So, you’re planning to visit Brazil? Read on to discover our ultimate route, the best places to visit in Brazil, where to eat in Brazil, where to stay and everything you need to travel to Brazil!
Brazilian travel facts:
Language: The main language of Brazil is Portuguese. (Just when you feel you’ve gotten used to Spanish!)
The official unit of currency: The Brazilian Real (BRL)
Size of Brazil: 8.516 million km²
Capital of Brazil: Brasília
Transportation: Due to the size of the country we used a combination of buses, including overnight buses and flights to get around and cover long distances. Within cities, we used Uber to get around. Buses are spacious and well equipped, some even with WIFI. However, they are more expensive than in other South American countries.
Visa and entry requirements: Visitors from most countries do not need a visa for a visit of up to 90 days. Brazil requires proof of full Covid vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test (this can be an antigen taken 24 hours before or a PCR taken up to 72 hours before) and a completed Traveler’s Health Declaration (DSV). Be sure to check the entry requirements before you visit Brazil.
The Yellow Fever vaccine is also recommended if you are visiting from a country with a risk of yellow fever, however, ours wasn’t checked.
Total time spent here: 23 nights
Budget: £1450
Our Travel Route:
Foz Do Iguaçu – 1 night
Florianopolis – 5 nights
Curitiba – 2 nights
Sao Paulo – 2 nights
Paraty – 3 nights
Rio – 5 nights
Buzios – 4 nights
Rio – 1 night
If you’re planning on travelling around South America then you might also like to read about Brazil’s neighbouring country Paraguay. Read here how we spent 72 hours travelling this little lesser-travelled, landlocked country How To Spend 72 Hours Travelling Around Paraguay. An awesome addition to any visit to Brazil!
Brazil is one of the most incredible countries that we have travelled through. It’s packed full of sprawling cities, lush jungle and wonderful beaches. Due to the vast size of the country, you’re likely to only scratch the surface of this incredible country on your trip and Brazil will likely leave you wanting to come back time and time again. We spent just under 1 month travelling Brazil and still only feel like we’ve seen the highlights of it! Read on to hear what we loved about Brazil, our South American tour trip tips and some much-needed travel budget tips!
Foz Do Iguaçu
Our first stop in Brazil, just across the border from Paraguay lies the border town of Foz Do Iguacu, home to the incredible Iguazu Falls. There isn’t much to see within the border town, but, as far as border towns go it is pretty well equipped. A great start introduction to any visit to Brazil.
Where did we stay in Foz Do Iguaçu?
We opted for a budget-friendly hotel room whilst here. It was nice and central, the staff were friendly and the room was clean. A good option for one night in the small border city.
You can book to stay in Hotel Rhema here.
Another good option, especially if you’re a solo traveller looking to meet others would be to stay in Concept Design Hostel.
What did we see in Foz Do Iguaçu?
Visit the incredible Iguazu Falls, of course! Voted one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, Iguazu Falls is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. Its sheer force and size make for such a breathtaking site that it’s hard for many other waterfalls to compare. Spanning 2.7 kilometres (1.7 miles), the sheer size and force of these waterfalls is mind blowing.
Iguazu Falls are located on the border between Brazil and Argentina, due to this many people, especially pre-Covid, visit both sides since they offer a very different view from each side. We opted to visit the Brazilian side.
You can read our full guide to visiting Iguazu Falls for more tips and practical advice on how to plan your trip to this wonderful part of Brazil.
You can read our full blog post on it here.
From here you can easily either cross over to Argentina or Paraguay or continue your trip through Brazil.
Florianopolis
Florianópolis is one of the main spots backpackers hear about when researching travelling Brazil. An island (connected to the mainland via a bridge), home to 42 beaches, cute towns and lagoons. No matter what sort of trip you’re planning, Florianópolis has it all.
Some beaches are quiet and the ideal spot for families, while others have a rough sea with waves perfect for surfers. Florianopolis also has two lakes, one called Lagoa do Peri which is fresh water and Lagoa da Conceição with saltwater and a great spot for wind or kite surfing. An epic addition to any Brazil travel.
We spent 5 nights here exploring the island and what it has to offer, relaxing and generally enjoying Brazil. Florianopolis is a must when planning on travelling to Brazil!
Where did we stay in Florianopolis?
We opted to stay in a small holiday apartment whilst we were in Florianopolis. However, we wouldn’t recommend it here due to the extra charges, the cleanliness and the location. Some which we wish we had stayed in instead include:
What did we see in Florianopolis?
Unfortunately, the first few days we spent here were raining meaning we weren’t able to go out and explore as many beaches as we would have liked. However, instead, this meant we spent more time relaxing (never a bad thing!) And exploring Florianópolis town, something we probably wouldn’t have done if the weather had been better the whole time.
Visit Florianópolis Centro
If you love a town or, like us, are met with not the best weather on your trip here then visit Centro. It has an epic indoor market-type area (Mercado Público) where you can sit and have some drinks or food. It didn’t have any vegetarian restaurants so we opted for just beers instead.
We also ate at an incredible Lebanese restaurant. If you’re new to the Brazils restaurant scene, all of their restaurants are huge buffets where you stack your plate as high as you want and then pay per kg. These can work out very expensive, very quickly so just be mindful of what you’re putting on your plate!
Hike from Armação to Pantano do Sul
This incredible hike takes around 2 hours and takes you through the forest, along the beautiful coastline and finally to a huge secluded beach where you can then opt to do a further hike to Trilha Lagoinha do Leste for a view over the whole beach, relax in one of the rustic little beach bars with an ice-cold beer, or just chill in one of the many hammocks on the beach.
To find out more about our hike from Armação to Pantano do Sul read our blog post here. A Brazil travel must!
Visit Barra da Lagoa
One of our favourite spots to visit in Brazil and in Florianópolis, this little beach town is home to a 650-meter beach, incredible rock pools, beach bars and cafes. It’s touristy without feeling as if it’s changed too much over the years. You’ll still see locals sitting playing chess in the square alongside families playing with inflatables in the sea and tourists enjoying a fresh coconut on the beach.
If you visit here then make sure you opt to hike to the rock pools.
For this hike, head to the main beach area of Barra da Lagoa and cross the footbridge across the lagoon, continue following the footpath up through the local town, and you’ll pass a few cute cafes and hostels along your way until you can see the beach again, you’ll soon be met with beautiful large rocks/ boulders. Walk down the first one and you’ll see tons of others which you can swim around or sunbathe on. There’s even a little beach bar here, grab a beer or bottle of water and relax for a few hours.
Of course, there are tons of other beaches to explore here each of them more and more beautiful. The island takes roughly 1.5 hours to get from one end to the other and buses aren’t that regular. We opted to use Uber to get around however if we were to go back then hiring a car would definitely be a better option to save money and be able to see more spots.
Curitiba
Known as a ‘model city’ Curitiba is a beautiful, clean city. We stayed here for 2 nights to break up our journey and really enjoyed our little stay. There are not a ton of things to do, but 2 nights was plenty to get a feel for the vast city.
Where did we stay in Curitiba?
We stayed in Rede Andrade Braz which we couldn’t recommend enough! Right in the centre (above McDonald’s if that’s ya thang!) very reasonably priced with breakfast included.
What did we see in Curitiba?
Jardim Botânico de Curitiba
The beautiful botanical gardens of Curitiba are located a short walk (around 40 minutes) from the city centre and offer free entry. There’s a cute little cafe and a beautiful greenhouse located inside.
Tram bookshop
Located in the city centre (right near where we stayed) is an old red tram which has been transformed into a bookshop, well worth a visit!
Wander the city centre
There are plenty of shops and coffee shops to keep you entertained for a whole day or beautiful streets to wander around, Curitiba is a great city that you can most definitely spend the whole day walking around.
Sao Paulo
São Paulo a sprawling mass of grey buildings is the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, plus, it has one of the world’s fastest-growing metropolitan populations. When researching Sao Paulo we were met with a whole range of different views on it, some hating the city and some loving it. Naturally, we had to go and check it out for ourselves and we loved it! No, we probably wouldn’t spend a whole week here exploring but for a couple of nights, we would say it’s a must-see in any Brazil itinerary.
Where did we stay in Sao Paulo?
For us, in our slightly older age, where we opt to stay plays a big part in how much we enjoy the place we are visiting. It’s safe to say that our Sao Paulo accommodation definitely added to why we loved our time here. We stayed in Studios Sampa – Parque Augusta which was a little studio apartment with laundry and a rooftop pool near a very cool street of bars and restaurants.
What did we see in Sao Paulo?
Batman Alley/ Beco de Batman
An alleyway transformed into Brazil’s most jaw-dropping collection of graffiti, created by both local and well-known international street artists.
Avenida Paulista
Possibly the most famous street in Sao Paulo, Ave Paulista is pedestrianised on Sundays and is home to shopping malls, coffee shops and a whole abundance of high rises.
Praça Franklin Roosevelt
A really awesome little strip of bars and restaurants we found right near our hotel. Well worth a visit for dinner or drinks even if you don’t opt to stay nearby.
Bonus! Where to eat in Sao Paulo:
Pop Vegan
If you are vegetarian or vegan then this all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant in Sao Paulo is one for you! With queues out the door, we knew this vegan restaurant was going to be good but it surpassed that! A genuine all-you-can-eat (instead of Brazil’s infamous pay-per-kg buffets) this vegan restaurant had a mixture of salads, fake meat and carbs all for a really reasonable price (around £8 for unlimited food and drink for 2 of us)
Terraço Itália bar
Unfortunately, there was way out of our budget but if we had, had a bit more time and money then Terraço Itália is definitely somewhere that would have been on our list. Providing (or so we have heard) incredible Italian food and the best views in the city, this Italian is a must-see.
Paraty
A quaint little colonial UNESCO town on the southeastern coast of Brazil. We absolutely loved Paraty and think it should be on everyone’s Brazil trip list. The small colonial town’s centre is a national historic monument with well-preserved buildings on its pedestrian-only streets. From beautiful restaurants to island hopping to amazing waterfalls, beaches, and distilleries to staying in luxury Posadas, there is certainly no shortage of things to do in Paraty.
Unfortunately, when we visited we were met with huge floods and thunderstorms – think red warning, landslides and all buses stopped for a few days with no way out of leaving Paraty. With this happening if we still loved Paraty then just think how good it must be. Your travel route around visiting Brazil wouldn’t be complete without a trip to this beautiful little town!
Where did we stay in Paraty?
We stayed in two places whilst visiting Paraty due to us having to extend because of the floods. The first we wouldn’t overly recommend so won’t include it, however, the second place, albeit more expensive, was well worth the money. This was called Pousada das Pedras.
What did we see in Paraty?
As we mentioned there is no shortage of incredible things to see in Paraty, but walking around the old town has to be our number one thing to do. Its cobbled streets are home to an abundance of independent bars, restaurants and cute boutiques. There is also a beautiful beachfront, perfect to chill on in Barra do Corumbê. You could also visit Praia Grande, a fisherman’s village where you can also catch a boat to Ilha Grande from.
Rio de Janeiro
The most iconic spot to see when planning to visit Brazil. When you think of Brazil it’s hard to picture the huge country without thinking about the mountainous landscape of Rio de Janeiro. We spent 6 nights here in total, doing all things touristy and having a wonderful time. To read more about our time here head over to our blog post All You Need to Know to Travel Around Rio de Janeiro. Make sure you read this when planning to visit Brazil!
Where did we stay in Rio de Janeiro?
Rio is such a huge place that it makes knowing where to stay an almost impossible task. However, for us, it was easy we knew straight away that we had to stay on Copacabana beach during our time in Rio. You can find out where we stayed exactly in our blog post, linked above.
Buzios
Just a few hours’ drive east of Rio, you will come to the chic, almost Mediterranean town of Búzios. An absolute must for any beach lover planning to visit Brazil.
The town’s cobbled streets echo its past as a quaint little fishing village since then Búzios has been put on the map by French sex icon and actress Brigitte Bardot, it’s since become the bustling little beach town that it is today. Home to 26 white sand beaches, Buzios is the perfect little place to visit if you want that real holiday feel. Be prepared to ‘treat yourself’ more than once to a nice meal out, a drink along the seafront or even a new outfit from one of the many boutique shops.
Where did we stay in Buzios?
As we said, Buzios is a very ‘treat yourself’ place to visit in Brazil. It’s home to an abundance of beautiful hotels and apartments to stay in all along the waterfront. However, you can also visit here if you’re on a backpacker budget. There were 4 of us that visited Buzios together so opted to stay in a 4-bed hotel room in Calador Buzios Hotel, however, if you are travelling in a couple of with just one other person they also have twin and double rooms. It’s a lovely resort set a few streets back from the centre complete with a pool and a good breakfast included. A lovely addition to any visit Brazil trip Itinerary.
You can book to stay in Calador Buzios Hotel here.
If you are a solo traveller or prefer the atmosphere or a hostel, or just the price they offer then another is Bamboo Buzios Hostel. This hostel offers a who range of different room sizes including dorm beds at very reasonable prices with an incredible sea view.
You can book to stay in Bamboo Buzios Hostel here.
What did we see in Buzios?
You could easily spend a whole week exploring the little town of Buzios and still not get bored, but whether you’re spending 2 nights here or 7, below are our top things to see whilst in Buzios:
– As mentioned Buzios is home to 26 incredible beaches so, go figure, we spent quite a bit of our time exploring the long stretches of white sand and the tiny little coves spread out around Buzios. If we were forced to choose a favourite then we would have to pick Praia Azeda, a beautiful little cove tucked away below a picturesque boardwalk. The tiny beach features crystal clear water, a few beach sellers and in some lights pink sand. A real little charm.
Other beaches we visited in Buzios include:
Ponta do Pai Vitóri
Azeda
Tartaruga
Praia de Geribá
Praia de Ferradurinha
Praia Brava
– A trip to Buzios wouldn’t be complete without a stroll through the narrow cobblestone streets either taking part in some window shopping or purchasing from one or two of the beautiful little boutiques
– Spend an afternoon in Silk Beach Club on Praia Brava. A beautiful beach bar offering day beds and cocktails, plus, tasty food and unbeatable views.
– Hire a buggy! One of the best and most popular ways to see Buzios, these little cars are available all around Buzios and are truly the best way to see the beach town. You can opt to hire one yourself or do a tour around Buzios.
– Hike up Ponta do pai Vitório. To get to this epic viewpoint you can either opt for the rocky more adventurous option or the main route through the trees. We didn’t notice the second option until we were looking for the way back down so up the rocks we went. Both options only take around 15 minutes and you’re met with this awesome view and home to some of the largest cacti we’ve ever seen at the top.
After Buzios, we headed back to Rio before our flight out of this incredible country. What was supposed to be a simple route out of visiting Brazil ended up with 1 cancelled flight, 1 lost bag and one extra free night in a hotel. All ended well in the end though, Uruguay here we come!
