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Rio de JaneiroMention Rio to anyone and immediately the name evokes images of sultry street parades, the Sugarloaf Mountain, Corcovado Christ statue, and the 'itsy-bitsy teeny weeny' bikinis on the beach at Ipanema. The exuberant cultural capital of Brazil is tucked between the mountains and the sea and is endowed with a natural beauty that ranges from the beaches to the mountain peaks. It also contains the biggest urban forest in the world, the Tijuca Forest, which was completely replanted during the second half of the 19th century.
The city throbs to the infectious beat of Brazilian
music, the choro, the samba and the bossa nova, and is the main source of Brazil's national culture. Its annual carnival, known simply as Carnaval, draws together the population of the city (known as the 'Cariocas') ranging from rich to very poor who take to the streets for the world's largest samba parade on the Sambodromo.
The city is capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro, which encompasses most of Brazil's major tourist attractions.
Rio is a never-ending story made up of 150 districts each characterized by unique features, like Santa Teresa, which is reached by taking an old tram across an ancient aqueduct called Arcos da Lapa. In the central city area Rio boasts historic monuments and public buildings like the Municipal Theater, the National Museum of Fine Art, the Itamaraty Palace, the National History Museum and the National Library. There are also beautiful examples of religious architecture such as the Sao Bento Monastery. No matter how long you spend exploring the city, it will always deliver new surprises.
To the north of the city is the Lakes region, which has more than 62 miles (100km) of beaches and sea-water lagoons and is the site of the main tourist resorts of Búzios, Cabo Frio, Arrial do Cabo, Rio das Ostras, Maricá and Saquarema.
Getting Around: Although a large and sprawling city, the neighborhoods most frequented by visitors are easy to get around in. The public transport system is cheap and efficient, and most places can be reached by metro or bus. By far the quickest and easiest way to get around is by the efficient metro, but there are limits to its coverage of the city with only two lines. The most inexpensive form of transport are the local buses, which travel all over the city as fast as the traffic will allow, although they are often badly driven, crowded and the scene of much petty theft, especially during rush hours when the crowded conditions are ideal for pickpockets. Special care should be taken on buses that are known to be regularly used by tourists, such as those to the Sugar Loaf. Public transport stops between 11pm and midnight, with some buses operating 24 hours, but it is safer to hire a taxi late at night. Taxis are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Radio cabs can be ordered and are said to be safer and more reliable, usually with air-conditioning, but they are 30 percent more than regular taxis. Driving in Rio is not recommended and hiring a car is expensive.
Sao PauloOriginally a mission station set up in 1554 by Jesuit priests on the banks of the Rio Tiete, the city of Sao Paulo is today an awesome megalopolis, the industrial and commercial powerhouse of Brazil. The city grew wealthy on coffee cultivation in the mid-19th century, thanks to the rich soil of the region, and the plantation owners took up residence in the bustling regional center. Gradually the coffee barons diversified their interests and invested some of their wealth in local industry, resulting in a demand for labor and a resultant surge in immigrant population. Today 16-million proud 'Paulistanos' live in the congested, chaotic and cosmopolitan city center and its sprawling surrounds. Lacking in natural attractions, the city's leisure pursuits are mainly cultural, and there are some impressive public buildings to delight sightseers.
Getting Around: In a huge city like Sao Paulo roads are obviously extremely congested, therefore the subway system is probably the fastest option for getting around in the downtown area. The subway is however limited to a north-south line, which includes the main station, Terminal Tiete; an east-west line; and a short central line below the Avenida Paulista. There are hundreds of buses covering the city, operating from 5am to midnight, but these are generally overcrowded. Taxis are freely available, but standard taxis are unreliable. Radio taxis are more reputable and favored by tourists; taxis are the best means of transport after dark. Various neighborhoods in Sao Paulo are easy to negotiate on foot and are usually safe by day.
The AmazonThe Amazon is a vast rainforest, the largest on the planet, comprising an expansive system of rivers that covers more than half of Brazil, and invades large tracts of its neighboring countries. The Rio Solimoes is a powerful navigable stretch of river that enters Brazil from Peru, just above the city of Manaus. Close to the city, the light brown muddy river meets the Rio Negro with its darker waters and the two converge to form the mighty Rio Amazonas, which flows through Brazil to Belem.
Manaus is the gateway for excursions into the jungle and river system, situated as it is in the middle of the forest. From the city, scores of operators run day trips and longer boat tours for visitors wishing to experience Amazonian flora and fauna and meet the 'caboclos' (residents of the river towns). The city itself does not have many attractions, apart from some interesting buildings like its opulent and famous opera house, which dates from the height of the rubber boom in 1896. As the commercial hub of the state of Amazonas, it is very busy, with a noisy and crowded port and several bustling markets.
The Amazon and its tributaries together create approximately 30,888 square miles (80,000 sq km) of navigable river systems. Large areas of the Amazon forest still remain unexplored, however, and tens of thousands of rare and unknown species of animals, birds, insects, fish and plants are sheltered in and beneath the thick tree canopies.
Salvador da BahiaSalvador de Bahia is Bahia state's capital city (locals generally abbreviate its name to Salvador or simply Bahia). Salvador was founded in 1549 and quickly became the premier city in Brazil, and the second most important city in the Portuguese Empire after Lisbon. Salvador prospered in the 17th and 18th centuries; it was the country's major port and a significant portion of the sugar from the northeast and gold and diamonds from the mines in the southeast passed through the city. Today the wealth of impressive colonial architecture is evidence of the city's rich history. Between the modern tower blocks, well-restored enclaves of the old city remain with cobblestone streets, colorful mansions and dozens of ornate Baroque churches.
The spicy atmosphere of this delightfully decadent city is best soaked up on foot, within the narrow streets and in the markets, the best of which is the Mercado Modelo arts and crafts market. Most churches are open to the public and many have been turned into museums. One of the city's more unusual experiences is to ride the Elevador Lacerda, an Art Deco structure housing old electric elevators that carry passengers between the port and the old historic part of the town, on the hill.
The only thing wrong with Salvador's excellent beaches is that visitors are spoilt for choice. The range extends from calm coves (ideal for swimming, sailing and underwater fishing, such as Porto da Barra beach) to wild beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean, such as Aleluia beach, which attracts surfers. Some beaches are surrounded by coral reefs, forming natural swimming pools that are ideal for children. The beaches are the location for many of Salvador's great festivals, including the New Year festivities, which include performances and an impressive fireworks display.
Salvador is Brazil's most Africanized state, a result of the thousands of slaves that were brought here 400 years ago to work in the sugarcane plantations, and there is even a museum, the Museu Afro-Brasileira, which is dedicated to Black culture. The fusion of African and Latin cultures had given Salvador a unique brand of magic that is particularly evident at city's many festivals, most notably the massive 'Carnaval' in mid-November which attracts two million revelers from all over the world and is said to rival the famous Rio Carnaval.
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