This tidy little town of neat wooden houses along broad streets was home to environmental hero Chico Mendes. It lies about 12km northwest of Hwy BR-317, the main road between Rio Branco (241km away) and Brasiléia (74km away).
Mauá is an utterly idyllic river valley that feels like a world unto itself. Prettier and more tranquil than Penedo, it has rushing streams, tinkling goat bells, cozy chalets and country lanes graced with wildflowers. Its isolation is largely thanks to the town’s limited access routes, all via rutted dirt roads over precipitous mountaintops – [...]
Just over 220km north of Brasília, this spectacular park showcases the unique landscape and flora of high-altitude cerrado. Big skies, hills rising like waves from the plains, scenic waterfalls and natural swimming pools make for a sublime landscape. Wildlife you’re likely to see includes maned wolves, giant anteaters and 7ft-tall rheas.
Vassouras, a quiet resort 118km north of Rio, was the most important city in the Paraíba valley in the first half of the 19th century. Local coffee barons, with titles of nobility granted by the Portuguese crown, built huge fazendas (farms) in the surrounding hills. With the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the resulting [...]
Valença is a colonial fishing town on the banks of the Rio Una, historically the site of Portuguese struggles with both indigenous tribes and the Dutch. For most it is simply the gateway to Morro de São Paulo, but it has its own little-known secrets. Local shipbuilders maintain 15th-century techniques to such a degree that [...]
Draped with the rich flora of the Mata Atlântica (Atlantic rain forest), the peaks of Serra do Mar provide a dramatic, emerald green backdrop to the winding Ubatuba coastline. This region has become a preeminent resort for well-heeled Paulistanos, with its elegant beach homes and a number of stylish hotels and pousadas, especially south of [...]
Smaller in scale than Arraial, youthful Trancoso is also quite captivating. Sitting atop a grassy bluff overlooking fantastic beaches, this tiny rustic village has a relaxed air with a pretty assortment of guesthouses. It’s known for its wide, grassy and, most importantly, car-free quadrado (square). This central plaza has a grazing horse or two and [...]
Perhaps nowhere else in Minas do colonial charm and picturesque natural setting blend so perfectly as in Tiradentes. Quaint historic houses, fringed by exuberant wildflowers, stand out against a backdrop of pretty blue mountains with wonderful hiking trails. If you can, visit midweek, when the town’s abundant attractions are most easily appreciated. On weekends, the [...]
Although most visitors have a hard time tearing themselves away from Rio’s many charms, some spectacular destinations are less than a day’s travel from the cidade maravilhosa. Gorgeous beaches lie all along the coast, with the Costa Verde (Green Coast; south of Rio) boasting the rainforest-covered island of Ilha Grande and the elegant colonial town [...]
Spectacular white-sand beaches, pristine subtropical islands and the thunderous roar of the Iguaçu waterfalls are a few of the attractions of Brazil’s affluent south. There’s also great whale-watching, surfing and a fascinating train journey over the mountains. While often given short shrift by first-time visitors, this region offers a radically different version of what it [...]