Brazil Travel Guide and Travel Notes
Brazil is the most famous country in South America. What is not in this country! Rio Carnival, samba, endless nightlife with street dances, passion for football with Pele, Ronaldinho, Maracana Stadium, Adriana Lima, who will almost come to Turkey, the world’s largest waterfall Iguazu, 5.5 million km², Amazon Forests, which still contain places on which no human has ever set foot, the gigantic statue of Jesus, the favelas that every brave man cannot enter, and cannot get out even if he enters… There are few countries in the world that deserve to be visited and seen as much as Brazil. In this article, we will share important information and experiences for those who are curious about Brazil. We will touch on the country’s security problems, economy and cost. We have compiled the famous beaches, wonderful nature, the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, the world’s largest waterfalls and many more adventures with photographs.
General Information About Brazil
Before moving on to the subject of places to visit and see in Brazil, let’s briefly touch on the basic information about the country. Where is Brazil? How to go? Brazil is the largest and most populous country in the South American continent. It has a very long coastline to the Atlantic Ocean and borders with nine countries. These are from south to north; Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana.
Is Brazil Dangerous?
Brazil is one of the countries we approach, wondering if anything will happen to me when we go. Do they have dangerous cities, neighborhoods, streets? This is the question asked or researched by many of our friends who dream of traveling. Perhaps the most curious part of Brazil. Yes, Brazil does indeed have dangerous zones. But if your intention is not to do drugs, but to visit the most colorful country in the world, you can easily do this without getting into trouble. Don’t worry, they don’t hunt people like partridges in the streets. The slums called favelas in Brazil are home to people with very, very low incomes. High-income people living in the city center have built walls and barriers between them and these slums. So they ignore the poor. As such, incidents such as theft and extortion often occur here. It isimportant that you do not go to the favela sections in Brazil alone and that you do not attract too much attention as a tourist.
Is Brazil Expensive? How is the Brazilian Economy?
The downside of Brazil is that it is a bit expensive country. You have to spend more than other countries in South America, especially for transportation, food and ticketed places. You will understand; Everything that should be cheap for a backpacker is expensive. The Brazilian economy is the largest economy in Latin America. It is among the top ten in the world and continues to grow. But the country is a very troubled place in terms of income distribution. According to data published in 2017, the 1% of Brazil’s highest income earners earned 36 times more income than half of the country’s population in 2016. In addition, it was announced that 1.8 million child workers were employed in the country in 2016. In the coming years, it is predicted that Brazil will be among the countries that have a say in the world economically. The country has a mixed economy system. It is one of the continent’s largest countries in terms of oil production. They are good at farming and animal husbandry. They continue to grow in areas such as mining, automotive and defense industry.
Places to Visit in Brazil
Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil with a population of over 20 million. This is a cosmopolitan place where you can meet all kinds of people rather than a Latin city. When we arrive at Sao Paulo – Guarulhos International Airport, we do not require a visa or any flight ticket, and we can easily enter the country. Let’s give some practical advice to first-time visitors so that you can easily find your place in the city and not get lost. Sao Paulo has a highly developed metro network. You can easily reach almost anywhere in the city center by metro. If you calculate in advance which metro station your accommodation is close to, you will be able to reach your accommodation more easily both when you first arrive and when you return to your accommodation after daily excursions. Right after exiting Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport, you will see the city buses with TATUAPE at the door. TATUAPE is one of the centrally located metro stations. You can reach the district (hostel, hotel, house, etc.) you will stay in more easily after you reach the metro with the city bus. Then, if you want, you can solve the bus network and other transportation options over time. While touring the city, the subway will usually do your job comfortably.
Sao Paulo is one of the cities in Brazil where income inequality is felt most intensely. On one side, slums called favelas. Neighborhoods where people try to live in dilapidated and very dirty conditions. On the other hand, the high-income people have surrounded their luxury homes with iron bars and barbed wire to protect themselves from the thefts of the poor people here. Wherever you turn your eyes, you see houses like prisons. Even in the center of the city, there are tens or hundreds of homeless people lying on the street. It may take some time to get used to this image. In the city, you can find hostels for every budget, even if it is expensive. You can find clean hostels close to the center.
Sao Paulo Attractions We would never recommend you to go to Brazil and return without seeing this city. If you want to get to know and see the people, culture and habits of the country, you have to wander around the streets of this city. In this section, we will provide information and share photos about important places such as Sao Paulo Cathedral, Beco do Batman, Avenida Paulista (Paulista Boulevard), Parque do Ibirapuera (Ibirapuera Park).
Avenida Paulista
A place with huge buildings and shopping malls on both sides. About 3 km. This long street is closed to vehicle traffic on Sundays and is turned into a carnival place for pedestrians. In addition to concerts, dances and different entertainments, separate lane roads are opened for pedestrians, bicycles and skateboarders. A beautiful environment where you can spend your entire Sunday.
Sao Paulo Cathedral
The cathedral is located in the part of the city called the historical square. Quite large and majestic. The main attraction in this square is not the cathedral or other historical buildings, but the incredible number of homeless people lying on the streets. One of the images that surprised us the most in Brazil was here. What kind of income inequality exists in this country, you have to come here just to see it. We’re not talking about a few homeless people. Dozens-hundreds of people live in hand-made tents in the middle of the street, on blankets laid on the sidewalks. It won’t do you any harm while walking around during the day. They will reach out and ask for money the most. But we say don’t stop by this area at late hours. A large bazaar in the style of a flea market is set up in the same square during the day. A nice place to look for gifts.
Beco do Batman
There is a street in the city called Beco do Batman (Batman’s Alley). A street with enormous graffiti throughout. Already Latin America is a place that has surpassed in this wall art. Wherever you go, you see wonderful drawings. This street is a very pleasant way to walk for those who are interested in this kind of work. We recommend that you stop by.
Parque do Ibirapuera (Ibirapuera Park)
This is the most beautiful place of the big metropolis in our opinion. Ibirapuera Park, located on an area of 2 km² in the heart of the city. A lush environment, a large lake in the middle. It contains bicycle paths, a museum, century-old trees with huge roots and many bird species. A place where you can walk for hours. It’s a place that gets packed on weekends for the sports-loving Brazilian people. There are corners suitable for running, basketball, skateboarding, skating and football. Very well maintained and immaculate. It is said that around 200,000 tourists are hosted in the park, where concerts and fashion nights are held. It is always open to the public and free of charge. Very close to public transport and metro. We can put it at the top of the list of Brazilian tourist destinations.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio is the dream city of Brazil. It is a place that is the apple of the eye of not only Brazil but all of Latin America. It is a 5-6 hour highway drive from Sao Paulo. Rio is a city where income inequality is very sharp. Slum areas called favelas are very common and the houses of the rich people are surrounded by iron bars and high walls like prisons. The strange thing is that even the apartments on the 8th or 10th floor have balconies and windows surrounded by railings. Are you saying that’s all, but unfortunately, theft can even reach those dimensions. You already see police vehicles on almost every corner. Images that do not suit a city that is a wonder of nature. So, is this city still worth visiting? Is it safe to be a tourist in Rio de Janeiro? Is Rio de Janeiro dangerous? Rio de Janeiro is like a two-faced lover. A beauty whose charm you cannot give up despite all her ugly habits. Even if you hear scary stories all the time, we think that if you follow certain rules in Rio, you can travel comfortably. Apart from this, the places to visit and see in the city are already known. If you don’t want to get into trouble by force, Rio promises you great memories. In fact, the most dangerous part of Rio is that it is a bit expensive.
Christ the Redeemer
The symbol of Rio de Janeiro is the 30-meter-long giant Christ statue. In fact, we can say that it is the biggest symbol of Brazil rather than Rio. It is possible to reach the statue on top of Corcovado Mountain in several ways. At the base of the mountain is an old rail system that runs up and down. You can use this if you want. It is not very comfortable, but it can be a good choice in terms of scenery. Again, there are minibuses that go up from the same area. You can choose minibuses to get out a little faster and more comfortably. Regardless of the route, you will have a cost of approximately 15 dollars for transportation and entrance ticket (2020). “Can’t I just get out without paying any of these?” if you say; If you do, we don’t recommend it. If you come to the bottom of the mountain early in the morning and climb a very steep slope for about 2 hours, you can reach the summit for free. But you’ll probably leave some of your liver on the road because it’s a pretty steep road. If you are in good condition, there is no problem. In a few hours, you walk restlessly. You can’t escape the ticket fee at the entrance to the statue, though. You can add it to the list of places to visit in Brazil.
A magnificent view awaits you at the summit. All Rio is at your feet. After your struggle to take a photo with the statue in the crowd is over, you watch this view for a long time on one side. Besides its natural beauty, you can more easily see how the rich and poor are separated in the city from this view. Where the skyscrapers end, favelas stretch up to the slopes of the mountains.
Sugarloaf – Pao de Acucar
The second peak of Rio, whose scenery is as beautiful as Mount Corcovado. The summit is reached by a two-piece cable car ride. There are cafes and restaurants on the first hill. If you have time, you can spend some time here. Pretty nice place. Then you get on the other cable car and reach the farthest point. It has a magnificent view that you can see everywhere in Rio, including the Statue of Christ and the entire coastline. You will have a cost of 20-25 dollars round-trip (2020). Unfortunately, it is necessary to spend a little to go to these two peaks in Rio, but compared to Europe, these ticket prices are quite normal for this place.
In addition, we recommend that you return to the city center by walking and sightseeing during the descent from these two peaks. You will see Rio and its neighborhoods more closely.
Rio De Janeiro Beaches
The Rio coast has Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach and Leblon Beach, which stretch one after the other. The most famous is undoubtedly Copacabana Beach. About 4 km. long and constantly crowded during the day. Where is Copacabana? This beach is located at the southern tip of Rio, in an area called Zona Sul. Walking distance to the Cantagalo, Siqueira Campos and Cardeal Arcoverde stations of the Rio de Janeiro metro.
Although Copacabana is notorious, the most beautiful beach in our opinion is Ipanema Beach. It is a more preferable place in terms of security as it is cleaner, less dense and located in the part of luxury hotels. 3 beaches are combined and you can visit all of them on foot. Everywhere along the beach is full of people playing football and volleyball. Football in Brazil is not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle. Football is a dream come true for these people, most of whom live in favelas and have financial difficulties. It’s a bit of an effort to get out of the hole they lived in one day by being like Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Kaka. These skills are the biggest capital in their hands. As such, soccer balls are not missing from every corner in Brazil. Especially on the beaches.
Santa Teresa (porridge)
The area in the city center where the famous Rio Carnival is held. Carnival is held in February, but Santa Teresa is always considered the entertainment center of Rio. This is a colorful neighborhood with narrow and winding streets and cobblestones. It has magnificent buildings and a beautiful view. Santa Teresa, also known as Lapa, is one of the most original and enjoyable neighborhoods in Rio.
Tijuca National Park
Spread over an area of 32 km², this park is the largest rainforest in the world in the city. It is necessary to enter the forest, which has walking paths, small waterfalls and ponds, numerous plant and animal varieties, through a guide or tour. Because it is a place where you can get lost and encounter poisonous animals.
