Brazil · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Brazil
Our pick of places across Brazil, from famous beaches, falls and landmarks to neighbourhood botecos, samba circles and jungle trails most visitors miss. Check opening days and book the popular ones ahead, especially around Carnival and the summer holidays.
Places to Visit in Rio de Janeiro
Things to Do
- Christ the Redeemer (Corcovado)
The open armed statue on Corcovado, with the whole city and bay spread out below. - Sugarloaf Mountain cable car (Urca)
Two cable car rides up to Pão de Açúcar, best timed for sunset over Guanabara Bay. - Escadaria Selarón (Lapa)
A staircase covered in tiles from around the world by the artist Jorge Selarón.
Nature and Outdoors
- Ipanema Beach (Ipanema)
The famous beach where locals gather at Arpoador rock to applaud the sunset. - Copacabana Beach (Copacabana)
A long curve of sand with kiosks, beach football and the wave pattern promenade. - Parque Nacional da Tijuca (Tijuca)
One of the largest urban forests on earth, with waterfalls, monkeys and summit trails. - Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (Jardim Botânico)
Royal palm avenues, orchids and toucans in a garden founded in the colonial era.
Arts and Culture
- Museu do Amanhã (Centro)
A striking science museum on the revived port waterfront about the future of the planet. - Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (Centro)
A breathtaking nineteenth century reading room lined with carved wood and old books. - Santa Teresa tram (Santa Teresa)
The historic yellow bonde rattles over the Lapa Arches into a hilltop arts quarter.
Bars and Nightlife
- Pedra do Sal (Saúde)
Monday and Friday samba circles at the birthplace of carioca samba, outdoors and lively. - Rio Scenarium (Lapa)
A three floor antique filled hall with live samba and choro bands. - Bar do Mineiro (Santa Teresa)
A beloved boteco known for its feijoada, pastéis and cold beer.
Restaurants
- Confeitaria Colombo (Centro)
A belle époque tearoom of mirrors and stained glass, open since the late nineteenth century. - Aprazível (Santa Teresa)
Brazilian cooking served on garden terraces with views over the bay. - Feira de São Cristóvão (São Cristóvão)
A huge northeastern cultural centre with regional food stalls and forró dancing.
Cafés
- Biscoito Globo on the beach (Ipanema)
Grab the airy polvilho biscuits sold by beach vendors, a true carioca ritual.
Shopping and Markets
- Feira Hippie de Ipanema (Ipanema)
A Sunday craft market at Praça General Osório with art, leather and street food.
Events
- Rio Carnival at the Sambódromo (Cidade Nova)
The samba school parades are the most spectacular night of the year in Brazil.
Stays
- Copacabana Palace (Copacabana)
The classic grand hotel on the beachfront, with a pool that has seen decades of stars.
Places to Visit in São Paulo
Restaurants
- Mercado Municipal de São Paulo (Centro)
The stained glass market hall famous for its giant mortadella sandwich and pastel de bacalhau. - A Casa do Porco (República)
Inventive pork driven cooking that has become one of the city's most talked about tables. - Liberdade street food fair (Liberdade)
Weekend stalls of gyoza, tempura and Japanese Brazilian snacks in the largest Japanese community outside Japan. - Bar da Dona Onça (República)
Comfort food in the ground floor of the iconic Copan building.
Arts and Culture
- MASP (Avenida Paulista)
The red suspended museum holds the finest European art collection in the southern hemisphere. - Beco do Batman (Vila Madalena)
Alleys covered in ever changing street art in a bohemian neighbourhood. - Pinacoteca de São Paulo (Luz)
Brazilian art in a beautiful brick building beside the Jardim da Luz. - Museu do Futebol (Pacaembu)
An interactive football museum under the stands of the Pacaembu stadium. - Museu Afro Brasil (Ibirapuera)
A powerful collection on African heritage and Afro Brazilian history and art.
Things to Do
- Avenida Paulista on Sundays (Bela Vista)
The avenue closes to cars on Sundays and fills with musicians, skaters and families.
Nature and Outdoors
- Parque Ibirapuera (Vila Mariana)
The city's great park, with Niemeyer buildings, museums and running paths.
Bars and Nightlife
- Bar Brahma (República)
A historic bar on the corner of Ipiranga and São João with live samba. - Vila Madalena bars (Vila Madalena)
Streets of open air botecos that fill on weekend evenings with locals and music.
Cafés
- Coffee Lab (Vila Madalena)
A specialty coffee house roasting Brazilian beans with tastings and courses.
Shopping and Markets
- Rua 25 de Março (Centro)
The chaotic shopping street for everything cheap and colourful, best visited carefully by day. - Feira de Antiguidades do MASP (Avenida Paulista)
Sunday antiques and vintage stalls under the museum's suspended span.
Events
- São Paulo Pride Parade (Avenida Paulista)
One of the largest pride marches in the world fills the avenue each year.
Stays
- Hotel Unique (Jardins)
A boat shaped design hotel with a rooftop bar overlooking the skyline.
Places to Visit in Salvador
Arts and Culture
- Pelourinho (Centro Histórico)
The UNESCO listed colonial old town of pastel houses, churches and drummers. - Igreja de São Francisco (Pelourinho)
A Baroque church lined almost entirely with gold leaf and Portuguese tiles. - Museu Afro Brasileiro (Terreiro de Jesus)
Orixá carvings by Carybé and collections on Afro Bahian religion and culture.
Things to Do
- Elevador Lacerda (Comércio)
The art deco lift that links the upper and lower city with views across the bay. - Igreja do Bonfim (Bonfim)
The pilgrimage church where visitors tie coloured fitas ribbons to the railings for wishes. - Capoeira at Forte Santo Antônio (Santo Antônio)
The fort is home to capoeira schools where visitors can watch or join a class.
Events
- Olodum rehearsals (Pelourinho)
The famous bloco afro drum group rehearses in the old town, especially before Carnival. - Salvador Carnival (Barra and Campo Grande)
A street carnival of trio elétrico trucks and blocos that runs for days. - Festa de Iemanjá (Rio Vermelho)
Every February the second, offerings are carried to the sea for the goddess of the waters.
Nature and Outdoors
- Farol da Barra (Barra)
A lighthouse fort at the bay's mouth and a favourite spot for sunset. - Praia do Flamengo (Flamengo)
A quieter beach to the north of the city with clear water and beach shacks.
Restaurants
- Acarajé da Dinha (Rio Vermelho)
Famous acarajé, black eyed pea fritters fried in dendê oil, from a long established stall. - Casa de Tereza (Rio Vermelho)
Refined Bahian cooking in a stylish house in the bohemian quarter. - Mercado do Rio Vermelho (Rio Vermelho)
A covered market with food stalls serving local seafood and Bahian dishes.
Bars and Nightlife
- Largo de Santana (Rio Vermelho)
A plaza of open air bars where the city's nightlife begins.
Cafés
- Sorveteria da Ribeira (Ribeira)
An old ice cream parlour with dozens of tropical fruit flavours.
Shopping and Markets
- Mercado Modelo (Comércio)
The old customs house turned craft market at the foot of the Elevador Lacerda.
Stays
- Santo Antônio Além do Carmo guesthouses (Santo Antônio)
A quieter quarter of restored colonial guesthouses with bay views next to the old town.
Places to Visit in Foz do Iguaçu
Nature and Outdoors
- Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (Rodovia das Cataratas)
The Brazilian side gives the great panorama of the falls and a walkway into the spray. - Parque Nacional Iguazú (Puerto Iguazú)
Cross to Argentina for walkways to the edge of the Devil's Throat. - Parque das Aves (Rodovia das Cataratas)
Walk through aviaries of toucans, macaws and rescued birds next to the national park.
Things to Do
- Macuco Safari boat ride (Parque Nacional do Iguaçu)
A jungle trail and speedboat ride right under the falls, guaranteed to soak you. - Itaipu Dam (Avenida Tancredo Neves)
One of the largest hydroelectric dams in the world, with tours inside and on top. - Marco das Três Fronteiras (Três Fronteiras)
The point where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet, with a sunset light show.
Arts and Culture
- Templo Budista Chen Tien (Jardim Califórnia)
A peaceful Buddhist temple with a hundred statues overlooking Paraguay.
Restaurants
- Rafain Churrascaria Show (Centro)
A large churrascaria with a show of dances from across Latin America. - Porto Canoas (Parque Nacional do Iguaçu)
A restaurant above the falls where the river slides past before plunging over.
Bars and Nightlife
- Avenida Jorge Schimmelpfeng bars (Centro)
The main strip of bars and pubs where locals and travellers mix at night.
Shopping and Markets
- Ciudad del Este markets (Ciudad del Este)
The famous Paraguayan bargain markets across the Friendship Bridge, for confident travellers only.
Stays
- Hotel das Cataratas (Parque Nacional do Iguaçu)
The pink colonial style hotel inside the park lets you walk the falls before the crowds. - Hostels in Vila Yolanda (Vila Yolanda)
Friendly hostels with pools, close to the bus routes to the falls.
Places to Visit in Manaus
Arts and Culture
- Teatro Amazonas (Centro)
The pink rubber boom opera house with a dome of Brazilian flag coloured tiles. - Palacete Provincial (Centro)
Several small museums under one roof in an old government palace.
Things to Do
- Meeting of the Waters (Rio Negro)
Dark Rio Negro and muddy Solimões flow side by side for miles without mixing.
Nature and Outdoors
- Amazon jungle lodges (Rio Negro)
Riverside lodges offer canoe trips, night walks and piranha fishing in the forest. - Anavilhanas archipelago (Novo Airão)
Hundreds of forested islands in the Rio Negro, often visited with river dolphins. - MUSA, Museu da Amazônia (Cidade de Deus)
A forest reserve with a tall observation tower above the canopy. - Presidente Figueiredo waterfalls (Presidente Figueiredo)
A town of waterfalls and caves in the forest north of the city. - Bosque da Ciência (Petrópolis)
An INPA research forest where you can see manatees, otters and monkeys. - Praia da Ponta Negra (Ponta Negra)
A river beach and promenade for sunset over the Rio Negro.
Shopping and Markets
- Mercado Municipal Adolpho Lisboa (Centro)
An iron market hall modelled on Les Halles, full of fish, fruit and herbal remedies. - Feira da Manaus Moderna (Centro)
The busy riverside market where boats unload fish like tambaqui and pirarucu.
Restaurants
- Banzeiro (Nossa Senhora das Graças)
Amazonian ingredients like pirarucu and tucupi in a modern restaurant. - Tacacá na Praça (São Sebastião)
Hot tacacá soup with jambu leaves, which make your lips tingle, from street stalls. - Caxiri (Centro)
Regional cooking with views of the Teatro Amazonas.
Cafés
- X Caboquinho breakfast (Centro)
Try the local roll of tucumã fruit and cheese at any lanchonete in the morning.
Bars and Nightlife
- Largo de São Sebastião (Centro)
The square in front of the opera house fills with bars and free shows in the evening.
Events
- Parintins Folklore Festival (Parintins)
The Boi Bumbá contest between two teams on an Amazon island each June. - Amazonas Opera Festival (Centro)
An annual opera season at the Teatro Amazonas.
Places to Visit in Florianópolis
Nature and Outdoors
- Lagoa da Conceição (Lagoa)
A lagoon at the heart of the island with dunes, restaurants and nightlife. - Praia Mole (Leste)
A surf and sunset beach backed by hills, with a lively crowd. - Lagoinha do Leste (Pântano do Sul)
A wild beach reached only by a forest trail or boat. - Joaquina dunes (Joaquina)
Sandboard down the big dunes beside a famous surf beach. - Ilha do Campeche (Campeche)
A protected island with clear water and ancient rock carvings, visited by boat. - Whale watching at Praia do Rosa (Imbituba)
Southern right whales visit the bays south of the island in winter.
Things to Do
- Santo Antônio de Lisboa (Norte)
An Azorean fishing village with colonial houses and sunset oyster bars.
Restaurants
- Ribeirão da Ilha oysters (Ribeirão da Ilha)
The island's oyster farms supply waterfront restaurants in a historic village. - Box 32 (Mercado Público)
A busy bar stand in the old market for seafood snacks and cold beer.
Shopping and Markets
- Mercado Público de Florianópolis (Centro)
The historic market hall in the centre with seafood, crafts and bars.
Bars and Nightlife
- Lagoa nightlife (Lagoa)
Bars around the lagoon centre make for relaxed evenings with live music.
Arts and Culture
- Ponte Hercílio Luz (Centro)
The restored suspension bridge, lit at night, is the symbol of the city.
Stays
- Pousadas in Praia do Rosa (Imbituba)
A hillside beach town of pousadas with sea views, a short trip south.
Places to Visit in Paraty
Arts and Culture
- Centro Histórico de Paraty (Centro)
Cobbled colonial streets that flood at high tide, between mountains and sea.
Things to Do
- Paraty boat trips (Cais)
Schooners and small boats hop between islands and beaches in the bay.
Events
- FLIP literary festival (Centro)
A celebrated international literary festival held in the old town.
Nature and Outdoors
- Trindade (Trindade)
A laid back village of beaches and natural pools south of Paraty.
Places to Visit in Brasília
Arts and Culture
- Catedral Metropolitana de Brasília (Eixo Monumental)
Niemeyer's crown shaped cathedral with a glowing stained glass ceiling. - Santuário Dom Bosco (Asa Sul)
A church filled with blue light from floor to ceiling stained glass.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Pedra do Telégrafo (Barra de Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro)
A short hike to a rock ledge famous for photos that look far scarier than they are. - Bráz Pizzaria (Moema, São Paulo)
A favourite of the city's famous pizza culture, which locals defend as world class. - Ó do Borogodó (Pinheiros, São Paulo)
A small, packed bar for live samba and choro played by true masters. - Casa do Benin (Pelourinho, Salvador)
A small museum on the ties between Bahia and West Africa. - Restaurante Paraíso Tropical (Cabula, Salvador)
Bahian moquecas made with fruits and herbs from the restaurant's own orchard. - Mesquita Omar Ibn Al Khattab (Centro, Foz do Iguaçu)
A mosque serving the city's large Lebanese community, open to respectful visitors. - Refúgio Biológico Bela Vista (Itaipu, Foz do Iguaçu)
A wildlife refuge run by Itaipu with rescued animals and forest trails. - Feirinha da JK (Centro, Foz do Iguaçu)
An evening food fair of Paraguayan, Argentine and Brazilian stalls loved by locals. - Empório com Arte (Centro, Foz do Iguaçu)
A relaxed café and craft shop for coffee and pão de queijo. - Festival das Cataratas (Centro, Foz do Iguaçu)
A tourism and food festival that brings the three border region together. - Museu do Seringal Vila Paraíso (Rio Negro, Manaus)
A reconstructed rubber estate reached by boat that tells the story of the rubber tappers. - Café cultura (Centro, Florianópolis)
A local coffee chain to start a beach day with good espresso.