Travel

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world by size, with a population nearing 200 million. There is a multitude of geographical areas in Brazil. While most famous for its beaches and the Amazon forest, there are many other regions to explore. We have created a list of the most popular cities in Brazil and have tried to capture what makes them special, showing off some of their diverse cultural differences, natural beauty, and local activities.

Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil, and is the main tourist destination for South America. When people think of Brazil, they often conjure up images of this city, with its famous beaches, land marks, and celebrations. The most famous beaches which everyone should see at least once during their lifetime, include Copacabana Beach. Ipanema Beach and Leblon Beach. While the beaches draw enormous crowds, the city is also known for its famous carnival celebrations, which take place each year for five days during February. Rio de Janerio is also know for several famous landmarks including the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain, and the Sugar Loaf which can be seen from many hotel rooms. A vibrant nightlife, with many well known clubs including Baronneti, Hideaway, Icy, and Nuth give those looking to continue partying well into the night a good selection to choose from, while all being fairly local to the main grouping of tourist hotels along the beaches. Finally, the 2016 Summer Olympics will take place in Rio, which will be the first South American city to host the event! The main airport is Rio s Gale o International Airport (GIG) which handles direct international flights from around the world.

Gramado is a small touristic town about a two hour drive north of Porto Alegre. It is the thrid most sought after destination by Brazilians when planning their vacations. It s a hidden gem in the mountains of Brazil. The population is mostly of German and Italian descent and has major European influences in the culture, food, and buildings. Gramado also hosts the yearly Festival de Cinema. the most important film awards ceremony in South America. Gramado relies heavily on tourism, so it s always dressed up for an event. During Christmas, the Natal Luz festival brings out the best in Christmas decorations, flowers, lights, and music. The mountains provide a cooler climate during the summer temperatures found in most of the surrounding areas and has been known to have some snow fall, but this is a fairly rare event! The city is gorgeous in the summer time, and completely decorated for Christmas, which falls during summer time in Brazil.

Bras lia is the capital of Brazil, with a population of around 2.5M people. The city is actually in central Brazil, where it is land locked. You won t find any of the spectacular Brazilian beaches here, but there is still a lot to do. The city hosts many official government events, and many embassies are found here, all of whom want to impress, and therefore some of the best food, music and theater is found here. If you ve got children or love nature, check out the Fundacao Zoo or for a bit more adventure the Maquin Cave. The service sector here is fantastic, with plenty of high end hotels for those seeking out luxury accommodations. The city was planned and developed in 1956, with the purpose of becoming the capital of Brazil. All of the official government buildings are present within the city, and easily accessible to any who wish to tour the area. Historical the city is far younger than most in Brazil, so it misses out on some of the historic buildings but makes up for it in it s more modern architecture which is equally interesting. The city is a major airport hub for all of Brazil, and the main airport is Bras lia International Airport (BSB).

Manaus is the second largest city in Northern Brazil with a population of two million. It is situated on the Amazon river where the Negro and Solim es rivers meet. It is a popular ecotourism destination, as it offers great access to both the Amazon forest, and the Amazon river. Due to it s location in the Amazon rain forest, tourists can easily find boats and land tours into the surrounding jungle areas where they ll come into contact with many of the local plants and wild animals. Beaches are formed when the water levels in the Amazon river drop, and are usually accessible only by boat. One popular tourist destination is to go visit the meeting of the Negro river with the Solim es river. The meeting creates an unusual site as the black water from the Negro mixes with the muddy water of the Solim es. but doesn t actually combined for several miles creating a distinctive split. The main airport is Eduardo Gomes International Airport (MAO).

Recife has a population approaching 3.8M, making it the largest city in the Northeast region, and fourth largest city in Brazil. The city is a major port city, and is located where Beberibe River meets the Capibaribe River at the Atlantic Ocean. The delta has many small islands and bridges, giving it the nick name of the Brazilian Venice. The city is known for all it s beautiful beaches, it s great surfing, and warm ocean waters. The name Recife actually means reef in Portuguese, due to the huge offshore reefs that are found along the coast here. Surfing is a big tourist attraction here, along bathing, scuba diving and just geerally lounging on the beautiful white sandy beaches. The city is easily accessible with direct international flights to the US, Europe and Africa. The main airport is Airport">Gilberto Freyre/Guararapes International Airport (REC).