Brazilians’ passion for samba, music, parties and football is contagious and the Brazilian zest for life lingers long after leaving the country. Just let yourself be embraced by the captivating culture and magnificent nature experiences. The deep Amazon, the mighty waterfalls of Foz de Iguazu and not least the warm, white beaches are just some of Brazil’s highlights.
Climate and best travel time
You can travel to Brazil all year round.
The northwestern part of the country around the Amazon River has a tropical rainforest climate with humid heat and a lot of rain all year round. The primary rainy season is January to April.
In the central and eastern parts of the country there is a tropical climate with high temperatures all year round and rainy season from December to March.
In southern Brazil, the climate is reminiscent of southern Europe with hot summers with temperatures up to 35 degrees and winters with about 20 degrees heat and some rain. Note that the seasons are the opposite of what we have in Scandinavia. Visit insidewatch.net for Brazil travel package.
Our recommendations on when it is best to travel are based on how the climate has been in previous years. The weather in Brazil can be very variable and unpredictable, so our recommendations should only be seen as an indication.
Money
At ATMs you can withdraw the Brazilian currency Real (reais in plural). Note that many ATMs have a withdrawal ceiling of 1000 reais. ATMs accept either Mastercard or Visa, so we recommend that you bring both types of cards with you.
There are still places where there are neither banks nor ATMs such as Ilha Grande in the south. It is wise to have a cash reserve. Even if you cannot withdraw cash, many hotels and restaurants still accept credit cards.
Visa
Conditions for visa
NOTE! The visa rules can be changed at short notice, so We recommend that you check the current conditions at the country’s embassy. The following information may change.
Brazil is visa-free for up to 90 days. Check current travel information on Sweden Abroad
Transport
Flights:
If you have limited time and want to see and experience as much as possible, flights are the best way to get around Brazil. Domestic flights are expensive but if you buy a flight pass at home there is a lot of money to save. Book this at the same time as your international ticket and you will get the best prices.
Please note that luggage must often be picked up at the first stop in Brazil, regardless of whether you have a regular ticket to your final destination. When you then continue with domestic flights, we recommend at least 3.5 hours in transit so as not to risk missing the connection.
Bus: The
buses are cheaper than in Europe but not as cheap as in Peru or Bolivia. The long-distance buses generally maintain a high standard with adjustable seats and toilets on board. You can also choose to travel with luxury buses that have hostesses, air conditioning and fully folding seats. These buses are called “Leito”.
Local buses:
In the cities, it is cheap to take the local bus which also gives a good overview of the city. The buses are served by both a driver and a conductor who sell the tickets and drop off the passengers on board. You go through a “carousel” so leave the biggest backpack at home if you are going to take a local bus in Brazil.
Airport
buses : There are often buses that go to and from the airport, for example there are buses from Rio de Janeiro International Airport to the most popular beaches for about 20 reais per person. The buses are incredibly cheap but at the same time slow as they stop at countless stops to drop off or let new passengers get on.
River boat:
In the Amazon, there are many transports by river boat. It’s a great way (and sometimes the only way) to experience the impressive rainforest. We are happy to help you book excursions by river boat or jungle lodges in Manaus.
Trains:
In principle, there is no passenger traffic on the sparsely developed train network, but it is used almost exclusively for freight and freight transport.
Car:
If you have oceans of time, a road trip is a great way to explore how different Brazil is from region to region. It is a very large country, the signage is top class and it is possible to rent a car.
Taxi:
If you are out late in the evening or at night, we recommend that you take a taxi in the big cities. Prices are affordable and all taxis have taximeters.
Tips
In most countries, tips are part of the salaries of employees in the service industry. Therefore, it is good practice (and sometimes directly necessary) to give tips to, for example, cleaning staff, waiters, guides, drivers, etc. depending on the country you are visiting. Therefore, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with how much is normally given in tips and to whom before you embark on your journey. Find information on tips in Lonely Planet’s guidebooks.
FACTS
CAPITAL: BRASILIA
LANGUAGE: PORTUGUESE
CLIMATE: SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL
CURRENCY: REAL
RELIGION: ROMAN CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT
The Brazilian passion The
essence of all that is good about Brazil is already experienced on the first trip on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro: life is enjoyed in the most magnificent of urban environments, delicious food is eaten, men play football while sambar rhythms are contagious from the beach bars speaker. In so many different ways, Brazil is appealing – and with countless reasons to visit the country. “Obrigado” says the young guy with a smile when the ball is kicked back to him over Copacabana’s sand. He gets it with a cheeky heel kick, after which he sends it towards the gang of like-minded football fanatics who unconditionally throw themselves after the ball, as if it were a Fabergé egg.
It is a completely normal routine on Rio’s beaches and as a sunbather you can count on a worn leather ball regularly making a visit to your towel. And it pretty much sums up what Rio de Janeiro stands for: football, beach, sunshine and human interaction. On the whole, life tastes just a little sweeter in Rio and many visitors soon find themselves dancing to the samba’s throbbing drums and after a caipirina or two, they really feel that now they have captured the rhythm that a while ago began in the diaphragm. It is not easy to resist the Brazilian passion for partying, dancing, music and football. And you should not either.
Much more than a beach holiday
But now Brazil is much more than just Rio de Janeiro’s promenades at Copacabana and Ipanema, whose view houses a huge figure of Jesus at the top of the 700-meter-high Corcovado mountain. For Brazil is huge – the size of the United States – and with great variation in both landscape and population.
If you want to experience nature, it is clear that the Amazon’s deep rainforest in northern Brazil is a must in planning. The tranquility can be quite overwhelming as you float through the lush nature of the jungle on dark rivers in simple canoes.
Another highlight during a visit to Brazil are the huge Iguazú Falls bordering Argentina and Paraguay. It is not only wider but also 20 meters higher than the Niagara case. It consists of 275 smaller waterfalls and is a magnificent experience that begins as soon as you walk towards the roaring sound of an elevated path. The path is located above the calmer part of the waterfall and it abounds with fluttering butterflies with the most amazing patterns that only make the whole experience even more surreal.
Paradise beaches and steak for all the money
But you actually do not have to travel to the other end of the big country to get nature experiences. 150 km off the coast of Rio is the paradise island of Ilha Grande, which offers emerald green coves and chalk-white sand, worthy of the most beautiful postcards and most thrilling pirate adventures. Do not forget to take a dip on Lopez Mendez beach, another of these beaches that is called the most beautiful in the world – let’s just say that you will not be the least bit disappointed there under the palm shadows and in the silky sand.
Maybe you not only take home memories and enviable photos, maybe even a few extra kilos will come all the way home to the bathroom scale. Brazil has eminent food cultures and buns up delicacies in fighting streams in their “churrasquerias”, which is a kind of steak house where you, with a green or red note on your table, mark if you can eat more of all freshly grilled meat on skewers which passes by your table in an endless stream. Just like with the samba dance, the party only stops when you tell yourself.