Considering the five thousand miles of beaches, the two bustling cosmopolitan centers of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, and the cultural cache of European-influenced Florianapolis, the thousands of square miles of still-pristine Amazon rainforest, and the myriad cultural opportunities afforded by the country’s numerous festivals, museums, and indigenous cultures, Brazil does truly have something to offer everyone. (see more below)

A trip to Brazil would not be complete without a visit to Rio de Janeiro, time spent on the beaches of Copacabana, the pilgrimage to Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain, and a taste of Samba. But once you finish with the short bucket list of Rio things to do and see, you may wish to expand your Brazil vacation to include a journey up the Amazon for a string of unforgettable eco-tourism activities in the world’s largest rain forest. There’s virtually no limit to things to do on a Brazil vacation. You’ll want to include a visit to Rio’s sister city to the south, Sao Paolo, when looking over Brazil vacation packages, as well as a trip to the Argentine border to see one of the world’s most spectacular sites—Iguazu Falls. Or maybe you’ll want to spend some time on one of the less popular, unspoiled beaches along Brazil’s South Coast. Whatever you choose to put into your itinerary, you’re bound to have an amazing time when visiting Brazil.

Brazil is one of the world’s largest countries, and it spans a great deal of territory, from the equatorial areas in the north of the country to the temperate zones near its border with Argentina. As such, Brazil weather can be difficult to sum up in a couple of sentences. There are a great many microclimates within the country. And though temperatures rarely dip much below seventy degrees Fahrenheit (apart from in the mountains and southern regions), the climate varies dramatically from the arid heat of the southern interior to the sticky, wet heat of the rainforest.

The majority of city-to-city transit undertaken by travelers to Brazil is done by air. Brazil’s major cities all have taxi and bus service available at reasonable rates, and São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro both have excellent metro systems as well.

Brazil serves up a rich and varied cuisine. Some callouts include: Pastéis are like deep fried empanadas, stuffed with a variety of options. Salpicão, a salad with chicken, ham, raisins, carrots, apples, olives, and mayonnaise, and topped with shoestring potatoes. Coxinhas, Brazil's version of chicken nuggets. Pão de queijo are small rolls filled with cheese. Farofa is cassava flour that's fried, and delicious. Feijoada is a stew of black beans with beef and sausage. Moqueca de camarão is coconut milk shrimp dish with veggies. Vatapá is a creamy fish and shrimp dish cooked in spicy peanut sauce. Brigadero are chocolate truffles made with condensed milk with chocolate sprinkles. And if you're a doughnut fan, don't miss out on bolinho de chuva.

The War of the End of the World (M. V. Llosa), Brazil: A Biography (L. Schwarcz & H. Starling), Dancing with the Devil in the City of God: Rio de Janeiro On the Brink (J. Barbassa), A Death in Brazil: A Book of Omissions (P. Robb), Crow Blue (A. Lisboa).