Where to go in Brazil

The places worth building a trip around

Each of these has its own page with timing, budget and getting-around notes.

• Rio de Janeiro (City) — Beaches beneath granite peaks, with samba, viewpoints and a dramatic urban setting.
• São Paulo (City) — Brazil's biggest city: restaurants, museums, galleries and the main flight hub.
• Salvador (City) — Afro-Brazilian cultural capital with a colonial upper town and Bahian coast nearby.
• Northeast Coast (Coast) — Long, hot, sunny beach coastline from Bahia through Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará.
• Iguaçu Falls (Park) — The Brazilian side of the falls, with panoramic walkways facing the full cataract system.
• Amazon (Manaus) (Region) — River lodges, igapó forest trips and wildlife spotting from the Amazon's main city gateway.
• Pantanal (Region) — The world's great wetland for wildlife viewing, best in the dry season when animals concentrate.
• Florianópolis (Island) — Southern island city with surf beaches, lagoons and a busy austral-summer season.

Pairing them up

Rio, falls and Amazon: Three very different regions linked by domestic flights. Route — Rio de Janeiro → Iguaçu Falls → Amazon (Manaus).

What the country is strongest for

Brazil rates highest for beach, nature, nightlife, food, which is a good sanity check before committing.