NocountryignitestheWesternimaginationasBrazildoes.Forhundredsofyearsithassymbolizedaprimordial,tropicalparadise.FromthemadpassionofCarnival2tothevastnessofthedarkAmazon3,Brazilisacountryofmythicalproportions.
RoughlythesizeoftheUS(excludingAlaska),BrazilisahugecountryencompassingnearlyhalfofSouthAmerica,andborderingonmostofthecontinent’sothernations—EcuadorandChilearetheexceptions.After40yearsofinternalmigrationandpopulationgrowth,Brazilisalsoanurbancountry;fouroutofeveryfiveBraziliansliveinacity.SaoPaulo,withmorethan17millioninhabitants,istheworld’ssecondmostpopulouscity.Brazil’spopulationisclusteredalongtheAtlanticcoast,andmuchofthecountry,includingthemassiveAmazonBasin,remainsscarcelypopulatedandhardtoaccess.
Formost,theBrazilianjourneybeginsinRiodeJaneiro4.Oneoftheworld’sgreatcities,Riohasdevelopedahighlyadvancedcultureofpleasure.ItrevolvesaroundthefamousbeachesofCopacabana,andisfueledbythemusicofsamba5andtheathleticismofsoccer.ThishedonismreachesitsclimaxeveryFebruaryorMarch,duringtheCarnival—fivedaysofrevelry,unrivaledbyanyotherpartyontheglobe.RiodeJaneirostateisblessedwithsomeofthecountry’sbestbeaches.Inland,thecoastalmountainsriserapidlyfromlush,green,tropicalforest,culminatinginspectacularpeaks.ThemountainsarepunctuatedbynationalparkswhereyoucanenjoyBrazil’sbesthikingandclimbing.
TheAmazonjunglesaretheworld’slargesttropicalrainforest,fedbytheworld’slargestriver,andhometotherichestandmostdiverseecosystemonearth—anaturelover’sultimatefantasy!Thoughthreatenedbyrapiddeforestation,therainforeststilloffersyearsofexplorationfortheadventuroustraveler.
WhereveryougoinBrazil,you’llseeBraziliansattheirbeachesplaying.Thebeachisthenationalpassion.Fortunately,withover8,000kmofcoastline,thereareanincrediblenumberofsuperbbeaches,soyoushouldhavelittleproblemfindingyourowntropicalhideaway.
BrazilmaynotbetheparadiseonEarththatmanytravelersonceimagined,butitisalandofoftenunimaginablebeauty.Therearestillstretchesofunexploredrainforest,islandswithpristinetropicalbeaches,andendlessrivers.Andtherearethepeoplethemselves,whodelightthevisitorwiththeirenergy,fantasyandjoy.
