Florianopolis Tours are popular, especially during the high season (December-February), with those who want to enjoy the beach, sun, surfing, water sports like windsurfing and jet skiing, and trendy techno nightclubs that the city of Florianopolis has on tap.

Florianopolis: beach hotspot by day, music clubs by night

Florianopolis, or just Floripa, is a tropical island surrounded by 42 beaches, but it is also a major metropolis. The capital of Santa Catarina state, the island is connected to the mainland by two major suspension bridges, Ponte Hercilio Luz (currently closed for repairs), and Colombo Machado Salles.

The downtown northern part of the Island, nicknamed Brazil’s Silicon Valley is lined with skyscrapers. After work, businesspeople rush to the beaches, especially Jurerê Internacional beach, joined by surfers and other locals to enjoy a relaxing caipirinha and catch a live music show in one of the many nightclubs.

During the off-season (March-November), the Lagoa da Conceição, the lagoon in the center of the island, is the most popular night hotspot due to the warmer climate inland.

Only a short walk from the bus station that connects you will the island in the Lagoa area, there is a main club strip that is lined with bar and clubs open till the early hours playing Brazilian samba as well as modern hits. Its trendy nightclubs are also popular year-round.

Check in surf shops and ask the locals about theme music nights, special events, and house parties. There’s always something happening in Florianopolis.

Best Florianopolis nightclubs on Jurerê Internacional

El Divino Beach: covered patios with lounge chairs and couches with an extensive menu at this upscale beach club, the sister of the sophisticated El Divino Lounge

Posh: located in Music Park, a huge concert arena, Posh is the place where celebrity DJs comes to spin

Pacha: megaclub also located in Music Park

Cafe de la Musique:  Japanese, Italian, and contemporary cuisine is on the menu at this hip dining club

Best Florianopolis nightclubs on Lagoa da Conceição

Confraria das Artes: trendy villa with a view over the Lagoon. Live music and dancing.

Circuit: extremely popular electronic music club

Latitude 27: popular with the younger crowd, a large club with live music and good drinks.

Vecchio Giorgio: a bar with live music and good food, including a oven-baked pizzas

Taiko: beachfront grill, restaurant, and club

Best Florianopolis nightclubs downtown

El Divino Lounge: it doesn´t get more sophisticated than chandeliers, purple laser lighting, retro-mod couches, and top-spinning DJs. This renovated shipyard has a lounge, restaurant, and sushi bar.

Café Cancun: three bars, a restaurant with covered patio, and dancing

Just inland from Rio de Janeiro, and nestled high in the Serra dos Orgãos mountians, Petropolis hosts Bauernfest, a week-long festival to celebrate their German heritage. The borough was colonized in the 1840s by farmers from the German Rhineland.

Prost! Down a stein of beer at the Bauernfest in Petropolis, Brazil

To get to the Heart of the Carioca, to experience the rich diversity of Rio de Janeiro life, wanderlusts must travel to Petropolis, the summer place of the emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro II. Now the palace is a museum, whose crowning artifact is the imperial crown – studded with over 600 diamonds and pearls.

Droves of folk dancers in lederhosen will parade down the streets lined with Bavarian clapboard houses and shops, and past the neo-gothic steeple of Cathedral of Saint Peter of Alcântara. Kinder choirs, train rides, and a German film festival will all be on tap for those wanting to capture the zeitgeist of this charming summer resort town.

The opening ceremony is on June 25 with the mayor, his entourage, and the infantry marching out of the Crystal Palace. But the fun begins even before then, on the 19^th, with the election of the festival Queen and Princess.

Throughout the week, celebrants can enjoy sauerkraut, streudal, bratwurst, frankfurter, and other German delicacies, along with plenty of the finest Alpine beer. Plus, the World Cup games will be televised in many a beer garden.

The Bourbon Festival Paraty, to be held May 28 to 30, is only two years running, but it’s picking up speed. The rollicking, rioting line-up of jazz, blues, soul, and R&B musicians is sure to get your feet stomping.

Hosted by the Bourbon Street Music Club in Sáo Paulo, open-air, all-night long free concerts will be held at the Praça da Matriz in Paraty’s Historic Center.

The main event will be jazz guitar virtuoso John Pizzarelli. This famous guitarist, singer, and composer has recorded albums dedicated to Brazilian and bossa nova music.

Paraty, on the southern coast of Brazil has been a favorite haunt for jazz and blues legends, including Ray Charles, B.B. King, and Nina Simone. The cobblestone street colonial beach town is also worth a full Paraty tour, as there are terrific beaches and islands surrounding this Brazilian gem.

The full line-up:

Friday, May 28

Leo Gandelman – jazz

Glen David Andrews – New Orleans brass

Big Time Orchestra – rock’n’roll, soul, 50s and 60s swing, Brazilian neo-swing

DJ Bebeto – jazz, bossa, sambalanço, and other hot beats

Sat, May 29

Caviars Blues Band – classic blues

Stanley Jordan and Armandinho – jazz

Victor Brooks & Julie Mcknight and Wayne Vaughn – American soul

DJ Bebeto – jazz, bossa, sambalanço, and other hot beats

Sun, May 30

Rhandal & Trio – brasilian jazz, bossa nova, chorinho, sambalanço, baiáo and xote

Bocato – Brasilian trombones

John Pizzarelli – jazz

When Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos named the bay of Guanabara Rio de Janeiro or “January River”, the Portuguese words for ¨bay¨ and ¨river¨ were the same. While Rio became a lucrative port that trafficked sugar, diamonds and gold from Minas Gerais, as well as African slaves and then later coffee, it also became a battling ground between Portuguese and French settlers.

To appreciate Rio’s early significance in the New World, check out the Museu Histórico Nacional, or National History Museum, which stands guard over 287,000 artifacts that range from the colonial conquest to the imperial era. There are indigenous weapons, impressive paintings, and library titles that include over 57,000 texts, some dating to the 15th century.

Brazil’s colorful Carnaval parade has roots in Portuguese pre-Lenten festivities and masquerades

Rio enjoyed the top spot as the Portuguese Empire’s capital from 1763 until 1808. Fleeing Napoleon, the Portuguese royal family sailed to Rio and named it the new capital of Portugal, so making Rio the only European capital outside of Europe.

The Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, or National Museum of Fine Arts, in downtown Rio houses the extensive art collection of King John VI, who could not part with 16,000 paintings, sculptures, folk and African art treasures even if Napoleon was nipping at his heels.

In 1822, Dom Pedro I declared independence from Portugal, and declared himself emperor of Brazil. The Paço Imperial, or Imperial Palace, housed the emperors Pedro I and Pedro II and their families until Brazil became a republic in 1889.

Initially built in the 1700s in the Baroque style, the Imperial Palace even included a fountain imported from Lisbon. During the Imperial period, it was used for coronations, and from its balconies Dom Pedro famously declared independence. In 1984 the palace was restored to its former grandeur, and now hosts art exhibits and festivals, plus a rare books collection in the Paulo Santos Library.

In the early 1900s, Rio began to take on the festive reputation for which it is now world famous. The Museu do Carnaval, or the Carnival Museum, is a must-see for those who visit Rio when Carnaval is not in full swing.

Carnaval, the annual week-long celebration before the Lenten season, is the best-attended carnival in the world, with more than 500,000 foreigners celebrating in Rio each year. Located in the Sambodromo, the Carnaval museum shows Brazil at its most colorful and spirited, with photographs of samba dancers and elaborate floats, costumes, and historical artifacts that trace Rio’s carnival to its roots in Portuguese pre-Lent festivities and masquerades.

Those are gorgeous beaches, popular for surfing, beach volleyball, shopping, and people-watching. But if you’re seeking a quieter beach, escape to the local sweet spot, Búzios, the peninsula home to several quiet beaches and a vibrant nightlife.

Buzios: Brazil's Coastal Paradise

Only a two hour bus ride north, this beach resort offers the same sparkling warm waters, plus elbow room. From secluded coves to surfers’ haunts, there’s a beach for everyone.

Originally a small whaling town, Búzios has changed much in the past 50 years. In 1964, the French actress Brigitte Bardot visited Búzios as an escape from the paparazzi, and she liked it so much she stayed for several months.

Now known as the playground of the rich, this exclusive coastal city is full of high-end boutiques, hotel resorts, and villas dotting the foothills. There’s a raging nightlife along Rua das Pedras too, with excellent seafood restaurants and, thanks to Bardot, French restaurants.

Top beach destinations:

Tucuns Beach

This sandy getaway is a real getaway – there aren’t any lifeguards, and not much else beyond sand and sky. Used occasionally by surfers and kite boarders, this is the spot if you want peace and quiet.

Geribá

This bay opens to the southeast, welcoming the best surf in Búzios. But it’s not just a surfer hangout; it’s also a celebrity hangout. Soccer stars escape here to play on the sand, and rumor has it that a few soap opera actors vacation here.

The wide beach accommodates soccer and volleyball games, and the water is great for beginners to practice their surfing skills. If you want to get away from the umbrella-lined beach, walk to the east side, the Canto de Geribá, where calmer waters reign.

Canto

Easily the most calm of Búzios’s beaches, Canto is a protected cove where fishing boats harbor. From the town center, you can sit at a café and drink in the tranquil scene.

Brazil Travel Guide: Exploring the Wild Lands of the Pantanal

Humans are few and far between in the Pantanal giving it a feel of almost absolute isolation, although the abundance of wildlife here more than makes up for the lack of people. Species found elsewhere in the world exist here, but in astonishingly oversized versions, such as the giant river otter (1.8 meters long), or the marsh deer (1.2 meters high).

Despite this, continuous flooding has made farming impossible, thus protecting its unique natural heritage. The waters have also made this a hugely important feeding ground for birds and fish, but the area is also home to large populations of land animals, such as the jaguar, ocelots, wolves, capuchins, anteaters and armadillos. The list is almost endless.

Experiencing the area is possible through a variety of exciting adventures and Pantanal tours. A boat ride along the Mutum River will offer fantastic sightings of the enormous and friendly otters, stingrays and fish. Horseback riding through the lowlands offers an extra advantage because you have access to routes where the water is too high for motorized vehicles but too low for boats. The rolling mountains, fields and pasturelands amidst verdant flora and beautiful and diverse fauna can all be explored on guided treks.

Lying mostly within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil offers the best access to these remarkable wetlands. You will need to fly to Ciuaba or Campo Grande with either direct flight from Brasilia or connecting flights from Rio and Sao Paulo. Independent travel is not recommended because of limited access. The region is known for its fazendas, or cattle stations, which accommodate small numbers of guests at a time for an unforgettable cultural experience.

Now is the time to start planning your Pantanal vacation, with the wet season (November to March) coming to an end. The region is essentially a flood basin and during the dry season the water level recedes and fresh green grasses emerge, making travel over land easier and more comfortable. When making your Brazil travel plans, give yourself at least four days here for the full Pantanal experience. You won’t regret giving this underexplored nucleus of life a look; you never know when your next opportunity to track a jaguar will be.

With Brazil’s soaring economy and selection as the host for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio was in good spirits for the preparation of this year’s Carnival, which for many visitors is the defining Brazil travel experience.

Flamboyant scenes from the streets of Rio during Carnival

Things kicked off on Saturday 13 February and despite the crippling heat making it the hottest Carnival in five decades, dancers and performers rocked the streets sporting colorful flamboyant costumes sprouting feathers from their backs and sometimes even reptiles from their heads.

During this wildly expressive event, everyone is encouraged to flaunt it, any way you want, the more color the better. There are no ridiculous costumes in Rio during carnival. No matter how outlandish someone is dressed, someone else has found a way to stretch the limit even further.

Amidst the unprecedented heat wave but refreshingly cool nights, the city estimates that a total of 2.5 million people took to the streets to let loose in typical Carnival fashion.  The usual crowd of Hollywood and MTV stars made appearances, including Beyonce, Madonna, Hugh Jackman, Paris Hilton, and Alicia Keys.

The mayor took efforts to reduce the usual problems of disorder and sanitation by quadrupling the number of public toilets available and restricting certain activities on the two main Rio beaches, Ipanema and Copacabana. In general the attempts at a more safe and secure Carnival, especially with mounting pressure from Rio’s coming Olympic bid, were successful.

This year’s champion of the Rio Carnival parades competition was the Unidos da Tijuca samba group who took home the title for the first time in more than seven decades. The theme of their performance was “It’s a Secret,” and they made references to some of the great mysteries of the world including the Bermuda Triangle, ancient lost civilizations and Area 51.

Over 3,600 people played a part in the presentation which included a huge ski ramp that was climbed by a team of Spidermen and skied down by a team of Batmen.  They even paid homage to Michael Jackson at one point. Groups spend millions of dollars putting together their extravagant shows and are judged in ten different categories before a winner is selected.

The streets may have quieted down for a while, but with Brazil’s continued growth as a popular South America travel destination, the quiet won’t last long. Soon Samba schools will begin pooling creative ideas for next year’s performances and people will begin checking their calendars to see if they can squeeze in some vacation time for February 2011.

With such attention on some of South America’s most spectacular sights, we thought we’d give a Latin America For Less guide to visiting each place that is in contention for the title of South America’s most important Natural Wonder.

One of many stunning views of Iguazu Falls, on the Brazil-Argentina border

As the ratings currently stand, the mighty Iguazu Falls are in second place as the most significant natural wonder on the continent.

The falls straddle the border between Argentina and Brazil and are an enormously impressive sight. Almost 1.7 miles wide, Iguazu is actually made up of numerous sets of individual falls, the largest of which is known as the Devil’s Throat, on the border itself.

The story goes that when Eleanor Roosevelt first laid eyes on the falls, all she could exclaim was, “poor Niagra!”

Because of the falls’ location on the border between the two countries, they have become a popular destination for both Argentina and Brazil vacations.

Visiting Iguazu

One of the most popular Brazil tours that include Iguazu begins in the buzzing, iconic city of Rio de Janeiro before taking an internal flight to the Iguazu National Park.

On the Brazil side, most Iguazu hotels are concentrated between the town of Iguazu and the falls themselves. There are a good range of accommodations, including top-end choices such as the Mabus Thermas & Resort and Rafain Palace, as well as the budget-friendly Rafain Centro and Best Western Falls Galli Hotel – all of which are recommended by Brazil For Less.

Once travelers are settled in at their hotel, the entire afternoon can be spent exploring the falls. Walkways lead through the river canyon through a tropical rainforest that is rich with life. As you approach the falls, the thundering roar grows louder until you reach the waterfall system itself, hundreds of minor falls that gradually lead up to Iguazu’s centerpiece: the Devil’s Throat.

On the second day, most Iguazu tours visit the Argentine side of the falls, with an opportunity of taking a train ride right up to the Devil’s Throat falls for some breathtaking photo opportunities. There are also several walkways around the falls, each of which offers a different perspective.

Other Attractions

Once you’ve taken in the magnificence of the falls, there are plenty of other activities in the area, especially wildlife watching in the surrounding forest. The trees are alive with a huge number of bird species, and the Macuco Trail is a particularly well-known bird watching route.

Boating on the river with the falls as a spectacular backdrop is another popular activity. It’s even possible to take your “Iguazu Baptism” – a journey behind the falls themselves for a truly thrilling experience as millions of gallons of water thunders before your eyes.

Finally, not far from Iguazu is the Triple Frontier, the place where the Brazilian, Argentine and Paraguayan borders meet, which is marked by a monument from each nation to recognize their shared history.