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About Brazil
Brazil is a wonderful place.
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Eat / Play / Shop
What to do in Rio de Janeiro:
- Go to a soccer game (contact Sergio: ssm10@hotmail.com; he can get tickets, escort you there and make sure you are safe)
- Favela Tour (Contact Paulo: pauloamendoim8@hotmail.com; 55 – 99747680 or 997 476 860 OR Marcelo Armstrong 21 3322 2727 www.favelatour.com.br)
- Santa Teresa (bohemian, historic mansions; artsy shops)
- Sugar Loaf Moutain
- Christ the redeamor
- Botanical garden
- Sunday: Feira Hippie (Gen Osario Square)
- Our favourite beach was Ipanema (fun the watch all the people playing “keep up” with the soccer fall)
What to do in Ilha Grande:
- Lopez Mendez (hike to beach on other side of island; great surfing there; can take boat back at end of day)
- Mangues
- Beaches: Saco do Ceu, Cachadaco, Aventurerio (surfing)
- Circuito Abraao
- Snorkel boat trip
What to do in Paraty:
- Old Gold Trail; Jeep tour to jungle waterfall
- Boat tour (Infoparaty)
- Jabaquara Mangrove kayaking – Paraty Bay
- Paratycool.com
- Trinidad in Serra da Bocaina Ntl. Park: Praia do Sono beach; fisherman village
What to do in Sao Paolo:
- http://thisismyhappiness.com/2013/04/03/things-to-do-in-sao-paulo-brazil/
- Football Museum
- SP Mercado Municipal
- MASP
- Sunday antique markt (on Ave. Paulista)- around MASP
- Praca da Republica Market (SUNDAY); artisan and food
- Street Art: Vila Madalena-Beco do Batman (Batman Alley) off Rua Harmonia (just before Rua Luis Murat); cool artsy area
What to do in Salvador:
- Capoeira
- Tuesday night @ 8 pm steps to Igreja do Paco from Ladeira do Carmo
- Tuesday mass: N.S. do Rosário dos Pretos: African drums attended by the church’s black parishioners OR Praça Teresa Batista, Olodum = traditional Tuesday show
- Candomble in Cachoeira
- Day beach tourist: Porto de Barra (then walk to Farol lighthouse da Barra to eat acaraje/abara; good sunset),Flamengo or Stella Maris; locals: Jaguaribe, Piatã and Itapoã
- Cidade Alto: Ingreja Sao Fran. , Nossa Senhora do Rosario dos Pretos, Praça da Sé, Rio Branco Palace, Terreiro de Jesus, and 16th-century Forte de Santo Antônio; Elevador Lacerda = Art Deco elevator up to Mercado Modelo then Bonfim, Ponta do Humalta + Monte Serrat fortress and lunch in Ribeira
- Solar do Unhao (museum complex in magic setting)
https://www.thestar.com/life/travel/2013/05/03/brazil_travel_tips_for_catching_a_soccer_match_in_rio_de_janeiro.html
RIO
Candomble
To attend a Candomblé session check with the Afro Brazilian Federation: Federação Baiana de Culto Afro Brasileiro, Rua Alfredo de Brito 39, second floor, Pelourinho (tel. 071/3321-1444). Another good resource is the Afro-Brazilian museum in Pelourinho (tel. 071/3321-0383). To attend a Candomblé session check with the Afro Brazilian Federation: Federação Baiana de Culto Afro Brasileiro, Rua Alfredo de Brito 39, second floor, Pelourinho (tel. 071/3321-1444). Another good resource is the Afro-Brazilian museum in Pelourinho (tel. 071/3321-0383).
Capoeira
Associação de Capoeira Mestre Bimba (55-71/3492-3197; capoeiramestrebimba.com.br), which opened in 1932, before the martial art was decriminalized. The Salvador restaurant Solar do Unhão (dinner, $20; 55-71/3329-5551), has shows every night but Sunday ($20). Sure it’s aimed at tourists, but the capoeira is terrific.
Soccer:
Maracana is the main stadium in Brazil. Last World Cup final (Germany x Argentina) was played there and the Opening Ceremony of 2016 Olimpic Games will be there. Maracana stadium is in Rio.
We have 4 big teams in Rio: Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco and Botafogo. Any game between these teams are called derbies (or Clássico in Portuguese).
I’d prefer Flamengo game because it’s my team of course and because it’s the most popular team in Brazil. ;-)))
Tickets will only be put on sale by a week before the game and usually at the club itself and at the stadium. Price may be around 40 Reais, the cheapest (behind goal with better atmosphere). But it can cost more depending on the clubs… It’s possible to buy tickets through Maracana website (www.maracana.com), but I think you would need a Brazilian ID and still would need to pickup tickets at the stadium. I usually go behind the goal where seats aren’t numbered and the atmosphere is much better (with big flags and drums). East and West side seats are numbered, have the best view and costs a bit more (around 60 reais).
If you go by yourself, it’s ok. BUT just make sure you can get the ticket and arrive earlier to avoid the last minute crowds. There is a subway station just in front of the stadium. It’s the cheaper and best way to get there.
Children under 12yo and older than 65yo get in for free at any game in Rio.
I usually accompany people to football games in small groups. But I also go and come back by subway. I usually meet people in Copacabana or Ipanema and then we head together to the subway station and back to/from the stadium and the game. I go buy tickets before and people pay me back when meeting (cash). We arrive earlier and we usually go to the cheapest section where most people go (behind the goal). When game is over we head together to the subway and back to Copacabana/Ipanema. For regular games, I ask 70 Reais fee plus ticket value per person (ticket + subway tickets + fee). If tickets costs 40 Reais, for instance, you’d pay me 110 Reais per person…
But if you prefer more confort, you can also get into a tour offered by most hotels/hostels in Rio (ticket and transport). You just have to book at your hotel reception when arriving. Bus or mini-vans pick-up people at hotels in south Rio.
Please let me know if you need any further information. I will be glad to help.
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Itinerary
We were in Brazil for 16 days
We flew into Rio and rented an apartment right near Ipanema Beach through Homeaway (Aug 7-12)
We hired a car and driver and went down to Ilha Grande. We stayed at Pousada Recreio da Praia which was perfect. (Aug 13 – 15)
After that we headed down to Party and stayed with this fantastic couple at Pousada Gurana. We did a day trip to a watering hole where you could swim and even fly down a large natural water slide and did another day trip to Trinidade (Aug 16 – 17)
Visited Sao Paolo where we had family friends so we slept at their home (Aug 17)
Flew to Salvador and stayed at Hotel Cruz do Pascoal. It was’t remarkable but the staff were great and the location was perfect (Aug 18- 21)
Transport
Yellow taxis: more common; best to get at a stand; can run in circle and overcharge
Radio taxis: blue, green, white; reliable, safest, clean; need to call for one; expensive; lingotaxi.com
Local bus: http://www.costaverdetransportes.com.br
Green Toad: info@greentoadbus.com; 55 45 3027-4157 (we used this company and hired a private driver to take us on longer journeys)
