beaches. Perhaps the two most famous ones are the Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches. We saw both of these long stretches of beach with the string of hotels behind them on our transit in and out of Rio. But the two days we were in Rio were cool and cloudy. Definitely not beach days.
When we headed south from Rio, we had three port days that were all beach stops. We chose to do schooner trips in Buzios, Iha Grande and Parati. We got great trips on the water. And a chance to swim, snorkel and enjoy the beaches of Brazil.
When we visited Porto Belo, we spent some time with the locals on the busy sand beach by Balneario Camboriu. A local lunch and ice cream gave us a lazy port day.
The beaches of Brazil were a big draw for locals and visitors. Many have resorts or hotels. Some are beaches with great food, drink and entertainment services. And some were deserted and great to enjoy without the crowds. Whatever we wanted in a beach, we could surely find it in Brazil.
Smaller Cities Offer Great Reasons To Visit Brazil
After we cruised the Amazon River, we had two city stops in Brazil. In Fortaleza, we went into the city centre and walked around. The Mercado offered several storeys of local goods and foods.
In Recife we spent more time as we explored the city. In the morning we wandered around the old town and enjoyed the city as it started to set up for the Carnaval do Recife. A boat trip around the city in the afternoon showed us what was billed as the “Venice of Brazil”. It was a great way to see many of the sites and the architecture of the city.
When we docked in Santos, we considered our tour options. It was a long bus ride to get to Sao Paulo, so we chose instead to visit Santos rather than Sao Paulo. There was so much to see in Santos and we were glad we chose this option. The Botanical Garden, Coffee Museum and Aquarium all offered very different views of this small city in Brazil.
When we stopped in Rio Grande, we again chose to do a city tour. This was a much smaller city and we saw most of it walking around in Rio Grande. The small city centre offered a central square and several interesting buildings to explore. The churches in this town were beautiful if very different. After our walk, we visited the Oceanographic Museum for a different experience in Rio Grande.
There were many large cities to visit in Brazil. But we found a very different view of the country in its small cities. They offered many built up and beautiful spots. But often they were nestled between very poor parts of the country. This different view was certainly one of the reasons to visit Brazil.
Head For Panoramic Views
In addition to the beaches, Brazil offered mountains and high spots for panoramic viewpoints. When we entered the harbour in Rio de Janeiro, we immediately saw the peaks over the city. The fog swirled for most of our two days in Rio and these high points often disappeared. We chose not to do a tour up to the viewpoints in the fog. But we knew that this will be a key thing to do on return visit.
When we anchored outside of Porto Bela, we took a bus tour into the nearby city of Camboriú. A fun cable car ride took us up in the Unipraias Park. From above we got a great view over the skyscraper-lined, beachfront Atlantic Avenue. The cable car ride down got us to the sandy Laranjeiras Beach. As we went up and down on the cable car, we got such amazing views.
If you love mountains, we found some great spots to visit for panoramic views. Pico da Neblina is the highest mountain in Brazil. But there are high peaks in virtually all states in Brazil. We enjoyed our visit to Iguazu Falls as another of the famous high points in Brazil. But that wasn’t the only beautiful waterfall site to visit.
Heading for a high point for panoramic views was a perfect one of the reasons to visit Brazil.
Enjoy The Great Street Art
We got our first glimpse of the colour and beauty of the street art of Brazil when we cruised on the Amazon River. The small town of Paratins was a virtual outdoor art gallery. As we took our pedicab tour, we found such an amazing variety of topics and styles.
The street art in the town of Alter Do Chao often had a common theme. We first saw pink dolphins when we visited Manaus on the Amazon River. But in Alter do Chao the pink dolphin showed up in so much of the local art.
In Fortaleza and Recife as we cruised south, the street art was a mixture of art and story telling.
When we docked in Rio de Janeiro, we were presented with walls of street art in the port area. Even with the gloomy fog, the colour of the art shone through.
In Buzios, we found some quirky pieces of street art. David could not miss getting his angel wings. Or sitting with the statue of Bridgett Bardot.
There was always fun and interesting street art to find as we walked the streets in Brazil. Outdoor artistry might be one of the reasons to visit Brazil.
Enjoy All The Reasons To Visit Brazil
We cruised in Brazil for 17 days. This included 7 days cruising on the Amazon River. And 10 days cruising down the coast. Along the way we visited tiny towns, small cities and large metropolitan areas. There were days spent out in nature. But on others we toured the sights in the towns and cities. And everywhere we went we found beautiful street art.
Rio de Janeiro was a cruise segment changeover point so we really did not get two full days even though we stayed overnight. And the rain and fog did not entice us to wander far. But we know we want to return to Rio for Carnival. And we will see all the other great sights then.
We spent the day touring Santos. So we missed a chance to even get a taste test of Sao Paulo. But we know any flight to Brazil will get us the opportunity to see more the next time.
There was always something to see and do when we stopped in a new port. We discovered so many reasons to visit Brazil. But this was really just a small taste test. In some places, one day was enough for a thorough taste test. But in others, we left things undiscovered for a return visit.
What are your favourite reasons to visit Brazil? What should we try on our next visit?
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I think Iguazu Falls and cruising the Amazon River will be my two favorite reasons to visit Brazil. Then I will enjoy the view of the city from the top and go back on the cable car. After that, enjoy the Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches.
We were certainly delighted with all the different ways we found to enjoy Brazil. Iguazu Falls was a real treat.
The street art is so cool! What another fabulous trip! They’re all so inspiring.
We did love the variety of things we found when we visited Brazil.
The street art was definitely cool. So many fascinating pieces with such different topics.
I’ve never been to Brazil, but it looks delightful! I love all of the colors in the photos in your post. Also the cable car ride would definitely be something I’d like to do.
It was great to see so many different spots when we visited Brazil. It gave us such a varied view of the country.
I visited Iguazu years ago when I was in Argentina and just crossed the border, but I’m going to have to get back to explore more one of these days. I’d be most excited for the Amazon wild life!
The Amazon and Iguazu Falls were definitely highlights when visiting Brazil.
I totally enjoyed my time in Brazil, visiting Iguazu Falls, the Amazon were definitely highlights.
There was definitely a lot of great things to see and do on a visit to Brazil.
Brazil is definitely on my travel wish list—your journey sounds incredible! Cruising down the Amazon and seeing life along the river must have been such a unique experience. I’d love to explore the beaches near Paraty and Iha Grande, and see the street art in cities like Recife. The mix of nature, culture, and coastal beauty makes Brazil sound like an unforgettable destination.
This cruise surely gave us such a comprehensive view of Brazil and all the great reasons to visit.
I have not been to Brazil. Iguazu falls is very much in my wish list. That cable car ride must have provided great views of the city and beach. The colorful streetart and statues here looks interesting.:-)
We loved checking out all the different reasons to visit Brazil. A little bit for everyone.
I have never been to Brazil, but it’s on my list! All of these are great valid reasons to explore the country. I would especially love to cruise the Amazon River and see the street art.
We were glad to cruise the Amazon River on this trip. It was so different than expected. And the street art was stunning!
As always your photos are incredible. We loved our visit to Brazil. Did not cruise but saw many of these same sights. I would love to visit again. Thanks for sharing.
We loved having so many different stops when we visited Brazil. This gave us a good variety of reasons to visit!
I love the idea of visiting the smaller cities in Brazil, and taking an Amazon River cruise. Looks like an incredible experience!
Brazil was a big surprise with such a variety of new experiences.
I have yet to visit Brazil, so it is helpful to have multiple reasons to consider doing so. I trust that you had a secure experience during your travels in this country. Personally, safety concerns are a significant factor in my decision not to have visited Brazil yet.
I understand the concern about safety. So it was good that we visited by cruise ship and got such an amazing look at the country.
I have not visited Brazil yet but your post inspires me to consider it in the future. Now that I am retired, I want to go everywhere but I can’t lol! Your pictures are great. I always love exploring street art.
We had not spent any time in Brazil before this trip. So it was good to have so many different stops in Brazil on this cruise. A good variety of reasons to visit for sure.
I find South America is calling me. Most of all I’d love to see some of the incredible wildlife, your trip looks like you saw a lot. A visit to the Amazon would be amazing, but there’s so much more here I didn’t know about
We did indeed find so much more in Brazil than we expected. And our Amazon River cruise was so different than we expected.
Thank you so much for this wonderful post about Brazil! It really captures the amazing diversity of our country—from the vibrant Amazon River cruise to the beautiful beaches and incredible street art. I’m glad you enjoyed exploring both big cities and smaller towns, which each have their own unique charm. Hope you get to experience Carnaval in Rio next time—it’s truly unforgettable!
We definitely have Carnival in Rio on our list of things we want to experience. We were sad we had less than ideal days for our first visit. But it just means we definitely need to go back.
Sounds like a wonderful trip. I would love to take a river cruise on the Amazon. BTW I liked the Christ the redeemer picture with the fog. I have always wanted to visit it too. Thanks for the info.
We wish we had seen more in Rio. But overall we got a great taste of Brazil and found so many reasons to visit.
I’d love to visit Brazil. Being able to cruise on the Amazon River and see the beautiful beaches would be a dream. It’s great that you were able to have lunch with the locals too.
We were very glad we got to see so many different places and sights on our cruise in Brazil.
Hello! I’d love to visit Brazil one day. I haven’t heard much of other cities rather than Rio, but your ideas for travelling to small towns look really attractive!
I am glad to show you some of the great small towns in Brazil. A different view of this diverse country.
Great post- those view look awesome- although from the ground (and not the air!) love the advice about eating locally too!
We were intrigued with the variety of things we found on our visit to Brazil. And we sure ate well through our trip.
I have yet to travel to South America, but when I do, Brazil is on my list! The thought of doing an Amazon Cruise is so exciting, and I would love to see all the street art.
The Amazon River was a real treat when we visited Brazil. It added another interesting dimension to the things we saw in Brazil.