With FIFA World Cup and Olympic fever gaining pace in Brazil, take a look at the country’s most luxurious destinations and get there before the throngs of crowds do.
Brazil with its vivacious culture is renowned for its love of Samba and football, beach culture and Amazon rainforest. But the country also boasts some of the world’s most alluring towns and cities – and did we mention the Brazil nut?
Brazil is a sight to behold. Here are 5 luxury destinations in Brazil you won’t want to miss on your travels.
TRANCOSO
This sleepy fishing village has quickly become the most chic of Brazilian holiday destinations. The beautiful beaches are just the start of the appeal of Trancoso a destination which now attracts the international jet-set and has some of the best restaurants outside of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Luxury shops and pousadas have sprung up but importantly Trancoso still maintains a quaint low-key atmosphere where locals and tourists mingle and enjoy each other’s company.
FLORIANOPOLIS
The capital and second largest city in Santa Catarina state is linked to the mainland by a picturesque suspension bridge. ‘Florip’, as it is known locally, has an impressive 42 beaches which is a major attraction for daring surfers. Often referred to as the Ibiza of Brazil, the natural beauty of the island and bays make it a magnet for holiday makers during the summer. Most of the population live on the island’s central and northern parts which are packed with fishing boats, lacemakers, folklore, cuisine and colonial architecture.
SAO PAULO
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and the Americas and the world’s seventh largest city by population. It is the second megacity in Brazil. Colourful, vibrant, dynamic and ever changing Sao Paulo is a urban hub for business, gastronomy, creativity and modernism within Brazil. There are 420 helicopters registered in Sao Paulo – second only to New York and this is an ever growing number as people take to the skies to avoid the traffic jams.
RIO DE JANEIRO
The most famous city in Brazil, ‘The Wonderful City’ as it is known locally is truly unique, with fantastic beaches, mountains and of course Christ the Redeemer creating the world famous vista we all know. With a vibrant array of attractions on offer, Rio de Janeiro houses a wide range of luxury for visiting tourists. One of the biggest cultural events in Rio is Carnival. The biggest in the world, some 75,000 spectators will pack into the Sambódromo ready to witness a ‘spectacle’ in the truest sense of the word as the top samba schools in the city get the chance to strut their stuff.
AMAZON
Covering an area that is equivalent to the sum of France, Spain, Sweden and Greece, the Amazon is the planet’s largest tropical rainforest. Home to about 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, and some 2,000 birds and mammals, nature tourism is one of the main attractions in Amazonas, with trips by boat, and canoe on several of the regions rivers, overnight stays in forest lodges and hikes.
