Brazil's scale is part of its character. It takes weeks to even begin covering the country's range — Amazonian jungle, cerrado savanna, Atlantic beaches, colonial hill towns, and vast modern cities that function like countries within a country. These are the places most worth making the effort for.
Rio de Janeiro is the obvious starting point — and for good reason. The combination of mountains, ocean, samba, and architectural confidence is unique. Climb to Christ the Redeemer, walk Copacabana at dawn, and spend a night in Lapa watching the world dance.
Salvador is Brazil's African heart. Founded in 1549 as the country's first colonial capital, its Pelourinho neighbourhood is a UNESCO World Heritage site of Baroque churches and coloured townhouses. The music, food, and Carnival here have a raw energy that Rio's can feel polished by comparison.
Iguaçu Falls is the largest waterfall system in the world — 275 cascades spread across more than three kilometres. The Brazilian side gives you the panoramic view; cross to Argentina for the up-close walk. Allow at least two days.
The Amazon is best experienced from Manaus or Belém. The city itself is an improbable industrial port in the jungle. From Manaus you can take river boats, stay in jungle lodges, fish for piranhas, and watch the famous Meeting of the Waters where the dark Rio Negro meets the sandy-coloured Solimões.
The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland and one of the best places on earth to see wildlife in the wild — jaguars, giant otters, capybaras, caimans, and hundreds of bird species. It's far less visited than the Amazon, and in the dry season (May–October) the wildlife density is extraordinary.
Ouro Preto and the Minas Gerais colonial towns are Brazil's hidden cultural treasure. Ouro Preto's 18th-century gold-rush architecture and Aleijadinho's Baroque sculpture at Congonhas are among the finest in the Americas.
Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago 350km offshore with some of the clearest water and best diving in the Atlantic. Visitor numbers are strictly controlled — which is exactly why it remains special.
Florianópolis appeals to those who want Brazil's beach culture without Rio's intensity. The island city has 42 beaches, good surf, and a lively food scene built on Azorean and German immigrant traditions.