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It’s bright, it’s vibrant, it’s passionate and it has a laid-back vibe – where else, but Brazil? With half of its mass covered by the Amazon basin and over 7,000 km of tropical coastline, the wonders of nature are all around. It also hosts the most famous party in the world, the drum-fuelled Rio Carnival.
Why go?
Music
Music and dance play a major role in Brazilian life and thanks to the melting pot of cultures, including native Indian, Latino, European and African, the styles are as diverse as the people themselves. Most people are familiar with samba and bossa nova beats, but the lundu, choro and tropicália are also popular. Head to any village or town and their sounds will permeate the bars, restaurants, clubs and the streets.
Sport
Sport is also big news in Brazil with football at the top of the popularity stakes. The national soccer team is huge here, winning the Fifa World Cup a record five times. Kicking around a football is part of everyday life and many visitors join locals to watch one of the big games. Other sporting activities include volleyball, Brazilian jujitsu and capoeira – an Afro-Brazilian martial art developed in colonial times by slaves and performed to rhythmic music.
Wildlife
The Amazon basin is home to one of the longest rivers and most of the world’s rainforest. With it comes the biggest array of plant and animal species on Earth, including the numerous monkeys, freshwater dolphins, sloths, anteaters, armadillos, jaguars, spectacled bears and tapirs. In fact, it’s hard not to see amazing wildlife in Brazil, from humpback whales off the coast of Bahia to the jabiru stork of the Pantanal wetlands and mammoth butterflies above Iguazu Falls.
Past to present
The first European settlers to arrive in the area were the Portuguese, led in 1500 by the adventurous Pedro Cabral who reportedly found a population of around seven million native Indians. Today, fewer than 200,000 of Brazil’s indigenous people survive and most of these are in the jungle areas. The Portuguese explorers who followed Cabral found little of trading value, but did set up agricultural enclaves near the coasts. Then came sugar and with it slaves. The Portuguese settlers frequently intermarried with Indians and African slaves, hence the varied ethnicity and multi-culture found in Brazil today. In 1807, the Prince Regent of Portugal, Dom João, established Brazil as the capital of his empire. He returned home in 1821, but when he attempted to go back to Brazil, his son Dom Pedro I raised his sword and declared its independence from Portugal.
The 19th century saw coffee as the main industry and almost one million more European immigrants arrived. A military coup backed by wealthy coffee magnates rendered Brazil a Republic in 1889. Coffee and its producers virtually ruled the government for the next 30 years and for the subsequent half a century Brazil struggled with instability and dictatorship. In 1989 the country enjoyed its first democratic election in almost three decades, but a huge divide between rich and poor remains.
Lie of the land
Brazil takes up most of the eastern part of South America as well as various islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It extends 4,395 km from north to south and 4,319 km from east to west spanning four time zones. The Atlantic coastline runs for 7,367km in the east, while in the west Brazil shares 15,719km of borders with Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Mountain ranges include the Serra do Mar, the Serra do Espinhaço and the Pacaraima, with Pico da Neblina as the highest point at 2,994m. The largest river – one of the longest in the world – is the mighty Amazon and the rainforest that covers its basin makes up almost half of the rainforest on Earth.
When to go
Most of Brazil is in the tropical zone, but it is a huge country and therefore has a varied climate. The interior is hot and dry while the tropical rainforests are hot and humid – the Amazon region is one of the world’s rainiest places and travel can be difficult between January and May. Coastal Brazil tends to be hot all year, but can get colder in the south and in the mountains during the winter. Summer runs from December to February and this is also the most festive season so it can be crowded. Brazil also has a rainy season although still with sunny days: from January to April in the north, from April to July in the northeast and from November to March in the Rio/São Paulo area.
Getting there
British Airways and Brazilian national airline Varig offer flights from London to São Paulo direct. This is the main flight hub for Brazil and services from there continue to Rio de Janeiro. Or you can fly to Rio and other Brazilian cities such as Fortaleza via Lisbon in Portugal. You may also find charter flights to Salvador and Natal. For more details visit www.flightmapping.com/SouthAmerica/Brazil.
Red tape
UK passport holders don’t need a visa to enter Brazil, but your passport must be valid for six months and a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds may be requested on arrival. You can stay for 90 days, which is extendable for a further 90 days at the discretion of the Federal Police. If you want to work you need a working visa. Visit www.brazil.org.uk/tourism/visasvaccinations.html for more details or call 020 7930 9055.
Stay insured
Crime and health risks are present in Brazil and certain areas are designated as dangerous territories. Don’t travel uninsured, without the right amount of cover or before checking the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice at www.fco.gov.uk for country-specific tips on zones to avoid, travel health and avoiding crime abroad.
Find out more
For more holiday ideas visit www.brazil.org.uk/tourism or pick up a copy of Lonely Planet’s Brazil Country Guide, Footprint Brazil Handbook or The Rough Guide to Brazil to take with you.
With Direct Line it’s a simple process to sort out travel insurance. Our Discoverer policy is perfect for student travellers, gap years, backpacking holidays and longer trips to Brazil. For shorter or frequent travel try our single trip or annual travel insurance policies. Simply apply for a travel insurance quote online today.
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