Iguazú Falls, unmissable even against a penalty in the World Cup final
AFRICA TWO HOURS FROM SAO PAULO: PANTANAL
It is worth seeing a game in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro and taking a plane to Mato Grosso do Sul (an hour and a half from São Paulo to the capital, Campo Grande; almost two from Rio) . Just as worth it extend the stay to spend a couple of days touring the Pantanal and staying in a typical hacienda hotel within the largest inland delta in the world.
The Pantanal region is known as the “Brazilian Africa” and it is that more than 600 species of birds coexist with almost 3,500 plant species and about 100 species of mammals such as the anteater, the tapir, the capybara... And the king of the house: the jaguar. Multiple companies organize safaris, even for days, on 4x4, on horseback... But there is also a train that departs from Campo Grande, the Trem do Pantanal , which makes a complete tour of the landscape of the hills of the Sierra de Maracajú and the Aquidauana River, some of the most beautiful landscapes of the swamp, indigenous villages, swamp inns and museums of this life of water and exuberant vegetation. Nature 300%.
*Some wetlands farms:
- Araras Pantanal
- Pousada Mutum
-Pousada Rio Claro
-Fazenda Bahia Grande Hotel
Jaguar in Pantanal
ADRENALINE IN PRETTY
Also in Mato Grosso do Sul a land is found that needs no adjectives: Nice . Add two or three more days of getaway by taking advantage of the flight from Sao Paulo to Pantanal to go to Bonito It is the ultimate plan. Bonito has been recognized thirteen times as Best Ecotourism Destination in Brazil and, for this, there is a limited access per day of visitors. The reason? Maintain and preserve THIS.
Here are plenty of reasons to put on your swimsuit and diving goggles
But beyond his clear water splashes accompanied by fish as if we were in an aquarium in the Sucuri river or in the Nossa Senhora Aparecida lake, Beautiful is pure adrenaline . Take advantage of all its natural nooks and crannies of the hole Sierra of Bodoquena involves daring with the practice of tree climbing, a 'walk' for those who do not know what vertigo is among trees, through which they reach the caves of San Miguel ; also dare with abseiling (to be able to enter the anhumas abyss ) ; dare with rafting, to observe, in all its splendor, the formoso river (which is an achievement of interconnected lakes) ; lose the fear of closed spaces, to observe the perfect Blue Lake.
The cave of the Blue Lake
ILHABELA, PARADISE JUST A STEP FROM SAO PAULO
Not everything is going to be city. ** Ilhabela is the island respite from the city **. To get to this island from São Paulo, you have to get to São Sebastiã (there are direct transfers from the São Paulo airport) and from there take a ferry (about a three-hour trip in total). What do we find when we arrive? the abrupt paradise . Ilhabela is only accessible by car from the west. The rest of the island better by boat to get to the beaches or by 4x4.
Ilhabela's coast is a succession of hills that jut aggressively into the sea and pristine white sandbanks. If you want to avoid "the mass", forget about the beach closest to the ferry landing and the road, Big Beach . Better get lost (not literally) there are trails, trails , marked throughout the island and which can be accessed by 4x4 or on foot. One of the most manageable trails is the one that leads to the Tres Tombos waterfalls, small and perfect for a relaxing bath.
Ilha das Cabras (Ilhabela), perfect coastline for scuba diving
ENERGY IN FOZ DO IGUAÇU
They could not miss the most international waterfalls that, in addition, are an hour's flight from one of the World Cup venues (Curitiba) and two from São Paulo **(half past two from Rio de Janeiro) **. Iguazú is the natural border between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and Foz do Iguacu , the town that lives between the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant and the falls, always at the rhythm of the water. The perfect plan: a helicopter ride over the falls. For lovers of solid ground, it is a must to take the perfect snapshot from **the elevated viewpoint of the Parque de las Aguas** that goes into the Garganta del Diablo.
Also, walking trails are organized in the park (also routes of arborism, to see everything by the branches), by bicycle and even in electric vehicles. But if you are more off-road, within the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, the definitive activity is organized: the Macuco Safari , which includes a ride in twin-engine inflatable boats that ascend the currents of the river (final bath included). The perfect visit? Stay on the Orient Express das Cataratas, to wake up with the most brutal views of Brazil.
Viewpoint in Parque das Augas
WIND IN CEARA
Fortaleza, capital of the State of Ceará, is one of the venues for the 2014 World Cup . But beyond the great tourist walk of Beira Mar (on the beachfront with great offers in restaurants and hotels), we recommend moving from beach to beach, through the State of Ceará. This one is famous for its wind, for its 573 kilometers of beaches and by the conjunction of both: sports such as kitesurfing and windsurfing (in Cumbuco, one of the most appreciated by kitesurfers and very close to Fortaleza and the beautiful Jericoacoara ) or also sandboarding (on the west coast of Ceará, where dune beaches such as Taiba or Guriú ) . In addition to wind, do you want romance? the martian Morro Blanco Beach , with large rock formations that create improvised viewpoints, is the key. Of everything.
The Martian (and unmissable) beach of Ceará
ROMANTICISM AND GAUCHISM IN RIO GRANDE DO SUL
Five of the World Cup matches will be played in Porto Alegre , capital of the State of Rio Grande do Sul . And since not everything is going to be football, we propose two perfect getaways to go as a couple in this State. On the one hand, the north, the Sierra Gaúcha area , a place with a temperate climate, where winter is winter escaping to Brazilian tropicalism. Its area of vineyards and hydrangeas is full of small and large hotels with fireplaces, wood and blankets, such as the impressive hotel in The ranch or the Hotel St. Hubertus.
Secondly, the pampas of the south . Already on the border with Uruguay are these large extensions ranchers, populated, for the most part, by gaúchos . Here his thing is to eat a good steak in a fogo de chão, without great luxuries but full of the spirit of the terroir, for which the hotels in the region are perfect. commodore chain , located in the town of Bagé, Sant' Ana do Livramento or Quaraí.
Ranch in Rio Grande do Sul
GET GREEN (AND URBAN) IN CURITIBA
The capital of the State of Paraná and one of the World Cup venues boasts of greenery and multiculturalism . And it's serious: 38 parks adorn the city and it is estimated that there is about 64 square meters of green space per inhabitant . It is not trivial that in the city is the Free Federal University of the Environment, built in recycled wood and located in one of the green spaces, the Zaninelli forest. The Botanical Garden is spectacular, perfect for understanding and studying the flora of the area; but if you really want to feel like a curitibano, visit the Tangua Park , located on two old quarries where currently rest two lakes to cross by boat.
Curitiba Botanical Garden
BECOME INTERNATIONAL IN CURITIBA
A Ukrainian settlement in the middle of Brazil? And in another park, in the ** Tingüi **, where a replica of the Church of San Miguel Arcángel rests and a typical Ukrainian house among other constructions. This decontextualized set is a memorial in honor of the Ukrainian immigrants who moved to Curitiba at the end of the 19th century. A German forest? Also. And with a square dedicated to the Germanic Culture included . This forest, located in the neighborhood Jardim Schaffer , is a tribute to the German immigrants who settled in the city at the beginning of the 19th century. What is clear to us is that Curitiba is a lot of everything. And where is the Brazilian flavor? In the historic center and in the neighborhood of Nova Batel , the gastronomic and nightlife epicenter of the city.
Boca da Onc?a in Bonito