Things to do in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro sweeps between mountains and ocean, with Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado, Sugarloaf Mountain and the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Its carnival, before Lent, is famous around the world, and samba fills the city all year.

Beyond Rio, the Iguaçu Falls thunder on the border with Argentina, the Amazon rainforest surrounds the river city of Manaus, and the Pantanal wetlands are among the finest places in the Americas to see jaguars. Salvador, in the northeast, has a colourful colonial centre and a strong Afro-Brazilian culture, and São Paulo is a vast city of food and art. Paraty and the islands of Ilha Grande and Fernando de Noronha add coastal beauty.

Feijoada, a black bean stew, is a Saturday ritual, alongside grilled meats at churrascarias, pão de queijo, açaí and caipirinhas made from cachaça. June brings the festas juninas, country-style parties with bonfires, square dancing and corn treats, especially in the northeast, and the mild, dry winter months that follow are the best season for the Pantanal.