Best of Brazil 17 Days, 16 Nights 2023

Arrival in Rio de Janeiro. Meeting at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Free time. Overnight in the hotel.Rio de Janeiro has green hills, blue sky, beautiful bays, islands and marvelous beaches. It is the second biggest city in Brazil (after Sao Paulo) and, certainly, one of the most beautiful cities in the world! Blue ocean water will call you to the beach. Enjoy your time in this paradise city! You can enjoy the exciting life of the city or relax among the palm trees drinking coconut water and listening to samba. Whatever you choose – Rio is all yours! Blue ocean water will call you to the beach. The most popular beaches – Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, are famous for their black and white tiled promenade. Numerous open cafeterias on the beach will offer you refreshing coconut water, freshly squeezed juices and other drinks. You can also see presentations of local musicians on the beach playing all kinds of music, people practicing sports, enjoying themselves. Emerge yourself in the rhythm of the city.

After a delicious breakfast in your hotel, you will head out on a trip to see the world-famous Christ the Redeemer statue on top of Corcovado Mountain. A specially designed train will take you from the foot of the mountain along a winding road through the magical Tijuca rainforest where if you are lucky, you can see some of the enchanting tropical wildlife on constant display in Rio, such as toucans, monkeys and armadillos. At the summit of Corcovado, 700m above sea level, proudly stands the iconic image seen around the world – a 38m high statue of Christ the Saviour. But that is not the only breathtaking thing about this place –you will be overwhelmed by the stunning panoramic view of the city, so high up it seems as though you are truly flying with the birds around you. From the far reaches of Guanabara Bay, to the Maracanã Stadium, all along to Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, Ipanema and Gávea Mountain, you can see the whole Rio de Janeiro.

After breakfast, a half-day guided excursion to the Sugar Loaf is planned. The first stop is on Urca Mountain, with a wide viewing area. You can clearly see the whole city in the palm of your hand from here. On Sugarloaf mountain you can enjoy a beautiful view of Rio, Copacabana beach, Guanabara bay, the surrounding mountains, islands in the ocean, Niteroi bridge, and the statue of Christ on Corcovado Mountain.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the Angra dos Reis region (about 3.5 hours from Rio) to the island of Ilha Grande (by car, then by boat), accommodation at the hotel. Rest.Ilha Grande is an hour by boat from the coast of Angra dos Reis and is one of the most pristine remnants of Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest. The island houses one of the richest ecosystems in the world, and a hotspot for biodiversity and conservation. The entire island is a protected area, a real paradise with many beaches, mountain peaks, waterfalls, and forests! Welcome to paradise!

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a wonderful boat tour to the most famous beach of Isla Grande: Lopes Mendes. After a small 20 min hike over the hill that gives access to this paradise beach you descend in flour white and soft-sand and are greeted by palm trees, amazing blue ocean and nothing else. Admire the emerald sea and immerse yourself in the pure water.In the afternoon you have time to book an optional tour to the blue lagoon (not included)

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport (by boat, then by car), for your flight to Foz de Iguazu. Meeting and transfer to the hotel.

After breakfast, your guide picks you up at the hotel for an excursion to the Brazilian side of the falls. A tranquil and calming walk along the edge of the falls provides the most spectacular view you have ever seen; over 250 overflowing with millions of gallons of water racing furiously down straight from the Amazon River. The sunlight flashing off the water has the mesmerizing effect of creating hundreds of rainbows as far as the eye can see. It is almost hard to believe, such is the breathtaking beauty of the rainforest paradise. After taking in the incredible views, the path takes you to the eye of the storm, the largest waterfall in the park, The Devil’s Throat. Water crashes off an 80m cliff edge into the Iguazu River, but you have the chance to meet the water via a walkway that leads you into the heart of the waterfall. Feel the power of the water as it surrounds you from all sides, before heading up a stairway to look down from above on the mother of all waterfalls. At the end of the tour, your guide will drop you off at your hotel (entrance ticket included).Optional tours: (not included) Macuco Safari You will go on a jeep safari tour through the jungle, and then get to an exciting boat ride. In the jungle you will ride in an open jeep for about 3 kilometers, accompanied by a guide who will tell you a lot of interesting things about the ecology of the region. Then you will go on foot to the banks of the Iguazu River, from where a motorboat takes you into the falls. You can expect splashes and rainbows, a sea of delight and unique photos. Bird Park You will enter the huge open-air cages, where amazing, fairytale birds of outlandish colors freely fly or walk in the rainforest.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Campo Grande. Arrival and transfer to the Pantanal. The Pantanal is a unique nature reserve in Brazil, an incredible natural wetland with extraordinary wildlife and nature. Located in the heart of South America, the world’s largest wetland covers 210,000 sq km. The majority is in Brazil, split between the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. These open marshes are home to an immense variety of life – if you like to see animals and birds in their natural environment, the Pantanal is the place to be. This is an excellent environment for birdwatchers, photographers, scientists and nature lovers. Accommodation at Pousada Aguape (FB). Pousada Aguape is a lovely farm on the edge of the Pantanal offering its guests a close contact with the exuberant nature of the region and the way of life on a typical Pantanal farm. While staying in the lodge you will be offered the following excursions: horse riding through the plains, and along the ponds of the Pantanal; hiking in picturesque lands of the Pantanal. Piranha fishing and jeep safari

The trips are scheduled at the Pousada and are carefully selected, depending on the climate and time of the year and will be guided by local guides that know all about the flora and fauna that make this place unique. To avoid the intense heat during the day, the tours take place early in the morning and mid-afternoon, at these times of the day, the possibilities of seeing animals are bigger. During your stay meals are included from the first dinner to the last breakfast. Overnight at Pousada Aguape.

Early in the morning we will drive to Bonito and on the way, we will visit the Estancia Mimosa Farm. After a warm welcome at the main ranch house, we start an exciting walk through the Mimosa River Forest. During the hiking trail, there are ten beautiful waterfalls to admire or swim in. The visitor will have the opportunity to enjoy the waterfalls and the rock formations through the way around the Rio Mimosa; there is also a natural deep pool to jump from a 5 meters platform and the chance of going through passages and observatories inside the forest near to the river. After the hike, you can order a delicious lunch in the main building (not included-optional), and you can relax in the hammocks.

After breakfast, visit the Gruta do Lago Azul. One of Bonito’s showcase attractions, the Blue Lake Grotto (Gruta do Lago Azul) does ample justice to its name. This vast cavern contains an underground lake that, when illuminated by the sun’s rays, takes on an otherworldly hue of blue. This phenomenon is the most intense in the mornings in December and early January. While nobody knows the depth of the lake (285 feet, or 87 meters, is the maximum depth reached by divers), the cavern is believed to date back 10 million years based on prehistoric animal fossils found on site. The descent, a staircase of 294 irregular steps, allows for the viewing of some sculptural stalactites and stalagmites. After lunch we will start the snorkeling tour in the crystal-clear river. The tour starts with a visit to the river spring, where you can see the water springing out of the ground. We start the snorkeling tour along the crystal-clear river. The 750-meter-long snorkel allows you to observe the rich subaquatic flora and fauna. An unforgettable experience.

You will enjoy rafting and going off 6 waterfalls on special inflatable tires. And then you will have another adventure- the Arvorismo-Cabanas zipline, located over 6 km from Bonito-MS, Cabanas tour happens on a circuit with 18 obstacles and 2 ziplines, one of them is a zipline on the Rio Formoso with a possibility to land into the river! The tour has a security system with a continue lifelineto which the visitor will be always connected while passing the obstacles.At Cabanas Canopy tour visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the view from the treetops while passing different obstacles. Optionally: Abismo Anhumas (not included)Often voted Bonito’s most unforgettable attraction, the Anhumas Abyss is truly an otherworldly experience. Get into the heart of the earth and enjoy the experience of stalactites and stalagmites above and below the amazing underground lake. After putting on the climbing gear you courageously leap into a narrow crack in the earth, which subsequently widens into a vast cavern. Now you are hanging above an underground cave. A sunray shining into the side of the cave accompanies you all the way. One of the largest underground caves in Brazil, the abyss’ walls are decorated with a fantastic array of stalactites and stalagmites.A 72-meter rappel straight down into the cavern brings you to an underground lake where you can dive or snorkel in the transparent waters with visibility at nearly 30 meters. The rope is used by the instructors to pull you back up onto the earth level.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport of Campo Grande for your flight to São Luís. Arrival, meeting at the airport and transfer to the hotel. São Luís is the only Brazilian state capital founded by the French who ruled over parts of Brazil until they were defeated by the Portuguese. Founded in 1612, the city is named after French King Louis XIII. Later, it was also occupied by the Dutch, until the Portuguese colonizers took over.The city is an island that is enchanting by its beauty, legends and history. Surrounded by warm water beaches all year, São Luís City, World Heritage Site since 1997, offers visitors the centuries old streets with colonial buildings and tiles.

Departure to Barreirinhas, the trip takes 4h on a good road where we will see plantations of Babaçu and Buriti fruits. Barreirinhas is located on the waterfront of the Preguiças River, being a very peaceful and hospitable town. The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, located close to town is a rare gem with magnificent dunes sculpted by nature and in the period of March to September contains hundreds of lakes formed by rainwater. After checking in at the hotel, we will begin a tour in a 4×4 vehicle to get to the heart of the park. We get up the first dune to hike the Blue lake circuit. There will be availability to take a bath in the crystal blue lagoon, and sand slide down the water, and finish off the tour by contemplation of the beautiful sunset in the dunes. Return to Barreirinhas around 19h00 and you can continue enjoying a bath in the hotel pool or go for a meal at one of the riverside restaurants. Overnight in Barreirinhas.

After breakfast we will embark on a speedboat for a trip on the majestic Preguiças River, with its calm waters. We can spot some exotic plants during our ride: igarapés, mango plants, buritis, Juçara (açaí) plants, tucunzeiros, and other plants. If we are lucky, we will spot some monkeys on the way. We will stop in the village of Vassouras, also known as small dunes. It is possible to buy a delicious coconut water before climbing up the smaller Dunes. We also go to Mandacarú, a small fishing village where we can climb the 160 steps to the Preguiças Lighthouse to contemplate the paradisiacal vision of dunes, of the river and its mouth and the ocean in the background. In the afternoon transfer to São Luís. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. At the mentioned time transfer to the airport for your flight to Rio de Janeiro. Arrival in Rio. Meeting and transfer to the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport of Rio de Janeiro for your flight home.