By The Keystone Newspaper By Fern Theobaldo
Brave enough to immerse in a different culture and leave the misconceptions at home? Brazil has a great diversity in culture, food, people, accents, customs, dances, history, biodiversity, and more that differ even inside of the country.
Whether you like a busy day at the city or a relaxing morning at the beach, Brazil has different attractions to enjoy such as parties, parks, beaches, museums, historical places, and cities. Here are some of the best destinations to get to know this amazing country and immerse in the culture like a local.
- Fortaleza, Ceara
Fortaleza is a beautiful port city in the state of Ceara, and it is great for beach and shopping lovers. Given its colonial and modern architecture, Fortaleza offers plenty of things to do. Praça do Ferreira is the city’s main square where restaurants, markets, shops, movie theaters are located. Praça José de Alencar is another popular square where people can watch street performers.
The beaches are also a huge attraction for many tourists. The most popular beach is Praia Do Futuro, but there are many others like Iracema, Mucuripe, and Meireles. Beaches in Brazil are different from other countries due to their forest abundance, markets, foods, and people. Not only are the beaches great for swimming, sunbathing, surfing, they also offer hotels, restaurants and markers.
The Dunes are also a huge attraction in Fortaleza. Tourists can go on car rides around the dunes and also roll down the sand. It is a unique experience for people of any age.
Fortaleza is known for forro music, a Brazilian popular music genre. Therefore, the city is always alive, dancing, and singing to songs everywhere. The night life is huge in any big city in Brazil and anyone would love the bars, botecos, and clubs around town.
Fortaleza is also the home of Beach Park, a huge waterpark famous in the country. The park not only has regular rides, but also music slides, commercial shops, beaches, resorts, and restaurants.
For anyone looking to shop and not spend too much money, Fortaleza is the perfect place for that. The city is home to a large textile industry, clothing is cheaper there.
- Fernando De Noronha, Pernambuco
Fernando De Noronha is a Volcanic archipelago paradise in the Atlantic Ocean. The 21 islands are home to diverse wildlife, including dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, rays, seabirds, and plants. In addition, they offer some of the best diving and snorkeling spots in the world, with coral reefs, shipwrecks, caves, and tunnels.
The main island has a charming village, a historical fort, a museum, a church, and hiking trails with beautiful viewpoints. This destination is a paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers, families, and romantics who enjoy gorgeous sunsets and starry nights.
The many beaches have limited people’s capacity to not overcrowd and pollute them. In some beaches, visitors also have to pay a beach protection fee to help preserve them.
- Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Ouro Preto is a very historical town in the state of Minas Gerais, meaning “black gold.” It was the heart of Brazil’s 18th century gold rush, and it has two dozen churches lavishly ornamented with gold filigree that still ring their bells across the hillsides of this town.
Ouro Preto is a great destination for those who love art and historical and old towns because there are also a lot of museums, old architecture, and European Baroque Style buildings.
- Rio de Janeiro, RJ
The most visited city in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro didn’t earn its title of ” cidade maravilhosa” (marvelous city) for nothing. In the eyes of Cariocas (people born in Rio De Janeiro), it’s the most beautiful place on earth. Visitors would be hard-pressed to disagree.
There is a lot to do in Rio whether you want a nice day at the beach, eat in fancy restaurants, have amazing food at the beach and their famous cha matte, go clubbing at night, shopping, go to museums, and visit amazing tourist attractions, Rio has it all.
Visitors can surf, run, cycle, or dive into the sand over a sweaty game of beach volleyball. People-watching is a serious beach sport in its own right. Visitors are also encouraged to do stand-up at the beach of Copacabana to watch the breathtaking sunrise. Another once in a lifetime experience is to watch the sunset on Arpoador beach.
More nightlife in Rio involves the city’s streets to meet friends at botecos (bars) or join street parties. You’ll also discover a wealth of culture and history – the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal in the 19th century, and, until 1960, the capital of Brazil.
- São Paulo, SP
Just like Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo is one of Brazil’s biggest and most populated cities that receives a lot of visitors year round. The city of Sao Paulo has no beaches, but people can rent cars or take buses to go to the beach only two to four hours away.
São Paulo may not have beaches or even clean rivers, but it has its own charm. Poet Mário de Andrade called it “the hallucinated city,” which is a fitting description for a megalopolis of 20 million residents. It’s a city whose soul is young and restless with party hard people, nice theaters, world-class chefs and a fascinating art scene, among countless perks.
This city has everything you can think of: museums, restaurants, coffee shops, thousands of malls (“Paulistas” are known for their malls), parks, rivers, hidden waterfalls, clubs, bars, movie theaters, art walls, art galleries, and more. Sao Paulo is very rich in art and culture.
Avenida Paulista, Liberdade, Rua Augusta, Galeria Do Rock, Parque Ibirapuera, and Catedral Da Sé are some of the most visited places in São Paulo.
With immigrant influences and century’s worth of tradition, São Paulo attracts people from all over the world who thrive on its energy. Its delights are not served up on a plate – visitors have to seek them out. But once you get a taste, you’ll be hooked.
Brazilians are friendly people that will welcome you with open arms and excitement to teach you more about their culture. There are a lot of great places to visit for everyone.