A country · 338 places · 23 regions

Brazil, all of it.

338 curated places across 23 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
Christ the Redeemer · via Wikimedia Commons

The 4 biggest regions — Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Bahia and Minas Gerais — read below as chapters, with 19 more waiting past them.

Chapter I · Rio de Janeiro · 48 places

Rio de Janeiro

The art deco statue of Christ the Redeemer crowns Corcovado Mountain at 710 metres above sea level, overlooking the entire sweep of Rio de Janeiro. The viewing platform at its base offers a panoramic vantage across Guanabara Bay, the Atlantic coastline, and the densely forested Tijuca massif. Morning hours, before the sea fog burns off, often produce dramatic misty compositions for photographers.

São Paulo, Brazilvia Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · São Paulo · 44 places

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in South America, a concrete metropolis of 12 million inhabitants within the city limits, anchored by a cultural infrastructure that rivals any world capital. The Pinacoteca do Estado, the Museu de Arte de São Paulo on Avenida Paulista, and the vibrant Vila Madalena street-art district represent the city's layered artistic identity. The gastronomy scene, shaped by the largest Japanese diaspora outside Japan and waves of Italian, Lebanese, and Nordestino immigration, is unmatched in Brazil.

✦ April to September · $$

Chapter III · Bahia · 34 places

Bahia

The Abrolhos Archipelago is a group of five volcanic islands 70 kilometres off the Bahia coast, forming Brazil's first marine park and protecting the largest coral reef complex in the South Atlantic. Humpback whales concentrate here in large numbers between July and November to breed and nurse calves, making the archipelago one of the most reliable whale-watching sites in the southern hemisphere. Access is by boat from Caravelas, with overnight stays on live-aboard vessels.

Inhotim, Brazilvia Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Minas Gerais · 30 places

Minas Gerais

This sprawling open-air institution blends contemporary art pavilions with vast botanical gardens in the hills of Minas Gerais. Visitors roam trails between large-scale installations set among rare tropical plants.

✦ Dry season, weekdays · $$

Every place in Brazil

338 places, one country.

Christ the Redeemer, Brazil

Christ the Redeemer

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ May to September · $$

Sugarloaf Mountain, Brazil

Sugarloaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ April to October · $$

Ipanema, Brazil

Ipanema

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ December to March · $$

Amazon rainforest, Brazil

Amazon rainforest

Amazonas, Brazil

✦ June to November · $$

Jericoacoara, Brazil

Jericoacoara

Ceará, Brazil

✦ July to January · $$

Abrolhos Archipelago, Brazil

Abrolhos Archipelago

Bahia, Brazil

✦ July to November · $$

Florianópolis, Brazil

Florianópolis

Santa Catarina, Brazil

✦ December to March · $$

Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul

Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

✦ March to October · $$

Copacabana, Brazil

Copacabana

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ December to March · $$

Noronha (Fernando de Noronha), Brazil

Noronha (Fernando de Noronha)

Pernambuco, Brazil

✦ August to March · $$$

Manaus, Brazil

Manaus

Amazonas, Brazil

✦ June to November · $$

Paraty, Brazil

Paraty

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ April to June · $$

Jalapão State Park, Brazil

Jalapão State Park

North Region, Brazil

✦ June to September · $$

São Paulo, Brazil

São Paulo

São Paulo, Brazil

✦ April to September · $$

Serra Gaúcha, Brazil

Serra Gaúcha

Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

✦ March to June · $$

Maracanã Stadium, Brazil

Maracanã Stadium

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ April to October · $$

Selarón Steps, Brazil

Selarón Steps

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ May to October · $

Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ April to October · $

Museum of Tomorrow, Brazil

Museum of Tomorrow

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ Year-round · $$

Parque Lage, Brazil

Parque Lage

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ April to October · $

Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Cathedral, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Cathedral

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ Year-round · $

Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ Year-round · $$

Pedra da Gávea, Brazil

Pedra da Gávea

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ April to October · $

Quinta da Boa Vista, Brazil

Quinta da Boa Vista

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

✦ April to October · $