Footprint Brazil

by Alex Robinson

• ISBN13: 9781904777717
• ISBN10: 1904777716
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2007-03-01
• Publisher: Footprint Handbooks

Summary

Brazil, the largest country in South America is also the most vibrant. From football to samba, fabulous beaches to dense jungle, Brazil has it all. In the east lies Salvador, Brazil's pulsating Africa heart. In the west, the Pantanal is the best place to view wildlife in South America. In the north the Analvilhanas Islands on the world's greatest river offers that "jungle lodge" experience. In the south Ilha do Mel is a laid back beach island on the edge of the wilderness. Special full colour map highlighting best sights and detailed accounts of the best off-the-beaten-track sites. The fifth edition of Footprint's popular Brazil guide is a goldmine of the most up-to-date and relevant information for independent travellers.

Table of Contents

Introducing
Highlights	p. 2
A foot in the door	p. 9
Essentials
Planning your trip	p. 18
Where to go	p. 18
When to go	p. 19
Finding out more	p. 25
Language	p. 27
Specialist travel	p. 28
Before you travel	p. 30
Visas & immigration	p. 30
What to take	p. 32
Insurance	p. 32
Money	p. 33
Getting there	p. 34
Air	p. 34
River	p. 36
Road	p. 36
Sea	p. 37
Touching down	p. 38
Airport information	p. 38
Tourist information	p. 38
Local customs & laws	p. 39
Responsible tourism	p. 40
Safety	p. 42
Getting around	p. 43
Air	p. 44
Rail	p. 45
River	p. 45
Road	p. 45
Maps & guide books	p. 48
Sleeping	p. 49
Eating	p. 51
Festivals & events	p. 54
Shopping	p. 55
Sport & activities	p. 55
Health	p. 61
Before you go	p. 61
A-Z of health risks	p. 62
Keeping in touch	p. 66
Communications	p. 66
Media	p. 68
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro city	p. 72
Ins & outs	p. 72
Background	p. 75
Central Rio & Lapa	p. 76
Northern Rio	p. 87
Santa Teresa	p. 90
Gloria, Catete & Flamengo	p. 93
Botafogo, Urca & the Sugar Loaf	p. 95
Christ statue at Corcovado & Cosme Velho	p. 96
Copacabana & Leme	p. 98
Ipanema & Leblon	p. 99
Gavea, Lagoa & Jardim Botanico	p. 101
Barra da Tijuca & beyond	p. 102
Parque Nacional da Tijuca	p. 103
Ilha de Paqueta	p. 104
Western Rio	p. 106
Listings	p. 106
East of Rio de Janeiro	p. 137
Niteroi	p. 137
Costa do Sol	p. 139
Cabo Frio	p. 141
Buzios	p. 141
Listings	p. 142
Inland resorts & coffee towns	p. 148
Petropolis	p. 148
Teresopolis	p. 151
Serra dos Orgaos	p. 151
Nova Friburgo	p. 153
Towns in the coffee zone	p. 153
Vassouras & around	p. 154
Listings	p. 155
West of Rio de Janeiro	p. 159
Parque Nacional de Itatiaia	p. 159
Listings	p. 161
Costa Verde	p. 162
Angra dos Reis & around	p. 163
Ilha Grande	p. 164
Paraty	p. 165
Trindade	p. 168
Listings	p. 169
Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo city	p. 178
Ins & outs	p. 178
Background	p. 181
Centra Historico	p. 184
Luz & north of the centre	p. 188
Avenida Paulista, Liberdade & Jardins	p. 189
Further afield	p. 192
Excursions from Sao Paulo	p. 193
Listings	p. 194
The coast of Sao Paulo	p. 207
Santos & Sao Vicente	p. 207
Litoral Norte	p. 212
Ubatuba	p. 216
Litoral Sul	p. 218
Listings	p. 221
Minas Gerais & Espirito Santo
Minas Gerais	p. 232
Background	p. 232
Belo Horizonte	p. 233
Ins & outs	p. 234
Sights	p. 235
Around Belo Horizonte	p. 236
Listings	p. 238
Colonial cities near Belo Horizonte	p. 242
Ouro Preto	p. 243
Around Ouro Preto	p. 248
Mariana	p. 248
Congonhas do Campo	p. 252
Tiradentes	p. 255
Sao Joao del Rei	p. 257
Sabara	p. 259
Excursions from Sabara	p. 260
Listings	p. 260
Northern & western Minas Gerais	p. 267
Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipo	p. 267
Diamantina	p. 267
Excursions from Diamantina	p. 269
Western Minas Gerais & Serra da Canastra	p. 271
Listings	p. 271
Eastern & southern Minas Gerais	p. 274
Parque Nacional Caparao	p. 274
Parque Florestal de Ibitipoca	p. 275
Sao Tome das Letras	p. 275
Towns & spas of southwestern Minas	p. 277
Hydro resorts	p. 277
Pocos de Caldas	p. 278
Listings	p. 278
Espirito Santo	p. 281
Vitoria	p. 281
Coastal mountains	p. 283
South of Vitoria	p. 283
North of Vitoria	p. 284
Listings	p. 285
Iguacu Falls & the south
Parana	p. 292
Curitiba	p. 292
Curitiba to Paranagua	p. 295
Paranagua & around	p. 296
Bahia do Paranagua	p. 297
Iguacu Falls	p. 300
Foz do Iguacu & around	p. 305
Ciudad del Este	p. 307
Listings	p. 307
Santa Catarina	p. 318
Florianopolis	p. 318
North of Florianopolis	p. 322
Blumenau	p. 324
Joinville	p. 326
South of Florianopolis	p. 328
Listings	p. 329
Rio Grande do Sul	p. 336
Porto Alegre	p. 337
Beaches around Porto Alegre	p. 341
Serra Gaucha	p. 342
South of Porto Alegre	p. 344
Western Rio Grande do Sul	p. 345
Listings	p. 348
Bahia
Salvador & the Reconcavo	p. 360
Ins & outs	p. 360
Background	p. 362
Centra Historico	p. 364
South of the centre	p. 368
North of the centre	p. 370
Excursions from Salvador	p. 371
Reconvaco Baiano	p. 372
Listings	p. 373
Southern coast of Bahia	p. 387
Valenca	p. 387
Tinhare & Morro de Sao Paulo	p. 387
South to Itacare	p. 389
Ilheus & around	p. 389
Porto Seguro & around	p. 392
South of Porto Seguro	p. 394
Listings	p. 396
Linha Verde & the northern coast	p. 407
Listings	p. 408
Chapada Diamantina & the sertao	p. 410
Parque Nacional de Chapada Diamantina	p. 410
The sertao	p. 413
Listings	p. 414
Recife & the northeast coast
Sergipe and Alagoas	p. 420
Aracaju	p. 420
Sao Cristovao	p. 421
Maceio	p. 422
Excursions from Maceio	p. 424
Penedo	p. 425
North of Maceio	p. 426
Listings	p. 426
Pernambuco	p. 431
Recife & around	p. 431
Southern coast	p. 440
Northern coast	p. 441
West of Recife	p. 441
Listings	p. 443
Fernando de Noronha	p. 452
Listings	p. 454
Paraiba	p. 456
Joao Pessoa & around	p. 456
Paraiba coast	p. 460
The sertao	p. 461
Listings	p. 463
Fortaleza
Rio Grande do Norte	p. 472
Natal	p. 472
Southern coast	p. 475
Genipabu & the northern coast	p. 477
Listings	p. 478
Ceara	p. 486
Fortaleza	p. 486
The coast east of Fortaleza	p. 490
The coast west of Fortaleza	p. 493
Jericoacoara	p. 494
Western Ceara	p. 495
South of Fortaleza	p. 497
Juazeiro do Norte	p. 498
Listings	p. 499
Piaui and Maranhao	p. 513
Teresina	p. 513
Southern Piaui	p. 515
Sao Luis	p. 517
Parque Nacional Lencois Maranhenses	p. 519
Delta do Parnaiba	p. 520
Southern Maranhao	p. 521
Listings	p. 522
The Amazon
Ins & outs	p. 530
Amapa & Para	p. 534
Macapa	p. 534
North of Macapa	p. 536
Belem	p. 537
Around Belem	p. 541
South of Belem	p. 543
West of Belem	p. 544
Along the river towards Amazonas state	p. 546
Listings	p. 549
Amazonas & the Amazon River	p. 559
Visiting the forest	p. 559
Manaus	p. 561
Excursions from Manaus	p. 567
Downstream from Manaus	p. 568
Upstream from Manaus	p. 569
Border with Colombia and Peru	p. 570
Up the Rio Negro	p. 571
South on the Rio Madeira	p. 572
Listings	p. 573
Roraima	p. 583
Towards Boa Vista	p. 583
Boa Vista	p. 584
To Venezuela & Guyana	p. 585
Listings	p. 586
Rondonia & Acre	p. 589
Background	p. 589
Porto Velho	p. 591
Along the BR-364	p. 592
Guajara-Mirim	p. 593
Rio Branco	p. 593
Listings	p. 596
Brasilia, Goias & Tocantins
Brasilia	p. 604
Ins & outs	p. 604
Background	p. 606
Sights	p. 606
Around Brasilia	p. 609
Listings	p. 610
Goias	p. 615
Goiania	p. 615
Cidade de Goias	p. 617
Pirenopolis	p. 618
Chapada dos Veadeiros	p. 619
Southwest Goias state	p. 620
Arauna & the Rio Araguaia	p. 621
Listings	p. 621
Tocantins	p. 627
Listings	p. 629
The Pantanal
Background	p. 634
Wildlife & vegetation	p. 636
Ecology & conservation	p. 638
Ins & outs	p. 638
Mato Grosso do Sul	p. 641
Campo Grande	p. 642
Ponta Pora	p. 644
Bonito & around	p. 645
Miranda	p. 646
Corumba	p. 646
Listings	p. 648
Mato Grosso	p. 658
Cuiaba	p. 659
Chapada dos Guimaraes plateau	p. 660
Caceres	p. 661
Along the Transpantaneira	p. 662
North of Cuiaba	p. 663
East of Cuiaba	p. 664
Listings	p. 664
Background
History	p. 672
Indigenous peoples	p. 672
European colonization	p. 674
Independence from Portugal	p. 677
Proclamation of the Republic	p. 679
The return to democracy	p. 682
Culture	p. 685
People	p. 685
Arts & crafts	p. 687
Music	p. 691
Festivals	p. 695
Literature	p. 696
Fine art & sculpture	p. 701
Architecture	p. 704
Land & environment	p. 707
Geography	p. 707
Climate	p. 710
Ecosystems, flora & fauna	p. 710
National parks	p. 716
An environmental history of the Amazon	p. 717
Books	p. 720
Footnotes
Basic Portuguese for travellers	p. 724
Index	p. 728
Complete title listing	p. 734
Map index	p. 736
Advertisers' index	p. 736
Credits	p. 737
Acknowledgements	p. 738
Colour maps	p. 741
Map symbols	p. 752
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