Discover Brazil – Best Tourist Attractions

Brazil is the largest country in South America, occupying nearly half of the continent. It is almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, and much of it is tropical, with vast stretches of rainforest teeming with exotic plants and wildlife.

Brazil’s Atlantic coast has 7,400 kilometers of golden sand beaches, and its interior is rich in mineral resources. The churches of Portugal, the colonial power that ruled Brazil until 1822, are still adorned with gold from Brazil’s mines. This strong Portuguese influence can be seen in Brazil’s colonial architecture, decorative arts such as glazed tiles in churches and convents, and language.

Brazil is a tropical paradise as well as an exciting cultural destination for tourists, with attractions to suit all tastes, from idyllic beach vacations and jungle explorations to world-class art museums and the pulsing rhythms of Rio’s Carnival.

Use this handy list of the top tourist attractions in Brazil to find the best places to visit and things to do.

#1 Cristo Redentor and Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro

Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), the colossal Art Deco statue of Christ, gazes out over Rio de Janeiro and the bay from the summit of Corcovado with arms outstretched 28 meters, as if to encompass all of humanity.

The 709-meter height on which it stands is part of the Tijuca National Park, and a 3.5-kilometer rack railway climbs to the top, where a large plaza surrounds the statue. The 30-meter reinforced concrete and soapstone statue was completed in 1931 by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski and Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa.

The eight-meter base encloses a popular wedding chapel. Although this is one of Brazil’s most well-known icons, it is frequently misidentified as The Christ of the Andes, as it is confused with the older statue that marks the border between Argentina and Chile.

The railway’s mid-point stop leads to trails through Tijuca National Park, a vast forest that protects springs, waterfalls, and a diverse range of tropical birds, butterflies, and plants. Within the park, several more viewpoints become available.

Accommodation in Rio de Janeiro

#2 Carnaval, Rio de Janeiro

Few shows in the world can compete with Rio’s pre-Lenten Carnaval (Carnival) extravaganza in terms of color, sound, action, and exuberance. Make no mistake: this is not just another rowdy street party, but a carefully staged spectacle in which spectators can watch the parades of competing samba dancers from a purpose-built stadium designed by none other than Oscar Niemeyer, Brazil’s most famous architect.

This long series of grandstand boxes, known as the Sambódromo, provides ringside seats to a 700-meter parade route where dancers and musicians from competing samba schools strut their stuff in a dazzling explosion of brilliant costumes.

If mob scenes aren’t your thing and you prefer more spontaneous celebrations (which are equally riotous and colorful), Carnivals are also held in Salvador, Bahia, Recife, and other Brazilian cities.

#3 Sugar Loaf, Rio de Janeiro

Sugar Loaf, Rio de Janeiro’s easily recognized emblem, juts out of a tree-covered promontory, rising 394 meters above the beaches and city. Tourists flock to its summit for views of Rio and the harbor, as well as the thrill of riding suspended in a cable car between Sugar Loaf and the Morro da Urca, a lower peak from which a second cableway connects to the city.

Rio’s first settlement was below these peaks, near the long Praia da Urca beach, and one of the three early forts there, the star-shaped Fort So Joo, can be visited.

#4 Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow)

The futuristic architecture of Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Tomorrow hints at its contents. Thought-provoking exhibits encourage visitors to imagine what the world might be like in the future, examining scenarios of how our planet might change over the next half-century.

Examining these times of rapid change in society, technology, and the physical world, the museum invites visitors to consider various future paths and how each opens up based on the choices we make as individuals and as a society every day.

Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect and artist, designed this eye-catching science museum overlooking the waterfront.

#5 Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

der weltbekannte 4km lange sandstrand copacabana, rio de janeiro, brasilien

The most fashionable and famous section of downtown Rio follows Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana and is bounded on one side by four kilometers of white sand and breaking surf. A broad promenade paved in black and white mosaic in an undulating pattern reminiscent of streets in Lisbon, Portugal, separates the beach from the buildings and traffic.

The beach is more than just for show. When the weather is nice, it’s also a popular playground, with sunbathers, swimmers, and kids building sand castles. Stroll the streets to find restaurants, smart shops, cafés, and beautiful old buildings from Rio’s heyday as Brazil’s capital.

One of these, the famous Copacabana Palace, is a national monument. Inside, you can easily imagine seeing royalty and movie stars who have stayed here.

#6 Iguaçu Falls

The Iguaçu river drops spectacularly in a semicircle of 247 waterfalls that thunder down into the gorge below at the point where Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina meet. The river is narrowed to one-fourth of its normal width just above the falls, increasing the force of the water.

Some of the falls are more than 100 meters high, and they cover such a large area that you’ll never see them all at once, but the Brazilian side offers the best view. Catwalks and a tower provide different perspectives, and one bridge extends all the way to the Garganta do Diabo (Devil’s Throat).

You can cross to the Argentinian side for better views from catwalks that extend deeper into the falls. Because the two sides provide different perspectives and views, most tourists plan to visit both.

The falls are protected by the UNESCO-listed Iguaçu National Park, which is home to over 1,000 bird and mammal species, including deer, otters, ocelots, and capybaras.

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#7 Ipanema

Beyond Copacabana’s beaches, the glorious white sands merge into the equally famous beaches of Ipanema. The same wave design that separates the sand from the line of hotels, restaurants, cafés, art galleries, and cinemas that make this a popular social zone year-round continues here.

The beaches of Leblon are located further along, beyond the Jardim de Alá Canal, which drains the lagoon of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. These beaches are popular with families because there are fewer tourists and more locals. On Sundays, there is an antiques market at Praça de Quentaland and the Feira de Artesanato de Ipanema, which is alive with music, art, handcrafts, and street food.

The waves at Ipanema and Leblon can be very strong and unpredictable, so swim with caution. Follow the crowds and stay out of areas where no one else is swimming. If you’re looking for surf, head to the stretch between Copacabana and Ipanema, where the surfers socialize.

Accommodation in Ipanema

#8 Amazon Rainforests

The dark Rio Negro waters meet the light muddy waters of the Rio Solimes about 20 kilometers southeast of Manaus, flowing side by side for about six kilometers before merging as the Amazon. Boat trips from Manaus take you to this point, which is known as Encontro das Aguas, or the meeting of the waters.

Other boat trips take you deep into the rainforests and the three rivers’ network of rivers, channels, and lakes. The Anavilhanas Islands in the Rio Negro form an archipelago with lakes, streams, and flooded forests that provide a complete cross-section of the Amazonian ecosystem.

On a boat trip here, you can see monkeys, sloths, parrots, toucans, caimans, turtles, and other wildlife. The 688-hectare Janauari Ecological Park, which is also close to Manaus, has a variety of ecosystems that you can explore by boat along its narrow waterways.

An entire lake here is covered in giant water-lilies that can only be found in the Amazon region. While in Manaus, don’t miss the famous Teatro Amazonas, an Italian Renaissance-style opera house built to establish Manaus as South America’s cultural capital.

Accommodation in Manaus

#9 Pelourinho, Salvador

The Cidade Alta (Upper Town) of Brazil’s former colonial capital has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its exceptional collection of 17th- and 18th-century colonial buildings, the best in South America.

This old quarter, known as the Pelourinho, is home to Salvador’s most beautiful churches and monasteries, which were built during a time when Brazil was the source of Portugal’s riches, and the abundant gold was lavished on the colony’s religious buildings.

So Francisco, built in the early 1700s and filled with intricate gold-covered carvings, is the finest and most opulent of the city’s churches. Excellent examples of Portuguese tile panels, known as azulejos, can be found in the choir and cloister.

This was the friary church, and next to it is the Franciscan Third Order church. The riotously carved façade, covered in statues and intricate decoration, is impossible to miss. The interior is equally ornate, outdoing even the Portuguese Baroque in terms of opulence.

Accommodation in Salvador

#10 Brasília’s Modernist Architecture

In 1960, Brazil’s new capital, Braslia, was carved out of the wilderness and completed in less than three years to replace Rio de Janeiro as the country’s capital. The ambitious plan by Lcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer became a showpiece of city planning and avant-garde architecture, and it is still one of the world’s few cities that represents both a finished plan and a single architectural concept.

Without the typical mix of residential and business districts, the entire governmental section is made up of major architectural highlights that serve as the city’s primary tourist attractions. Some of the most striking buildings surround Praça dos Tràs Poderes, including the presidential palace, supreme court, and two sharply contrasting congress buildings, as well as the Historical Museum of Brazil and Oscar Niemeyer’s Panteo da Liberdade (Pantheon of Freedom).

The circular Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida, whose curved concrete columns rise to support a glass roof, is the architect’s most well-known building in the city. The Palácio dos Arcos is another of Niemeyer’s iconic works, surrounded by beautiful gardens designed by Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, who collaborated with Niemeyer on several projects throughout Brazil.

The round Memorial dos Povos Indgenas (Indigenous Peoples Museum) is modeled after a traditional Ynomamö round house. Many consider Niemeyer’s best work to be the Monumento JK, a memorial to Brasilia’s founder, President Juscelino Kubitschek. The city of Brasilia has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Accommodation in Brasilia

#11 Botanical Garden, Curitiba

Curitiba’s Botanical Garden, designed in the style of 17th- and 18th-century French palace gardens, opened in 1991. Low sculpted hedges outline formal beds in a geometric design inspired by the city’s flag. Fountains, waterfalls, and ponds enliven the landscape, and native tree forests with walking paths can be found in the park surrounding the gardens.

The main greenhouse, an Art Nouveau-style conservatory made of glass and white metal reminiscent of the Crystal Palace in Victorian London, is the botanical gardens’ focal point. It has an unusual shape with three domes that merge into a rectangular base. Plants native to the area can be found inside.

Even the grass in Curitiba’s Garden of Native Plants is a native variety, and its flowers are particularly appealing to butterflies and other pollinators. The Garden of the Senses (Jardim das Sensaçes) is a 200-yard path that winds through a wisteria tunnel, with over 70 plant species chosen for their fragrance or tactile appeal. Visitors are encouraged to walk through the garden blindfolded in order to fully appreciate it with their other senses.

The Frans Krajcberg Cultural Space is located behind the main greenhouse and displays more than 100 large sculptures made from the remains of trees that were burned or illegally cut, drawing public attention to the destruction of Brazil’s native forests.

Accommodation in Curitiba

#12 Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo

Ibirapuera Park, the most visited park in South America, is a sprawling green space designed by Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, with buildings by Oscar Niemeyer. The park is both a showcase for modern architecture and a cultural center for Brazilians.

Among its monuments, gardens, playgrounds, trails, and lakes are museums and performance spaces, including Oscar Niemeyer’s Auditório Ibirapuera, one of the best concert venues in So Paulo. The Japanese Pavilion is set in rock gardens with a fishpond and features sculptures, clothing, and traditional crafts.

The Aeronautics and Folk Art Museum, or Museu da Aeronáutica e do Folclore, houses thousands of examples of folk arts and exhibits on traditional cultures from across Brazil. Aeronautical equipment and model airplanes are housed on the lower floor. The large Museu Afro-Brasil is a separate museum that focuses on the culture and history of Afro-Brazilians as well as their contributions.

Accommodation in São Paulo

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