Fortaleza is a city in northeast Brazil. It’s known for its urban beaches.
There really isn’t too much to see in Belo Horizonte, but I was pleasantly surprised by this city. It was clean, friendly, organized, and in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountains. This capital city of Minas Gerais is usually a stopover point for visitors to nearby Ouro Preto, Mariana, or Congonhas, but it deserves a day of exploration. After being in São Paulo for a few days, Belo Horizonte seemed like paradise.
Although I didn’t include Foz do Iguaçu in my original plans for Brazil, I decided that one of the must-sees on my trip had to be a visit to Iguazu Falls. I cut off a few days in Ilhabela to make it happen.
On June 3, 2014 I was on the Brazilian island of Ilhabela. In the middle of the night, I experienced a real Brazilian bank robbery complete with bombs and guns. I wrote a story about it and was very fortunate to have it edited and dramatized by the one and only Roman Britons. Visit his blog for the original post! This is a true story! Enjoy…
Ilhabela translates to “Beautiful Island”. That is a correct description of Brazil’s third largest island, located just a few hours from São Paulo. It’s a popular weekend getaway for Paulistas with some incredible beaches, hiking trails, and waterfalls. One warning – bring lots of bug spray. The mosquitoes and flies are brutal!
Ubatuba is Brazil’s self-proclaimed surfing capital. This laid-back beach city with a funny name and some of the most spectacular beaches in Brazil gave me the opportunity to live a surfer’s life for a few days. I never actually got out into the water to surf, but I had a great time in a house full of surfers.
Paraty (pronounced para-CHEE) is an open-air museum of Portuguese colonialism in Brazil. Wandering the cobblestone streets, visiting the art galleries and shops, and eating at one of the many good restaurants in town is well worth a visit for a day.
Ilha Grande is an island just a few hours away from Rio de Janeiro, but a completely different world. There are no cars, no banks (so bring plenty of cash!), and dirt roads. The island is a lush green tropical paradise full of hiking trails and empty beaches, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. (UPDATE: a Caixa ATM machine has been installed at Vila do Abraão)