Brazil had been on our travel bucket list for years, so when Johnny decided to sail to Rio in the Cape2Rio race, we figured the only sensible thing to do was meet on the dock and take the long way home.
Two and a half weeks later, four very different corners of the country, and an excellent list of where to find the best caipirinhas, we’ve fallen in love with this very special country. From the buzz of Ipanema to Paraty’s cobblestones and cachaça, the river archipelagos of the Amazon and a clifftop in Bahia, here’s how Brazil treated us…
Rio de Janeiro
After Johnny’s epic arrival following 24 days at sea, Rio de Janeiro was the perfect place to kick off our Brazilian adventure. Everything you imagine to be true about the city, is. The colours really are brighter, the people are friendlier, the caipirinha’s stronger, and the talcum-powder sands of Copacabana Beach are even more picture-perfect in the flesh.
We stayed at the Ipanema Inn, right in the centre of Ipanema, and the iconic neighbourhood is a handy base for exploring. In our time in the city we squeezed in Christ the Redeemer, hiked to the waterfalls in Tijuca forest, explored historic Santa Teresa and the city centre (plus tea and cake at Confeitaria Colombo!), and took the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf at sunset. In the evening, we were steps away from some of the city’s best restaurants – seafood, sushi, Brazilian, churrasco… you name it, we ate it!
Paraty
From Rio, we drove 3.5 hours south (ish) along the Atlantic forest-hugged Costa Verde coast, to the laidback (and UNESCO-listed) village of Paraty. It was the surprise highlight of our trip and we spent hours wandering around the cobbles, peering into shops and sampling local delicacies. Gabriela cachaça, a liqueur infused with cinnamon, cloves and ginger, is the region’s specialty and visiting the distilleries dotted along the stunning coastline is particularly special.
Back at Pousada Literaria (one of the best boutique hotels we’ve ever stayed in), it was all about the R&R and we wandered between the pool and the spa – and then next door to Quintal dal Lestras for Brazilian gastronomy at its best, and, of course, a Jorge Amado cocktail.
The Amazon
Arriving in the Anavilhanas National Park in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon just as the sun was beginning to set was a moment neither of us will forget in a hurry. It’s one of the largest river archipelagos in the world, spanning around 350,000 hectares and 400 islands, and the jungle is thick, pristine and full of multicoloured flora and fauna. We drove to Anavilhanas Lodge and were welcomed with freshly-squeezed cupuaçu juice, before settling into the tree-house dining room for grilled pirarucu fish and live samba.
Our days in the Amazon were centred around discovering the vast archipelago and all its inhabitants. We spotted pink dolphins on a morning boat cruise and swam in the channels before breakfast, strolled past trees bigger than ten-storey buildings, kayaked along the river, watched innumerable butterflies and birds, and hung out with sloths and caimans on a night safari. We had booked a sea plane to take us back down to Manaus, and seeing the river system from above was mind-blowing, as was the meeting of the Rio Negro and Rio Amazonia just outside the city.
Trancoso
After a Friday night in buzzy São Paulo, we flew to Bahia and the bohemian beach town of Trancoso on Brazil’s northeast coast. Perched on a sublime clifftop overlooking the white sand and crashing waves below, it’s a fishing village at heart and days are long, languid and as relaxed (or not) as you like. At night, the central Quadrado comes alive with elegant restaurants and bars – and we couldn’t think of a better place to end our trip.
If two and a half weeks taught us anything, it’s that Brazil is worth twice the time! We’re already plotting our return. If you’d like to follow in our footsteps, take a look at our full itinerary here, ready to view, tweak to your own pace, or hand over to one of our specialists to build into something entirely your own. We’d love to plan it with you!
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