Just outside of Foz do Iguaçu is Itaipu Binacional. It’s the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world in terms of generating energy. If you are interested in engineering, it’s well worth a visit.
On a small hill just outside of the historic town of Paraty sits Fort Perpetual Defender (Forte Defensor Perpétuo), the site of a 19th century fort. The road to the fort is a dirt path that’s a short, pleasant walk through a forest. The walk to the fort provides decent views of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Paraty.
An important square to visit in Rio de Janeiro’s city center is Cinelândia. The official name of the square is Floriano Peixoto Square (Praça Floriano Peixoto), named after a Brazilian soldier and politician who has a monument dedicated to him in the center of the square.
Leme is a small stretch of beach to the east of Copacabana, at Avenida Princes Isabel. It’s a much quieter beach than Copacabana, and there’s much less action.
Santa Teresa is the bohemian quarter of Rio de Janeiro. With some gorgeous views of the city and plenty of interesting places to visit, it’s one area that can’t be missed. The famous stairway, Escadaria Selarón, leads from Lapa up to the Santa Teresa neighborhood.
Lapa is one of the more interesting neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. While typically known for nightlife, it has a few points of interest, including one of the city’s most visited sights.
Most people come to Rio de Janeiro for the beaches, scenery, and nightlife, but there is plenty to see in the historic city center, including the heart of the city, Largo da Carioca.
One of my favorite sites in all of Rio de Janeiro is the Escadaria Selarón. This stairway from Lapa to Santa Teresa has all its 250 steps covered in tiles from all over the world. Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón worked on them from 1990 until he committed suicide on the steps on January 10, 2013.
Copacabana beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world. The word Copacabana itself creates images of hundreds of perfect bodies on a crowded beach, men and women flirting with each other, playing football, working out, or laying out for a tan.
The most famous and colorful (and touristy) area in Buenos Aires is the old working class area of La Boca. Settled by Italian immigrants, mostly from Genoa, this area retains an Italian feel to it. In fact, the official emblem of La Boca has the Genoese flag in it. La Boca was also instrumental in the rise of the tango. You’ll find many tango performers in the street.