BRAZIL CARNIVAL

Days 1-6 - Rio De Janeiro

This morning you will take your flight to Brazil via Madrid, with Iberian Airlines. When you arrive in Rio de Janeiro, you will be met by our local agent, who will transport you to your hotel and give you a brief introduction to Rio de Janeiro.

Rio’s famous Copacabana beach is a wide stretch of sand that constantly buzzes with activity with everything from people relaxing in bars drinking fresh coconut milk to scantily clad locals playing various forms of football and volley ball. Rio is an incredibly lively city and there is plenty to do both during the day and at night. Its dramatic setting between the mountains and the sea provides the perfect backdrop for such a vibrant city. The Sugar Loaf (Pao de Azucar) and The Corcovado (Statue of Christ the Redeemer) are two of its most visited sites and with good reason as they provide spectacular views of the city.

Corcovado, the Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Botanical Gardens are popular places to visit. In the old part of the city you will find some good museums, the cathedral (rather ugly on the outside but pretty inside), and some beautiful colonial buildings. You might also like to watch a football match in the largest football stadium in the world or visit the marvellous beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema or Leblon. There are day excursions to Tijuaca Forest, Buzios and you can go to see some Bossa Nova or Samba in the evening. All in all, a great deal to see and do!

Over the next few days you will have the opportunity to explore the vibrant city of Rio and take in its famous sites. Visit the Sugar Loaf for a breathtaking 360 degree view of Rio, and climb Corvocado to see Christ the Redeemer. Make sure to see the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, and perhaps take a favela tour, watch a football match at the Maracana Stadium or take a day trip to Niteroi.

Days 7-10 - Buzios

This morning you will be collected and driven to Buzios, which is approximately 2 hours drive.

Just over two hours drive north from Rio de Janeiro, this pleasant coastal town is home to beautiful beaches, good hotels and a tropical landscape. In the 60’s it was just a small fishing village, but has now become a sophisticated cosmopolitan resort. In the town there are many restaurants and designer boutiques to keep you busy, and at night the town is bubbling with nightlife for all tastes.

The tiny fishing village of Búzios has grown to international repute, likened to Saint Tropez, and offering the visitor sandy white beaches, an all season climate, lively nightlife, sports, all-over suntans. There is plenty to do whilst you are staying in Buzios, for example, dive, ride horses, trek, mountain bike, sail, play tennis, golf or just laze on a beach.

Try a different beach every day. With over 20 beaches, you'd need several weeks to get to them all! The beaches on the east, on the Atlantic side, are windier with cooler water, ideal for water sports. The beaches on the west offer calmer, warmer water, ideal for swimming and sun-bathing. You can surf at Geribá, Brava and Tucuns beaches. Or alternatively take boat cruises around the peninsula with stops for lunch, and snorkeling and beach time.

Days 11-12 - Iguazu Falls

This morning you will be collected and brought back to the airport in Rio de Janeiro, where you will take your ongoing flight to the Iguazu Falls. On arrival you will be met and driven to your hotel.

Niagara pales into insignificance beside the 2½ km long Iguaçú Falls. Both higher and wider, it is a truly spectacular sight. The falls are situated in a well looked by national park, in a sub-tropical region of Brazil. On the other side of the river lies Argentina and a day can be spent exploring the waterways that offer different yet still breathtaking views of these complex waterfalls.

Days 13-14 - Sao Paulo

Today you will be picked up from your hotel and brought back to the airport in order to take your flight to Sao Paulo, where on arrival you will be collected and brought to your hotel.

Sao Paulo is three times the site of Paris and has the largest population of any city in South America. It started off as a sleepy little farming town crowded with mud buildings until its potential was spotted in the late 1890s, since then it been transformed by high rise buildings into the financial centre of Brazil. The centre of the city is mainly pedestrian and the streets are lined with shops, cafes and restaurants, however the persistent pollution makes walking around less pleasurable. There are several museums that are worth visiting among them is The Butanta Snake Farm and Museum.