The most important Inca archaeological site in Cusco is the temple of Qorikancha. It also happens to be one of the most important Spanish colonial churches in the city.
Ouro Preto, just a few hours from Belo Horizonte, is one of the most amazing places I’ve visited in Brazil. It’s a colonial town with a gorgeous setting that was made very wealthy by the gold rush. Several colorful colonial buildings and stunning churches line the steep streets of this hilly UNESCO World Heritage town.
The main points of interest in Belo Horizonte lie typically at Liberty Square (Praça da Liberdade) in the city center. The square is filled with trees, plants, and fountains and is a nice place to sit and relax.
Avenida Paulista is the most famous street in São Paulo. Its 2.8km is lined with tall office buildings, banks, and shopping malls. It’s often compared to Fifth Avenue in New York, but it’s more of a business and financial center than anything. It also boasts the most expensive real estate in all of Latin America.
When in São Paulo, Brazil, it’s great to hop on the Metrô to Liberdade, home of the biggest Japanese community outside of Japan.
The title says it all. It’s not that São Paulo is short on things to see, it’s just that the quality of things to see isn’t that great. I was expecting a whole lot more for a city so big. Granted, I didn’t visit Parque Iberapuera, one of the main attractions, but I don’t think that would’ve swayed me into liking São Paulo. Should you skip São Paulo? No, but don’t spend too much time here. Two days is more than enough to cover everything of note.
Most people pass through São Sebastião on their way to and from Ilhabela. Being only 15 minutes away from Ilhabela by ferry, I decided to check out the town for an hour while waiting for my bus to São Paulo.
There isn’t much to see or do in Ubatuba. There’s the Ubatuba Aquarium (Aquário de Ubatuba) which is an aquarium geared towards children, and the headquarters of an organization that protects sea turtles in Brazil, Projeto Tamar. In addition, it’s possible to visit a local Caiçara community. The Caiçara are people of mixed Portuguese and indigenous descent who have been living a traditional life for nearly 400 years.
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.