As I said so many times here, I am passionate about Brazil. Went there for the first time in 2004 with my son and 2 friends, and from then on went there over and over again, and even lived in Rio for 8 months. This time, instead of talking about it, I decided to leave it to your imagination by posting a collection of photographs I took along the years, in the South East region (São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro States). Hope you enjoy, and do not forget: TRAVEL. ALONE, IN GROUP, BUT DO. The memories we create make us turn back in time, dream, and be happy.
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I usually start my holidays in São Paulo, as from where I fly from all flights land in São Paulo. The first time I went there had mixed feelings about it, but soon found the somehow magic of this big city, that has amazing gastronomy, culture, shoppings, a huge park (Ibirapuera) in the middle of the urban jungle, the São Paulo equivalent to 5th Avenue, the Óscar Freire street, welcoming people and beautiful sunsets.
From São Paulo I usually take the bus (I love relaxing on the amazing Brazilian buses, really comfy and allow me to see the landscapes, and even spot new places for visiting) to the north of São Paulo state and I follow the coastline on BR 101 (one of the most beautiful beach front roads I know) to Rio de Janeiro where I am usually based (check past posts like this: Why you should go to Rio, How to get to Rio).
One of my favorite places along the Southeast coastline is Paraty a small town that is unexpectedly a gastronomic and culture hub and held the famous annual literary fair of Paraty. It is a perfect place to rest, to relax, enjoy the beautiful surroundings, take a day trip to Trindade, eat while listening to amazing live music, shop on the small cobbled streets (that frequently inundate when raining) and go on a boat tour around the islands and the coastline.
Another fantastic place you can visit along the coast from São Paulo to Rio is Angra dos Reis, an Archipelago with 365 islands, most of them private. The small town itself is not a nice place to be, but visiting the islands is a must and staying in the coastline North or south of Angra dos Reis Town, or at Ilha Grande is fantastic.
And then you get to the Cidade Maravilhosa (marvellous city) Rio de Janeiro. The next photographs will surely tell you why that name, what a perfect combination of nature, beach, city, mountain, sea, art, culture and architecture Rio is.
Another place that you can easily reach from Rio, on a 2.5h bus drive is Búzios. Búzios became world famous in the 1960’s due to being Brigitte Bardot’s favorite summer place. It is a peninsula with 25 beaches, islands and a small yet luxurious and cosmopolitan town, with the famous Rua das Pedras where all the action happens. It is a fantastic place for holidays, with world class restaurants, hotels, resorts, B&B and even rental apartments. I will write a dedicated post about Búzios, stay tuned.
You may be thinking by now “so, the southeast is all about the beach?”. No, and I will leave you, to finish this post, with two charming places in the mountains: Petrópolis, the Imperial city where King D. Pedro lived, 1 hour away from Rio by car/bus, and Campos do Jordão, in São Paulo state, a busy, hype, luxurious destination, home of winter festivals, the fondue town, where the famous hang around during winter due to the cold weather (very cold), fantastic gastronomy, beautiful landscape and…yes…beer!
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Woohoo.. Felt as if I was there with you x thank you
Thank you Yvonne
Inspiring. I’ve always wanted to go!! Our daughter’s bf/family is from Brazil. So maybe someday sooner than later. obrigado
Thank you, Dalila – for showing us the beauty of Brazil with your stunning photos and interesting dialogue. I SOOOO want to go now!
OH! And those tucans; adorable
They were there the whole time. A couple and the baby one