Brazil attractions: the main landmarks by region

At a glance

Days are our advice for time on the ground; add a day for each flight between regions.

Top attractions in Rio de Janeiro

Since 2012 Corcovado, Sugarloaf, Copacabana, the Tijuca forest and the Botanical Garden have been part of one UNESCO site, “Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea”. INMET normals put the driest months in July and August (56.4 and 50.5 mm of rain), and the wettest in December (169 mm).

Christ the Redeemer

The statue and its pedestal stand 38 metres tall (30 metres for the figure, 8 for the base). It was inaugurated in 1931 and on 7 July 2007 an online vote chose it as one of the New Seven Wonders. Until the end of May 2027 the escalators at the top are being replaced: the statue is open, but half as many people can be up there at once, and everyone climbs the last 80 steps. We go at opening time. More: Christ the Redeemer.

Sugarloaf Mountain

The cable car runs in two stages, from Praia Vermelha to Morro da Urca and then to the top of Sugarloaf. The first stage opened on 27 October 1912 and the second on 18 January 1913. It pairs well with Corcovado in the morning and Sugarloaf near sunset: Sugarloaf Mountain.

Copacabana

UNESCO lists the designed landscape of Copacabana, built on land reclaimed along the bay, as part of the Rio site. Beach, seafront and how to get there: Copacabana beach.

Brazil’s natural attractions

Iguaçu Falls

The falls are about 2.7 km wide with drops of up to 80 metres, in Paraná state, where they form the border with Argentina. The Brazilian national park has been on the UNESCO list since 1986 and shares the falls with Argentina’s Iguazú park. We plan a full day for each side.

The Amazon and Manaus

Manaus, capital of Amazonas state, is the usual gateway. Its Teatro Amazonas opened in 1896, during the rubber boom, and in 2026 UNESCO listed it with the Theatro da Paz in Belém as the “Amazonia Theaters”. From Manaus, trips go up the rivers to forest lodges.

Pantanal

UNESCO calls the Pantanal one of the world’s largest freshwater wetland ecosystems, around 14 million hectares in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul; a protected part of it has been listed since 2000. ICMBio advises visiting from May to September, when there is less rain and wildlife is easier to see as the water goes down. From December the Transpantaneira road is close to impassable.

Lençóis Maranhenses

A national park on the coast of Maranhão, listed by UNESCO in 2024. About 90,000 hectares of it are dunes, which can reach 30 metres inland. The lagoons between them fill only with rainwater and dry out in the dry season, then come back in new places.

Fernando de Noronha

An Atlantic archipelago about 340 km off the coast, in Pernambuco state, listed with Atol das Rocas in 2001. Spinner dolphins live in the Baía dos Golfinhos all year, and the islands hold the largest concentration of tropical seabirds in the Western Atlantic. Island rules and how to plan: Fernando de Noronha.

Historic cities

Salvador and Pelourinho

Salvador, founded in 1549, was the first capital of Portuguese America until 1763. Its historic centre has been on the UNESCO list since 1985. Pelourinho keeps its 16th-century street plan, with brightly coloured houses, Baroque churches and convents.

Paraty and Ilha Grande

A mixed UNESCO site since 2019: the historic centre of Paraty, the Serra da Bocaina national park, Ilha Grande state park and nearby protected areas. Paraty was the end of the Caminho do Ouro, the road that brought gold from Minas Gerais to the port for shipping to Europe.

Ouro Preto

The focus of the 18th-century gold rush and capital of Minas Gerais from 1720 to 1897. It was the first Brazilian site on the UNESCO list, in 1980. Visit the church of São Francisco de Assis, designed and carved by Aleijadinho.

Brasília

The capital was built from 1956 to 1960 under President Juscelino Kubitschek, to a plan by Lúcio Costa, with key buildings by Oscar Niemeyer. UNESCO listed it in 1987.

UNESCO World Heritage sites in Brazil

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre lists 26 sites for Brazil: 16 cultural, 9 natural and 1 mixed. A few beyond those above: the historic centres of Olinda, São Luís, Diamantina and Goiás, the Pampulha Modern Ensemble, Serra da Capivara, the Valongo Wharf, Sítio Roberto Burle Marx, the Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas parks in the cerrado, and the Peruaçu River Canyon, listed in 2025.

How to combine them in one trip

• In 10 to 14 days most people add one or two regions to Rio. A ready plan: 2-week Brazil itinerary.
• Seasons do not match everywhere. July is dry in Rio and the Pantanal is in its visiting season. Month by month: best time to visit Brazil.
• Noronha, the Pantanal and Lençóis take most of a day to reach from Rio. On a two-week trip we would pick one of them.
• Check entry requirements on official websites.

How we help

We put together trips across several regions for your dates: a guide who speaks your language in each place, transfers from airports and between towns, and stays. We do not sell flights; you book them and we fit everything around your times. We check seasons, park rules and opening days for your dates and stay your single contact for the whole trip. Start with a private tour in Rio or ask for a full plan. Price on request, proposal within 24 hours.