Beach Resorts of Brazil

Stretching from North of Natal to Salvador and on down to Trancoso and Corumbau, this vast coastline is home to seemingly endless miles of golden beaches and although not famed for its 5 star beach resorts there are a number of delightful hotels and pousadas offering a delicious blend of comfortable accommodation and traditional Brazilian hospitality whilst relaxing beside the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Around Natal:
Plenty of sun, long swathes of beautiful beach and vast sand dunes epitomise the coastal region of Rio Grande do Norte with the clean, friendly, but relatively uninspiring city of Natal as its capital. There are beaches to the north and south of Natal, but the beaches to the south tend to be more spectacular and although there are many, a couple of nice options include Ponta Negra and then further south, Praia da Pipa.

Our preferred hotels include:

Manary Praia Hotel (Ponta Negra)
Toca da Coruja (Pipa)

Around Recife:
Although Recife has a strong and rich cultural tradition, it is generally overshadowed by its colonial neighbour Olinda , but the city is a gateway into this fascinating north eastern region of the country. As with Natal , there are a number of well known beaches to the north and south of the city, but arguably the best known and nicest beach is at Porto de Galinhas with its long, pretty beach lined with coconut palms and cashew nut trees.

Our preferred hotels include:

Nannai Beach Resort (Porto de Galinhas)
Summerville Beach Resort (Porto de Galinhas)
Hotel Armacao (Porto de Galinhas)

Olinda:
This little known corner of Brazil is not only home to beautiful beaches, but also to a fascinating blend of colonial elegance and the delightful town of Olinda is one of the best preserved colonial towns in Brazil and a real gem perched on the top of a hill overlooking Recife . The town became wealthy as a result of the sugar cane production in the area and, as witnessed in other wealthy towns, the rich merchants started to build a huge number of beautiful mansions, Baroque churches, fountains and some beautiful convents and monasteries to house the Carmelites, Jesuits and Benedictine religious orders. With its cobbled streets, shady plazas and overwhelming sense of history, Olinda is like a living open-air museum and was granted UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 1982. Olinda’s ‘Frevo’ Carnival is also an extremely popular cultural event and although on a much smaller scale than Rio’s great spectacle, the carnival here is more participatory, more intimate and equally colourful, vibrant and entertaining.

Our preferred hotels include:

Pousada do Amparo (Olinda)
Pousada Quatro Cantos (Olinda)
Hotel Siete Colinas (Olinda)

Salvador, Ilheus & Trancoso:
The cultural delights of Salvador are well documented in a separate ‘highlight’, but the seemingly endless coastline both to the north and in particular to the south of the city are also famed for its beautiful beaches.

Some way north of the city is Praia do Forte, which was once an only fishing village, but has now been developed into a luxurious and ecologically sensitive beach resort offering a wide range of activities.

To the south of Salvador are a number of little towns that are home to some delightful beaches and heavenly resorts with Ilheus and Port Seguro as the main gateways to the area.

Our preferred hotels include:

Praia do Forte Eco Resort (Praia do Forte)
Txai Resort (Itacare)
Kiaroa Beach Resort (Marau Peninsula)
Fazenda do Corumbau (Porto Seguro)
Tauana (Porto Seguro)
Villas de Trancoso (Trancoso)
Pousada Etnia (Trancoso)
Estrela d’Agua (Trancoso)
Fazenda de Lagoa (Ilheus)
Private villas..please see ‘Private Villas & Beach Houses’ Highlight

Fernando de Noronha:
Please see separate Highlight.

The Green Coast:
For those seeking the golden beaches of the southern coast, the Costa Verde coastline, including the renowned Angra dos Reis area, with its myriad beaches, uninhabited islands and gin clear waters is a natural paradise for swimming and boating.

Our preferred hotels include:

Pousada Picinguaba
Pestana Angra

Around Florianapolis:
In the south, Florianapolis, the capital of the state of Santa Catarina, is located on the west coast of Ilha de Santa Catarina and is linked to the mainland by the longest suspension bridge in Brazil. Travellers come to Ilha da Santa Catarina for the beaches, offering some of Brazil’s best surfing as well as wonderful bays with clear turquoise water. At Praia da Rosa one can enjoy the excitement of whale watching. Southern right whales give birth and nurse their young in these waters from June to November and Brazil’s first whale sanctuary was created here in 2000, encompassing a 130 km stretch of ocean.

Our prefererred hotels include:

Ponta dos Ganchos
Vida Sol e Mar

Buzios

Just two hours east of Rio de Janeiro, on a rugged peninsula is the quaint and charming town of Búzios, which used to be a French pirate hideout and a quiet little fishing village with cobbled streets and friendly locals.

Put on the map by the legendary Brigitte Bardot in the 1960′s, the town has managed to retain its charm and relaxed atmosphere and today is a chic and sophisticated resort for the rich and famous.

It now plays host to a wide variety of lovely hotels and pousadas as well as many excellent restaurants offering exotic cuisine from around the world and a number of stylish bars, boutiques and handicraft stores.

The Peninsula is renowned for its exuberantly sculptured landscape and exotic vegetation, but it is for its 26 magnificent beaches, crystal-clear waters and delightful climate that Buzios is best known.

Each beach has its own charms, but a few to look out for are Azeda, Azedinha, Ferradura, Tartaruga, João Fernandes and Geribá.

When not enjoying some good old fashioned people-watching from one of the restaurants, then it is possible to enjoy a wide variety of watersports including windsurfing, scuba-diving and fishing.

Our preferred hotels include:

Casas Brancas
Abracadabra
Vila d’Este
Insolitos Hotel
Private villas..please see ‘Private Villas & Beach Houses’ Highlight

Chapada Diamantina

The north eastern region is best known for its long and beautiful coastline dotted with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but to travel inland takes one off the main trail on a journey of discovery within some breathtaking natural scenery.

Founded in 1985, the Chapada Diamantina National Park covers 1520 sq kms and is home to an area of flat-topped mountains with stunning views, beautiful waterfalls, streams, forested ravines, ancient caves with iridescent lakes and a huge variety of flora ranging from cacti to bromeliads and wild orchids. This is a paradise for those who enjoy the outdoor life with some wonderful hiking with a variety of trails lasting from half a day to up to a week, horse riding, camping and refreshing dips in crystal clear waters.

Amongst the attractions are the amazing fluvial beach of the Paraguacu River with its long white sandy beach and crystal clear waters as well as the famous Cachoeira da Fumaca (Smoke Waterfall), the tallest in Brazil plummeting 1100 feet and aptly named due to the fact that the water evaporates before it reaches the ground.

This is a park with many legends and mysteries. The Morro do Pai Inacio (Father Inacio Hill) is the most prominent of all the peaks in the area and supposedly bears this name due to a legend telling that a slave, who fell in love with the owner´s wife, threw himself into the abyss from where the dazzling sunset can now be seen. It also has a great trail that leads to the summit. The Morro do Camelo (Camelo Hill), and the Monte Tabor (Tabor Hill) also have trails leading to the summit and from the flat tops of any of these, the views are extraordinary with the entire Chapada spread out before you.
Caves are another fascinating aspect of the park and some of the best-known ones in the area include Gruta de Lapao (Lapao Grotto), which is the largest sandstone and quartzite cave (1km) in South America. There are a number of other limestone caves such as Gruta da Lapa Doce with splendid stalagmites and stalactites, whilst the Gruta da Pritinha is where an underground river emerges into the sun and inside there′s a large pool where you can dive and swim. Nearby is the small Gruta Azul (Blue Grotto) so called because in the afternoon when the sun reaches into this cave, the water glows cobalt blue.

The small and pretty colonial city of Lencois, which flourished during the diamond boom in the 1800´s, is the gateway to the park and it is here that trekking & camping equipment as well as guides can be hired. For those tourists interested in archaeology the town of Santana do Cariri has one the largest fossil sites in the world where pre-historical plants and animals, such as dinosaur fossils, have been found.

Our preferred hotels include:

Pousada de Lencois
Pousada Canto das Aguas

Fernando de Noronha

Comprising 21 small islands and inlets Fernando de Noronha is a volcanic archipelago, located in the Atlantic some 360 kms from the city of Natal and 545 km from the city of Recife on the Northeast coast of Brazil. This natural paradise’s beauty dazzles visitors from all over the world.

The archipelago was declared a National Marine Park back in 1989 and with its crystal clear waters and rich marine life, it is considered by many as the best scuba diving site in Brazil. It is home to 230 fish species, 15 coral types and five shark species as well as dolphins that are renowned for their extraordinary acrobatics.

There are twenty six beaches, all of which are clean, beautiful and often deserted, Praia do Atalaia is favoured for its natural beauty and excellent snorkelling; whilst Praia do Leão is another stunning beach. Praia da Conceição. Praia da Quixaba and Praia do Boldró are all renowned for their good surfing.

There are a number of environmental protection programmes ongoing on the archipelago such as turtle breeding initiatives so it is an area of extreme environmental sensitivity and with its almost untouched native sub-tropical vegetation and varied flora and fauna Fernando de Noronha can justifiably claim its status as one of Brazil’s most unique and pristine eco-systems.

Our preferred hotels include:

Pousada Maravilha
Pousada Ze Maria

Iguazu Falls

Wider than the Victoria Falls and higher than Niagara, the Iguazu Falls are one of the natural world’s greatest wonders. The Iguazu River which divides Argentina from Brazil flows over a basalt plateau and then splits into many channels and islands before plunging in a series of dramatic falls, swirling cauldrons of spray and cascades such as the gargantuan Devils’ Throat.

The falls are situated inside the Iguassu National Park and were formed 150 million years ago and consist of 275 single falls, which merge into one large waterfront during times of flooding. There are 19 large falls, of which only 3 are to be found on the Brazilian side (Floriano, Deodoro and Benjamin Constant) and at the heart of the falls is Garganta do Diabo (Devil’s Throat). In terms of volume, Iguassu is also one of the world′s largest, pouring an average of 8,000m³ of water per second over the falls during the rainy season compared with Niagara′s 6,000 m³ per second.

The falls can be seen from both the Brazilian and Argentinean sides of the border and this is perfectly possible in the same day and highly recommended as it allows a different perspective of this extraordinary natural spectacle. The falls can also be seen very closely via a series of walkways, by boat, kayaking or helicopter. On the Brazilian side of the border there is an elevator going down to the base of the falls, stopping just above the level of the river.

January/February are the months when the river is normally high and therefore the full force of the falls can be seen, however this is also when the humidity and heat are high and the park can be very busy. Later in the year around September/October, the water level is down but the temperature is pleasant and there are usually fewer people.

The sheer scale of the falls is matched only by the Itaipu Dam, the world’s largest hydro-electric dam a short drive away, which is a most revealing experience.

Our preferred property is:

Hotel Das Cataratas

Minas Gerais and the ‘Circuit Of Gold’

The state of Minas Gerais was at the heart of Brazil’s 17th Century gold and diamond rush that saw a number of pretty little colonial towns spring up across this region of rugged river valleys, mountains and plateaus.

As the prospectors rapidly built their fortunes, so they lavished huge sums on sumptuous mansions and beautiful Baroque churches and there are few finer examples of Baroque art and colonial architecture left in the Americas today than the delightful towns of Ouro Preto, Sao Joao del Rei, Tiradentes and Diamantina that make up the so-called ‘Circuit of Gold’.

Founded in the early 18th Century, Ouro Preto (‘Black Gold’, named because the gold found was covered in a thin black layer of iron oxide) is a masterpiece of colonial Brazilian architecture. It is the best preserved and most picturesque of all the colonial towns and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1981. Clinging to the hillside, the town’s steep cobble-stoned streets, whitewashed houses, sculpted fountains, terraced gardens and beautiful churches are best explored on foot.

Beautifully located with the Sao Jose mountains as a backdrop, another of the old colonial gold rush towns that is steeped in history is Tiradentes, which is to the south of Ouro Preto and was founded in 1702. The town was originally called Hamlet on the Hilltop, but was changed to Tiradentes to honour the national hero who was martyred while participating in the Inconfidência Mineira (republican liberation movement) that was repressed by the Portuguese.

Our preferred hotels include:

Pousada do Mondego (Ouro Preto)
Solar do Rosario Hotel (Ouro Preto)
Solar da Ponte (Tiradentes)
Reserva do Ibitipoca (Lima Duarte)

Parati

First settled in the 16th Century, Parati, a small coastal village located 125 miles southwest of Rio de Janeiro, became a hugely wealthy town in the 18th Century as it was the principal port for the export of gold and other precious minerals from the state of Minas Gerais back to Portugal.

As it prospered, so the town was endowed with a huge number of beautiful churches and private homes and many of these elaborate buildings and pretty cobblestone streets remain today which have turned Parati into a colonial gem and a UNESCO designated monument. When a quicker route was established for the export of this mineral wealth, the town gradually fell into decline, but it remains a fascinating architectural time capsule and exploring the historical centre of Parati on foot gives the feeling of travelling back in time.

There are three main churches which provide enduring evidence of the prosperity of the town and these are Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Our Lady of Rosary) and São Benedito dos Homens Pretos (St. Benedict of the Black Men) which was built by and for the slaves, Igreja Santa Rita dos Pardos Libertos (St. Rita) which was the church for freed mulattos and finally the Matriz Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (Our Lady of the Medicines).

Built in 1703 to defend the gold against pirate attacks, the Portuguese constructed a large fort called the Forte do Defensor Perpétuo (Fort of Perpetual Defense), which is worth a visit and houses an art centre.

For those seeking the golden beaches of the southern coast, Parati does not have any great beaches itself, but the Costa Verde coastline, including the renowned Angra dos Reis area, with its myriad beaches, uninhabited islands and gin clear waters is a natural paradise for swimming and boating and offer a perfect extension to Parati. Please see our preferred hotels under the ‘Beaches of Brazil’ highlight.

Our preferred hotels include:

Casa Turquesa
Pousada da Marquesa
Pousada do Ouro
Pousada do Sandi
Pousada Pardieiro
Private villas..please see ‘Private Villas & Beach Houses’ Highlight

Rio de Janeiro

Squeezed between the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the mountain escarpments, Rio de Janeiro is blessed with one of the most stunning settings in the world and it is widely believed by the residents of Rio (or Cariocas as they are generally known) that God created the world in seven days and on the eight day he created Rio.

This is a city of contradiction with great wealth and glitzy neighbourhoods juxtaposed with the shantytowns that are spread across the hillsides. Yet beneath it all is a Brazilian lust for the pleasures in life that pervade every level of society…football, sun-kissed beaches, music and a love of carnival.

The city’s two most famous highlights are the Sugar Loaf Mountain (Pao de Acucar) and Christ the Redeemer set high on the Corcovado Mountain. The summit of Sugar Loaf is reached by two cable car rides. The first is a 2-minute ride to Morro da Urca and the second stage takes you up to the Sugar Loaf – thus named because of the loaves of sugar that were commonly used by the Portuguese at the time of the discovery of the city and the view from here is breathtaking.

Lying within the Tijuca National Park, Christ the Redeemer is located atop the Corcovado (hunch back mountain) at an altitude of 710m, thus offering stunning panoramic views of the whole city and coastline. It is possible to take a cogwheel train up the mountain and then you climb a flight of steps to reach the base of the statue, which is covered with a mosaic of soapstone and is one of Rio’s finest Art Nouveau monuments.

The Tijuca National Park is the last remaining area of the Atlantic rainforest that once surrounded Rio and within just a few minutes you can be transported from the golden sands of Copacabana to the lush green tropical jungles of the rainforest. There are a number of lovely walks in the park that take you past tumbling waterfalls, pretty creeks and forested peaks.

Carnival is party time in Brazil and Rio leads the way in hosting what is arguably the greatest show on earth. As Ash Wednesday approaches, so the city turns into the most colourful, vibrant, exotic and entertaining city in the world with its five-day carnival of dancing, music and incredible floats. For those who prefer a smaller and slightly more participatory carnival, then the northern cities of Salvador and Olinda are ideal.

Rio is also famed for its beautiful sandy beaches with Ipanema and Leblon being two of the most fashionable districts set on a delightful beach and Copacabana, with its long and famous curved beach, being at the very heart of the city with a wide variety of excellent restaurants and hotels.

Our preferred hotels include:

Copacabana Palace (Copacabana)
Sofitel Palace (Copacabana)
Rio Atlantica (Copacabana)
Rio Fasano (Ipanema)
Caesar Park (Ipanema)
Marina All Suites (Leblon)
La Suite (Joatinga)
Casa Mama Ruisa (Santa Teresa)
Hotel Santa Teresa (Santa Teresa)
La Maison (Gavea)

Salvador

When the Portuguese fleet was sent to set up government in Brazil in the 16th Century it was in Salvador in the Bay of Todos Los Santos that they chose to land and as a result, this charming city became Brazil’s first capital and the second most important city in the Portuguese Empire after Lisbon itself.

Between the 16th and 18th Centuries, Salvador witnessed the blending of European, African and American Indian cultures and the wealth from the exportation of gold and the huge sugarcane and tobacco farms resulted in a period of extraordinary prosperity and the city became famous for its opulent mansions, beautiful Baroque churches and pretty cobbled streets, which still litter the city to this day. The darker side of this colonial legacy was the thousands of slaves imported from the Portuguese colonies in Africa to work on the sugar plantations, but over the centuries the black population thrived and Salvador, despite losing its economic and political importance, still retains its unique African soul with a rich and vibrant tradition of music, dance, folklore and culinary delights.

The city has a population of 2.2 million and is Brazil′s fourth largest city and capital of the state of Bahia. The religion and mysticism that are so much a part of Bahian life are reflected in the name Salvador, which means ‘saviour’ and the city has 365 churches, one for each day of the year, illustrating the strength of religious feeling here.

The historic centre of the colonial city, known as the Pelourinho has been beautifully restored over recent years and some of the highlights are the brightly coloured houses, often decorated with fine stucco-work and the many stunning baroque churches such as the church and convent of São Francisco (Saint Francis) dating back to 1723. The church of the 3º Ordem de São Francisco (Third Order of Saint Francis), dated 1702, has some beautiful roof paintings by Franco Velasco. However, the most popular church is that of the Igreja do Senhor do Bonfim, a rococo gem, where every year, during the second fortnight of January, Bahians in traditional costume wash its steps.

Our preferred hotels include:

Convento do Carmo
Casa das Portas Velhas
Villa Bahia
Pousada do Pilar
Solar do Carmo
Pousada do Boqueirao
Pousada Redfish

The Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Basin needs little introduction as being home to the world’s largest tropical rainforest and the ‘lungs of the planet’. The Amazon River itself begins in the Peruvian Andes and the Rio Negro merges with the Solimoes River to form the Amazon itself on its 6,500 km journey to discharge as much as one fifth of the worlds’ freshwater into the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the most spectacular sights is the ‘meeting of the waters’, where the dark waters of the Rio Negro flow side by side with the clearer waters of the Solimoes River for over three miles without mixing. There are 80,000 sq kms of navigable river in the Amazon river system and the Amazon itself can take ocean going vessels across South America, from the Atlantic Coast all the way to Iquitos in Peru.

More than 520 mammals (such as jaguar, tapir, peccary, spider monkey, sloth, armadillo, caiman, alligator and river dolphin), 3000 fish species (including the piranha, tucunare, pirarucu, and electric eel), 468 reptiles (such as the boa constrictor, anaconda and many colourful frogs) and over 1800 bird species (toucan, parrots, macaws, hummingbirds and birds of prey), not forgetting the 55000 species of plants.

To this day, huge tracts of the forest remain unexplored and inevitably many species are yet to be discovered, but a visit, usually via the city of Manaus, to one of the jungle lodges offers guests a fabulous insight into the richness of its wildlife. Jungle walks, boat trips and piranha fishing trips will bring to life the outstanding scale, natural beauty and importance of this remarkable rainforest.

Another interesting way to explore the jungle is by boat and you can enjoy regular 2, 3 and 5 night cruises along the river, which allow guests to explore well off the beaten track and visit delightful river village communities.

Our preferred hotels & lodges include:

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge
Amazon Clipper Cruises
Tropical Manaus (Manaus City)

The Pantanal

Although less well known than the Amazon Basin, the Pantanal in the central west of the country offers better wildlife viewing on account of its more open habitat. Covering just under one million square kilometres, the Pantanal is the largest wetlands in the Americas and is home to one of the greatest varieties of flora and fauna on the planet.

There are two principal seasons in the Pantanal, with the wet season lasting from October to March and then the dry season from April to September, which is generally the best time to visit. Game viewing activities are possible on foot, by horse back, by boat and in 4WD vehicles and offer excellent opportunities to enjoy this extraordinary diversity of wildlife.
The game viewing throughout the year is excellent, but different things can be seen at different times of year with the wet season being especially good for bird watching with a phenomenal amount of aquatic birds filling the air with sound and movement as they come to breed.

The dry season tends to be better for the mammals as there is little surface water and so they come back from the higher land to feed. From anteater to caiman, capybara to giant river otter and armadillos to jaguars, the variety of animal species is phenomenal and the bird list is even more impressive at over 650 recorded species including the strikingly coloured toucans, macaws and parrots.

Our preferred properties include:

Caiman Ecological Refuge
Embiara Lodge
Fazenda Barra Mansa
Fazenda Barranco Alto
Pousada Rio Mutum
Fazenda Rio Negro
Xaraes Lodge
Pousada Aguape

Private Villas & Beach Houses

Brazil is blessed with some of the most beautiful and deserted beaches in the world and staying in a private villa or beach house offers unrivalled privacy and exclusivity that is just not possible when staying in a hotel. For those who prefer to lie back on the hammock in a totally private property and let the villa staff do all the work then this is the way forward.

Whether you want to celebrate a special birthday with family or merely escape with a group of friends, whatever the reason, these are the finest properties (and yachts) available. From Parati in the south to Bahia in the north we have many stunning villas in wonderful locations that are immaculately decorated and appointed to ensure a truly memorable visit to Brazil.

The villas range in style from Filmstar glitz to Boho chic and in capacity from 2 up to 16 people, so whatever your group size and budget these can offer a stylish, luxurious and good value holiday.

Please contact us for more detailed information and prices, but here are just a selection of these beautiful villas (Room Only basis):

Trancoso (Bahia):
Casa Segredo ~ Capacity 6 people
Morada Arco Iris ~ Capacity 12 people
Villa dos Coqueiros ~ Capacity 12 people

Canavieras (Bahia):
Casa Beija Flor ~ Capacity 8 people

Parati (south of Rio):
Casa do Morro ~ Capacity 8 people
Casa Paraty ~ Capacity 8 people
Casa Amarelo ~ Capacity 10 people
Casa do Mar ~ Capacity 14 people

Buzios (east of Rio):
Casa Ferradura ~ Capacity 8 people

Rio de Janeiro:
Ipanema Residence ~ Capacity 4 people

A Taste of Rio

This itinerary gives you just over a week in Brazil and combines the fascinating city of Rio de Janeiro with a few nights on the magnificent beaches near Buzios.

Rio is located in one of the most stunning city settings one can imagine, and offers everything one could possibly want, from great restaurants and shopping to beautiful beaches and Atlantic rainforest.

Buzios is a charming, quaint little town, now a chic and sophisticated resort for the rich and famous, offering a number of lovely hotels and pousadas as well as great beaches and an exuberantly sculptured landscape and exotic vegetation.

Day 1 – Fly from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro
Day 2 – Arrive Rio de Janeiro – Transfer to the Fasano Rio Hotel – 4 nights
Day 3 – Full day private sightseeing tour of Rio & Tijuca National Park
Day 4 – Day at leisure, evening ‘Local by Night Tour’
Day 5 – At leisure
Day 6 – Private transfer to Buzios – Transfer to Pousada Casas Brancas – 4 nights
Day 7/9 – At leisure
Day 10 – Transfer to Rio de Janeiro airport and depart to London Heathrow
Day 11 – Arrive London Heathrow

2011 price from £1,998 per person

(Price based on two people sharing a twin/double room excluding the cost of international flights London/Rio/London).

Colonial Brazil

This two week itinerary combines some of Brazil’s old colonial and historic towns, exploring some of the architectural gems Brazil has to offer. After a few days in the fascinating city of Rio de Janeiro, you fly north to the state of Minas Gerais (General Mines), a state packed with exquisite colonial towns such as Ouro Preto and Tiradentes.

You spend a couple of nights in each and then fly further north to Bahia and Salvador. This city is without a doubt one of Brazil’s cultural highlights, and you spend a couple of days here, exploring the marvellous historic centre of the town and experiencing its unique African soul through the rich tradition of music, dance and folklore as well as exceptional food. You end the itinerary with a few days in Parati, another enchanting colonial village and a UNESCO designated monument.

Day 1 – Fly from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro
Day 2 – Arrive Rio de Janeiro – Transfer to Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel – 3 nights
Day 3 – Full day private sightseeing tour of Rio & Tijuca National Park
Day 4 – At leisure
Day 5 – Fly to Belo Horizonte – Transfer to Ouro Preto – Pousada Nossa Sra do Rosario – 2 nights
Day 6 – Full day sightseeing
Day 7 – Drive to Tiradentes – Solar da Ponte – 2 nights
Day 8 – Full day sightseeing
Day 9 – Drive to Belo Horizonte – Fly to Salvador – Villa Bahia – 3 nights
Day 10 – Full day sightseeing
Day 11 – At leisure
Day 12 – Fly to Rio – Transfer to Parati – Casa Turquesa – 3 nights
Day 13 – Morning city tour of Parati
Day 14 – At leisure
Day 15 – Drive to Sao Paulo and depart to London Heathrow
Day 16 – Arrive London Heathrow

2012 price from £3,182 per person

(Price based on two people sharing a twin/double room excluding the cost of international flights London/Rio & Sao Paulo/London).

Highlights of the South

This two week itinerary starts off with a few days exploring Rio de Janeiro, a city blessed with one of the most stunning settings in the world. Following on you fly to the famous Iguazu Falls, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. The Iguazu River divides Brazil from Argentina and you will view the famous falls from both countries, giving you a different perspective of this extraordinary natural spectacle. You finish with a week on the beach in the southern Brazilian coast at the luxurious resort of Ponta dos Ganchos.

Day 1 – Fly from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro
Day 2 – Arrive Rio de Janeiro – Transfer to the Sofitel Palace Hotel – 3 nights
Day 3 – Full day private sightseeing tour of Rio & Tijuca National Park
Day 4 – At leisure
Day 5 – Fly to Iguassu – Visit the Falls on the Brazilian side – Das Cataratas – 2 nights
Day 6 – Visit the Falls on the Argentinian side
Day 7 – Fly to Forianapolis – Transfer to Ponta dos Ganchos – 7 nights
Day 8/13 – At leisure
Day 14 – Fly to Sao Paulo and connect to flight to London Heathrow
Day 15 – Arrive London Heathrow

2012 price from £3,237 per person

(Price based on two people sharing a twin/double room excluding the cost of international flights London/Rio & Sao Paulo/London)

The Best of Brazil

This two and a half week itinerary visits some great highlights of Brazil and gives you a wonderful insight into this vast country, staying in some of the top hotels and lodges the country has to offer. Starting off in the capital Rio de Janeiro staying at the famous Copacabana Palace, your journey continues to the mighty Iguazu Falls. From here you fly deep into the Pantanal, a vast wetland in the centre of South America and the best place in Brazil to see wildlife.

From here you fly to the east coast and the city of Salvador, one of Brazil’s cultural hightlights. You stay at the lovely Convento do Carmo, a 17th Century convent converted into Salvador’s most charming hotel. You finish your trip on the beach of the luxurious Txai Resort in Itacare, close to Ilheus.

Day 1 – Fly from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro – transfer to Copacabana Palace – 3 nights
Day 2 – Full day private sightseeing tour of Rio & Tijuca National Park
Day 3 – At leisure
Day 4 – Fly to Iguassu – Visit Falls on Brazilian side – Das Cataratas – 2 nights
Day 5 – Visit Falls on Argentinian side
Day 6 – Fly to Campo Grande – Xaraes Lodge – 3 nights
Day 7/8 – Activities at Xaraes Lodge
Day 9 – Fly to Salvador – Convento do Carmo – 3 nights
Day 10 – Full day sightseeing
Day 11 – At leisure
Day 12 – Fly to Ilheus – Transfer to Txai – 3 nights
Day 13/14 – At leisure
Day 15 – Fly to Sao Paulo and connect to flight to London Heathrow
Day 16 – Arrive London Heathrow

2012 price from £4,264 per person

(Price based on two people sharing a twin/double room excluding the cost of international flights London/Rio & Sao Paulo/London).

Anteaters & Angelfish

This two and a half week itinerary gives you a fascinating insight into some of the most exciting areas this huge country has to offer. After 3 days of exploring Rio de Janeiro you fly west to Campo Grande from where you head into the Pantanal. Covering just under one million square kilometres, the Pantanal is the largest wetlands in the Americas and is home to one of the greatest varieties of flora and fauna on the planet.

From here your journey continues north where you explore the delightful colonial town of Olinda before heading to Fernando de Noronha, a volcanic archipelago located 545 km from Recife in the Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago was declared a National Marine Park in 1989 and offers arguably the best diving in Brazil as well as 26 stunning beaches.

Day 1 – Fly from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro – Transfer to the Marina All Suites – 3 nights
Day 2 – Full day private sightseeing tour of Rio & Tijuca National Park
Day 3 – At leisure
Day 4 – Fly to Campo Grande – Xaraes Lodge – 3 nights
Day 5/6 – Activities at Xaraes Lodge
Day 7 – Fly to Sao Paulo – Fasano Sao Paulo Hotel – 1 night
Day 8 – Fly to Recife – Transfer to Olinda and Pousada Amparo – 2 nights
Day 9 – Full day sightseeing
Day 10 – Fly to Fernando de Noronha – Pousada Ze Maria – 5 nights
Day 11/14 – At leisure
Day 15 – Fly to Sao Paulo – Fasano Sao Paulo Hotel – 1 night
Day 16 – Depart Sao Paulo for London Heathrow
Day 17 – Arrive London Heathrow

2012 price from £4,943 per person

(Price based on two people sharing a twin/double room excluding the cost of international flights London/Rio & Sao Paulo/London).