Brazil’s Greatest Hits

Brazil’s biggest city is loud, energetic and tons of fun, just like its resident Paulistanos. New York never sleeps, and São Paulo never stops: moving, shaking, ground-breaking. Its dynamic museums are far from dusty, from the Museu Afro Brasil in the enormous Ibirapuera Park to the recently renovated Museu de Arte de São Paulo. Spirited performances of samba and sertanejo draw crowds of locals and travellers alike, while at weekends those in the know strike out for the coast. 

Comprising 275 cascades and straddling the border between Argentina and Brazil, Iguassu Falls are taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide. Small wonder in 2011 they were declared one of the UNESCO New Seven Natural Wonders of the World. A choice of walking trails and footbridges allows travellers to get right up close to the thundering falls while observing the local flora and fauna, which includes toucans, monkeys, coatimundis and butterflies. 

Rio de Janeiro’s celebrated Carnival typically falls in late February, but in this vibrant city, the party continues for 365 days. From your hotel, which overlooks the storied Copacabana Beach, you can explore at your leisure, with scenic drives past the city’s beaches to the foothills of the Tijuca National Forest and cog-wheel train-rides up Corcovado Mountain. From the summit, enjoy the world-famous panoramic vista of Rio, featuring the Christ the Redeemer statue. Alternatively, take a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain and enjoy sundowners as the sun sets over the city.    

Known as Brazil’s capital of happiness, this buoyant, bustling city on Bahia’s tropical coast is famous for its Afro-Brazilian culture and cuisine, the Pelourinho’s UNESCO-protected colonial architecture, its party-starting attitude and the golden beaches nearby. Cachaça, capoeira and carnival are all staples here, but the region’s complicated history is not to be ignored: under Portuguese rule, over 1.3 million enslaved African people were brought to Bahia. Now, cultural cornerstones from music and food to religion have not just survived but thrived, exemplifying the extraordinary resilience and resistance of the African diaspora, and museums like the Museo Náutico de Bahía documents Salvador’s role in the slave trade.