Ironically, international tourism in Brazil is not too developed. In general, there are as many tourists in Brazil as in one major Mexican resort town . This means that the tourism industry is closely tied to the domestic market. And Brazilians have some very amusing quirks.
Most Brazilians are used to travel in their own country at about the same time:
- during the school holidays in January and June;
- during the carnival in Rio;
- during the celebration of national holidays
The rest of the year, most of the Brazilian destinations are almost empty, despite the fact that the climate in these places is often much more comfortable during the off-season. So plan wisely when travelling.
Magic date
If you do not plan to spend much time during your holiday in Brazil, wait for the magical date of January 10, after which prices miraculously cease to be too high . And the thing is that many families have to this point emptied their bank accounts, to relax on the beach during the holidays and now save for the beginning of carnival in Rio de Janeiro. At that time, prices fall significantly, and the owners of hotels welcome every new guest.
Autumn and Winter in Rio
Location of Brazil in the southern part of our planet determines the change of the seasons. As autumn gives way in Europe in the winter, in Rio de Janeiro , on the other hand , spring is replaced by a hot tropical summer . This is the perfect time to go to Rio – you are waiting for the hot dry days and cool nights.
Bus or car
If you plan to visit a considerable number of points throughout Brazil, and at the same time you move from place to place no more than 200 miles , you can use the bus service. This system is xcellent and runs perfectly. The only drawback is the small amount of information about bus tours on the Internet. However, on each bus station you will find all the information about the serviced areas and suggested tours.
As for the car rental, in big cities it is the direct cause of the huge expense and stress. You expect problems with parking and the cost of parking can be huge in some places . Instead, you can use the alternative:
- Small but clean subway lines in Rio and Sao Paulo , with the help of which you can reach all the tourist attractions.
- Taxi services are relatively inexpensive , but with them you are sure to keep your peace of mind.
But outside the major cities, especially along the coast or in the national parks, without a car you will feel less freedom in the choice of routes. Bus tours are quite predictable and standard , so if your intention is something extraordinary – your choice is to rent a car.
Not a single Amazon
You will find a huge number of suggestions to visit different parts of the Amazon, and for sure you will see there are a lot of amazing plants and possibly some amount of animals. However , all these are well-established routes , which have little to do with real pristine nature of these places.
One of the most valuable places in Brazil in terms of the beauty of untouched nature is a vast swampy Pantanal basin . In summer, the place turns into an enormous size lake. Pantano is not only much more amazing phenomenon but it is much more affordable than the Amazon . The diversity of wildlife of this place is striking:
- more than 3,000 species of plants;
- more than 1,000 species of birds, fish and mammals.
Pantanal is currently protected a nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And to finally go beyond the typical tourist routes , try to visit the three islands:
- Ilha Grande is located quite close to Rio de Janeiro , an island with beautiful beaches and low-cost housing
- Ilha de Poypeba is a paradise on Earth, only a 30- minute flight from El Salvador