Taking a look at the (enormous) map and getting a bit overwhelmed about selecting the best places to check out in Brazil? Don't stress, we're here to help you to make the most out of your journey and offer you the best pointers to enjoy Brazil like a regional. I'm Brazilian and I'm about to share all my favourite features of my country. From drinking caipirinha at the beach in Rio, to going to a national park filled with beautiful blue lagoons in the north or helping to conserve turtles in the south, Brazil has an option for each sort of backpacker.
From north to south, you're going to find something remarkable to do in every corner of the country and I guarantee you'll be shocked by how diverse Brazil is. Choose an open heart, listen and talk with the locals-- there is no much better method to learn more about our culture.
The beaches in the north of the island are more touristy and have lots of well-known clubs, so things can get a bit more costly. I 'd advise that you visit Praia da Lagoinha, Praia do Specialty, Praia da Daniela, Praia Brava and Praia dos Ingleses. The east side of the island has an amazing backpacker vibe and is a terrific spot for surfing. My preferred beaches there are Joaquina, Praia Mole, Praia da Galheta and Barra da Lagoa. This is also the backpacker hotspot of the city, where you'll find individuals from all over the world, super cool bars and restaurants and individuals offering their art in the street.
If you're looking for some quiet time surrounded by nature, the south of the island is where you wish to be. We're talking unblemished beaches, some of them just available by trekking, like Praia dos Naufragados. If you want to mingle with the residents, you must attempt the walking to Lagoinha do Leste, among the most well-known treking tracks in the south of Brazil. There are three different options with various levels of trouble, the simplest one taking control of an hour. You will not regret the views when you arrive though!
Ouro Preto is one of the best locations to check out in Brazil for anyone who wishes to comprehend the nation ´ s history. The city's name translates to 'Black Gold' in English, since it was the centre of the gold rush in the 18th century. Nowadays, you can still experience the city's past through its architecture and the art of the incredible Brazilian carver Aleijadinho. You can visit all the piece de resistances on foot, and simply walking around admiring the surroundings is actually among the very best things you can do. The piece de resistances in Ouro Preto are the old mines from the colonial period, where you can take a tour to become aware of how lots of ores and precious stones were extracted and taken back to Europe, and how slave work was utilized for this.
The city likewise has numerous museums where you can begin to comprehend more about the history of the nation. At Inconfidence Museum you can find out about Brazil's independence, and if you have an interest in Brazilian art, you need to take a look at the Sacred Art Museum. A fantastic location to see Aleijadinho's work is São Francisco de Assis church, where you can discover many sculptures made by the artist.
One of the coolest things you can do in Ouro Preto is search for a university party. They're super open and accept students from all over the world. All you need to do is go to the trainee area Baixita and ask where the party will occur. You can actually knock at one of the fraternity's doors and ask. If you're checking out during Carnival, even better-- there will be PLENTY of student parties you can join.Start your adventure walking around Vila Madalena, a trendy area full of great coffee shops, restaurants and classic stores. On Saturdays, you can go to Feira Livre da Vila Madalena, a street market with arts and crafts, loads of fruits and veggies and incredible street food. For an authentic Brazilian experience, attempt a pastel (a scrumptious savoury treat) with a sugar cane juice. After getting all the energy you require, head to Beco do Batman, a well-known spot in the city for street art lovers.
If you enjoy art, check out the Museum of Art of São Paulo at Avenida Paulista. You're going to see the structure rather quickly from a distance because of its incredible architecture design and you can get lost inside for hours.
After checking out the museum, head to Bixiga, among the most standard neighbourhoods in the city that's full of fantastic pizzerias. Mentioning pizza, you MUST SHOT Brazilian pizza. Forget whatever you believed you learnt about the traditional Italian food and open yourself to a whole brand-new level of nonsense. I am talking about ice cream pizza and I'm not even sorry.
By this point, you've probably observed that São Paulo is a fantastic place to walk and eat delicious food, so if you're not veggie, head to Mercado Municipal to attempt an ENORMOUS mortadella sandwich. After all this consuming, have a walk in Ibirapuera park and go to the Afro Museum, a space dedicated to informing the story of more than five centuries of African history in Brazil.
For an amazing sundown and to join the locals, go to Praça do Pôr do Sol (it actually suggests the sundown park) for one of the most stunning views of the city.Still in the historic centre, go to Largo Tereiro de Jesus, a place loaded with gorgeous churches, dining establishments and remarkable architecture. Visit the Afro Museum to find out more about Afro religions in Brazil, and Casa do Carnaval da Bahia to be familiar with the history of Carnival in the city. Still around this location, inspect the Lacerda Lift. Integrated in 1873, this is the simplest (and most affordable) method to get to the high part of the city. When you're at the top, Tomé de Sousa square is a stunning viewpoint and ideal location to enjoy the sunset.
If you wish to purchase inexpensive and genuine mementos for your enjoyed ones back home, check out Mercado Modelo. This public market has actually been working for more than 100 years and has over 250 stalls offering art and food.Now, prepare yourself for an incredible story. Bonfim Church was built in between 1745 and 1772, and nowadays is the centre of a beautiful multi-faith event that occurs in Salvador every year in January. On this day, around 200 females dressed in white walk an expedition of 8km to wash the stairs of the church with water and flowers, while the residents celebrate with music and chants of African origin. This is a lovely routine to see and you need to think about checking out Salvador during this time. And let's not ignore the Senhor do Fim ribbon, a tradition which includes putting a colourful ribbon on someone's wrist and asking them to make three wishes. You make one knot for each desire, and when the ribbon falls off by itself, all these dreams will come to life. This tradition belongs to the Festa do Bonfim (Bonfim Party), but you can discover these ribbons all year round in many cities in Brazil.
Together with Pelourinho, Barra Lighthouse is among the most famous postcard pictures of Salvador. The lighthouse was built in the 17th century and nowadays is a museum. Simply in front of the lighthouse, there's a beautiful beach for you to walk around and see the sunset.
How can we not speak about food? Food from Bahia is amazing, and you can't leave the city without attempting an Acarajé! It's a beautiful mix of beans, shrimp, onion, salt and pepper-- completely and fried in palm oil. It's the most standard food of the city and you can discover the best ones in Largo da Dinha.Galeria 13 hostel is a fantastic base for your Salvador experience. They have a swimming pool, breakfast until 12pm, happy hours with caipirinhas, Brazilian film nights and a friendly dog. They're also found in the historical centre, which will make your day of checking out much easier.If you have a bit more time in Recife, you must consider spending a day in Olinda, a famous historical city with remarkable Carnival parties and blocks. It's so near Recife that some individuals get confused and think it's the same city. Check out the historic centre and its colourful colonial houses on foot, before heading to Alto da Sé, a location with an amazing view of the city and markets offering food and art.The most popular attraction in Olinda is the Carnival and its huge dolls parade. They state whatever started in 1931, when an extremely good-looking man utilized to walk at midnight. After some time, he ended up being popular (The Midnight Guy) and all the single women in Check out the post right here the city would await him every night. After a few years, a giant doll of him was developed and a massive carnival parade with him leading the way to other giant dolls became a tradition. Today the parade still follows the very same path as the mystical male! Seeing the Giant Carnival Dolls of Olinda is a really wonderful experience and you're going to be astonished by the energy in the streets during Brazilian Carnival.