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Rio de Janeiro is located on the southeast coast of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is one of the smaller of the twenty six states of Brazil. This coastal state is bordered by Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, and Esperito Santo. Rio de Janeiro is home to two very distinct geological features; there is the plain known as baixada and a plateau which is located from the shoreline of the country to the north near Minas Gerais. The capital of this small state is none other that the city of Rio de Janeiro, however, this was not the first capital of this state. In 1763 it was changed from Salvador da Bahia to Rio de Janeiro. Now with some of the country’s history out of the way, let us get to some of the traveling hot spots.The city of Rio de Janeiro is also home to one of the world’s largest football stadiums. If you happen to be a fan of sports, this would be a must on a vacation to this city. Not only does is support one of the largest football stadiums, but it also houses the two largest forests inside an urban area. There is the forest in the Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca or the White Stone State Park, and located nearly in a connected fashion to this first park is the famous Floresta da Tijuca or the Tijuca Forest. These places are also excellent addition to any travel plans you may have.
However, the traveler abroad must be warned that for all its beauty, Rio de Janeiro is one of the most violent cities in the world. Not only must you deal with the reckless driving that is well known in this part of the world, but you must make yourself very safe if you plan on traveling to places in this region. If you are planning on long stays in or around Rio or Brazil you must take the proper steps to protect yourself. Even with these dangers in mind, if one takes the proper precautions, these beauties in South America can be viewed in peace and in awe.
Espirito Santo
Esperito Santo is another coastal Brazilian state. It is located on the northern side of Rio de Janeiro. This state’s capital is the city of Vitoria and the largest city being Vila Velha. An interesting fact about this country is that all who are born in this state are known as capixabas which literally means Holy Spirit after, of course, the Holy Ghost of Christianity. Espirito Santo is also known for it beautiful coastline and plentiful beaches. The capital, Vitoria is on an island, and is well known for its beautiful sands. In the extreme north of the state is the Ituanas, which are part of the municipality of Conceicao da Barra, which are most famous for the sand dunes which encompass this part of the state.
In the capital city Vitoria there is an annual celebration known as the Fiestas de la Blanca. This festival is celebrated every year from the fourth to the ninth of August. It is held in honor of the patron saint of city. This is just another one of the wonderful festivals that this part of the world is known for and is an excellent addition to any vacationing or traveling plans.
Also in Vitoria, there are an array of museums and musical venues. There is the Basque Center Museum of Contemporary Art, the Arms Museum, the Archeology Museum, the Museum of Sacred Art, the Fine Arts Museum, Natural History Museum, Lanterns Museum, Open-air Museums, and the Fournier Playing Card Museum. The Museum of Contemporary Art is praised as housing one of the best selections of Basque and Spanish contemporary art in the world. Of course, the Open-air Museums are some of the most interesting that you can find in the world; the city has sculptures presented on nearly every street, some on benches, and in places to be easily seen by the tourist that has made their way to this lovely city.
The old part of the city is well preserved and is also littered with various remarkable monuments. There is the Casa del Cordon which is the gothic cathedral of Maria. Also located in the old part of city Vitoria is the Museum of Archeology and the Torre de Dona Otxanda which is a tower holding the museum of Natural Sciences.
In the nineteenth century there was an extension built onto the old city which includes attractions like Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, where the Fiestas de la Blanca start. The church of San Miguel is also here, the Los Arquillos which is something like and arcade. Every Sunday here in the extension to the old city there is a street market held which is one that any tourist might love to see and experience. And just a bit further south of this point is the Paseo de Fray Francisco which is a wide street lined with mansions which have recently been renovated for public use. Vitoria is a wonderful city to visit.
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is the second most populous state in Brazil, but is only the fourth largest in area. Belo Horizonte is the capital city of this Brazilian state and is located in the central area of Minas Gerais. Minas Gerais is a very important state in Brazil due to all the various products that come from here. It is a main producer of coffee and milk. Minas Gerais is well known for all its architectural landmarks. In cities such as Ouro Preto and Tiradentes, there is a wealth of colonial art and these cities themselves are very historical. Tourist attraction in the southern end of this state are the hydro mineral ranches and the national parks of Ibitipoca and Aiuruoca. Minas Gerais is a state with many mountains, valleys, caverns, caves, and waterfalls. This is a great vacationing destination.
The greatest vacationing spots in and around the state of Minas Gerais are out in the wilds. The waterfalls here in this state are some of the most breathtaking you can find anywhere in the world. The national park Serra da Canastra houses some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the country. Minas Gerais is also the source of some of the largest rivers in Brazil, the most notable one being the Sao Francisco and the Parana.
Some of the highest peaks in Brazil are also found here in Minas Gerais. There are mountain ranges in the southern part of the state, such as the Serra da Mantiqueira and the Serra do Cervo. These ranges mark the borders between Minas Gerais and its neighbors Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The third highest mountain in Brazil, called the Pico da Bandeira, is located here in the southern zone of Minas Gerais. Also in the southern part of the state in the Zona da Mata, or the forest zone. This was once the richest part of this region until the mid twentieth century when it was then slowly converted into a more industrious region. Another national park if great interest to anyone touring this part of the country is the Serra do Cipo. This park is located not far from the capital city of Belo Horizonte, and is also known for its peaks and waterfalls.
If you are a traveler who is more interested in the city scene of the country, you will also be pleasantly surprised by the cities of Minas Gerais. Just as the rest of Brazil, football is the most popular sports amongst the locals by far. Belo Horizonte has two of the best teams in the country. Belo Horizonte is also home to one of the largest football stadiums in the world, and it is called the Mineirao. This stadium was opened in 1965 and is one attraction more than worth visiting whether you are a sports fan or not. However, there is an older stadium here as well named the Independencia Stadium where there was once a legendary victory of the United States World Cup Team over England in 1950. There have been many an important game played here in Belo Horizonte. Minas Gerais is a great vacationing destination.
Parana
This Brazilian state is located in the southern part of the country. It borders the countries Paraguay and Argentina. This state has the Tropic of Capricorn running through it and houses what is left of the araucarias forest which is one of the most important subtropical forests of the world. Parana attracts nearly seven thousand tourists per year with its many attractions. At the border of Argentina lies the National Park of Iguacu which is recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Twenty four miles from here, at the border of Paraguay is the largest dam in the world, the Hidroeletrica de Itaipu, which is another great tourist attraction of Parana. Also, the National Park of Vila Velha near the city of Ponta Grossa is yet another attraction of this Brazilian state for the eco-tourists out there.
The capital city of Curitiba is the largest financial center of southern Brazil. This city has an enormous population of nearly two million people and is the largest population in southern Brazil. Curitiba is the most important city in southern Brazil with a rich cultural history, and large political and economic centers. It also houses the most modern of Brazilian airport terminals and is by far the most important airport in Southern Brazil. Any traveler to this area should feel safe coming into a terminal such as this. Curitiba was named after the many Brazilian Pines that encompass the area in and around the city.
There is quite a variety of things to do in Curitiba. Not far outside of Curitiba is the state park Vila Velha. One of the main attractions of this state park is the Stone City. You can even take a bus from the city which runs regularly to this park. Another beautiful and trademark structure you can visit while in this lovely city is the Opera de Arame. This structure is constructed with glass and metal tubes complete with a waterfall and garden park. A vast botanical garden was also added as an attraction here in the city of Curitiba. Even as a newer attraction, it has quickly become very popular to the locals and the tourists here.
There are several architectural sites in this city worth visiting. There are the museums for modern architecture, which house a lot of the works of Oscar Niemeyer. Along with the architectural sites there are also city parks which have been local and tourist favorites for years. Barigui Park is one of the oldest parks in the city, and is known for its peacefulness. The city itself is also known for its general cleanliness, but not well known worldwide even though many visitors compare its cleanliness to places like Singapore and the like.
Curitiba is also known as the Christmas capital of Brazil. So for those travelers coming down in the Christmas months, you are in for a wonderful surprise. Here they have the annual Children’s Christmas Show. Children line up in the windows of the HSBC building in Centro and sing carols. It is well worth going out of your way to see this spectacle at Christmas time.
Rio Grande Sul
Rio Grande Sul is the southernmost state of Brazil. Its name literally means Great River of the South. It is also the state with the fourth greatest human development in Brazil. Here in the southernmost state of Brazil the winters can sometimes be quite rigorous. If you were planning a trip here in the winter months, you may want to pack some warm clothes. Rio borders Argentina and Uruguay. The capital of this Brazilian state is Porto Alegre and is one of the largest cities in Brazil.
Porto Alegre is one of the richest cultural cities in southern Brazil and for many years held the highest standard of living nation wide. If you are looking for a clean city to visit this one should be on the top of your list. It was the only Brazilian city listed in Jones Lang LaSalle’s World Winning Cities. This city is located on the Guaiba Lake and also at the junction of five rivers. If you are an eco-tourist there is plenty to see ecologically right around the city.
As with many of the other major cities in Brazil, Porto Alegre also houses a great football stadium. Beira Rio is the name of the largest and grandest stadium in the city. Farroupilha Park is one of the largest parks in the city, located near the business district. As I have mentioned before, the cleanliness of this city is one unsurpassed in the area so you can expect all the city’s parks to well kempt. Another beautiful building in the city is the Cultural Center which was built in a neoclassical fashion. It was built at the beginning of the century by a German architect, but you would never guess its age from the wonderful condition it is kept in. There is also another Cultural Center on the lake and is one of the most important centers of the country. The chimney of this building stands tall enough to see it anywhere from within the city.
The Mercado Publico Central or the Central Market was a building also built in a neoclassical fashion and is a great tourist attraction. Although renovation of this building from 1995 to 1996 modified its original structure, it still houses over one hundred shops, restaurants, and other market place shops. Near to this landmark is another great park known as Moinhos de Vento Park. It is another water front park with a play ground for the children, many jogging and cycling paths, and many places to just sit and relax after a long day of running around the city.
Porto Alegre is also known for its breath taking sunsets. People around the city and tourist from around the world praise this city for having one of the best views for the sunset. In general this city is praised for its general loveliness and cleanliness where as many places in South America are not known for their general upkeep. This is a great place for a tourist to come and enjoy a peaceful beautiful city.
Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo is the most ethnically diverse city in Brazil by far. After slavery was abolished they started to replace the African slave workers with immigrants in the coffee plantations. The person responsible for the replacement of the slaves with immigrants was the senator at this time, Nicolau Vergueiro. This senator brought in German, Swiss, and Portuguese people to work even on his own properties. Thanks to this man, however, Sao Paulo has become a great city to travel to if you are looking for a city with a wide diversity of things to do. With over one hundred ethnicities city wide, there are many culturally different things to do throughout Sao Paulo. Between venues of performing arts, to buildings of top architectural design, Sao Paulo is by far one of the most exciting cities in South America to visit.
Music has played a very important part in the history of Sao Paulo as well. Of course, the music of Sao Paulo has been affected by the many different cultures and ethnicities that dwell within the city. There are many musical venues located around the city for the vacationer interested in the music scene. The Bar Brahma venue in Centro has been a popular place in Sao Paulo for the local legends to play at such as Adoniran Barbosa, who composed and sang samba. The Julio Prestes Cultural Center in another very important performing arts building in Sao Paulo. The cultural center is actually inside the Julio Prestes Station which has been totally restored and renovated by the state government of Brazil. Inside the Station is the Sala Sao Paulo, which has one thousand four hundred and ninety eight seats, and is also the home of the Orquestra Sinfonica do Estado of Sao Paulo. The Sala Sao Paulo is a venue especially made for symphonic and chamber presentations. It has been designed and updated to meet the most up-to-date international standards and is often compared to our own Boston Symphonic Hall here in America. If you are traveling to Sao Paulo this is a must see destination of the city.
There is also the Municipal Theater of Sao Paulo, which happens to be one of the most important theaters in South America, and is also one of the oldest theaters here in this country. It is also one of the greatest landmarks in the city. Not only is it historically important to the city and to South America, but it is also an important architectural landmark. It is a great place to visit if you are making your way to Sao Paulo. In this building, arts were revolutionized in Brazil during the Week of Modern Art in 1922. This building is also now home to the Sao Paulo Municipal Symphonic Orchestra, the Lyric Choir, and the City Ballet. If you are interested in the arts of different regions of the world, Sao Paulo is a wonderful place to visit for its many historical buildings and venues for arts and performing arts.
