Travel to Brazil

Brazil became my 43rd country - and the starting point for an extended South American journey. My friends and I, all working remotely in IT, decided to spend several months exploring the continent while continuing to work. Two weeks in Brazil was just the beginning.

Brazil is a country of superlatives. The 5th largest nation by both territory and population (215 million people), it dominates South America geographically and economically. It contains most of the Amazon rainforest, over 7,000 kilometers of coastline, and cities ranging from the concrete jungle of São Paulo to the tropical beaches of Rio.

What I Experienced

We split our time between major destinations, working during the week and exploring on weekends. Rio de Janeiro was the obvious highlight - Christ the Redeemer overlooking the city, Sugarloaf Mountain rising from Guanabara Bay, the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. The city has an energy that's hard to describe - music, beaches, mountains, favelas all compressed into one chaotic, beautiful place.

Iguazu Falls on the Argentina-Brazil border were genuinely jaw-dropping. This is one of the world's great natural wonders - 275 separate waterfalls spanning nearly 3 kilometers. The Brazilian side gives you the panoramic view; the Argentine side lets you walk right up to the falls. Both are essential.

São Paulo impressed me more than expected. It's huge (over 20 million in the metro area), diverse, and has a food scene to rival any major world city. Less scenic than Rio, but more representative of modern Brazil.

Practical Notes

• Brazilian Real is the currency - roughly 5 BRL to 1 USD
• Portuguese is the language - Spanish will get you partway, but learn some Portuguese phrases
• Safety varies dramatically by neighborhood - research before wandering
• Uber works everywhere and is much safer than hailing taxis
• The distances are enormous - internal flights are often necessary

Brazil is too big for one trip. I saw a fraction of what's possible and left wanting to return for the Amazon, the Northeast, and countless other regions. What a way to start a journey.

High-resolution aerial panoramas from Brazil are available for purchase with commercial license - perfect for South American travel marketing, tropical destination content, or dramatic landscape wall art.