South Brazil

[chocoholicone]

Has anyone visited south of Brazil? We are thinking of taking a holiday there next year. Can anyone suggest best places to visit, time of year, safety etc.

I know Paraty is lovely. Mountains and beaches! You will need to start in Rio and you can work your way down the coast.

We have also been as far south as Iguazzu Falls which must be seen from the Brazilian side and the Argentinian side. It’s fantastic.

@chocoholicon, it depends on what type of holiday you're looking for and whne you're going. Brazil is considered safe by the FCO except for certain parts of Rio.
You have a number of options - a private tour, multi centre, beach, cruise or small group adventure. Also, if you're going to that part of the world, you could also combine it with a Brazil / Argentia adventure - say for example - a walking tour of Buenos Aires, exploring the Ibera wetlands, touring both sides of Iguassu Falls, then on to Rio and visiting a local project follwed by a few beach days.

If you want a warm holiday with sun anytime after October and until about May. May-August can be very cold, even snows sometimes. If you are thinking of visiting Rio (usually have to fly there anyway for international flights) then avoid Nov-Feb time, it is stiflingly hot then. Rio is fine if you don't carry around valuables and draw attention to yourself. I lived there three years and have friends and family who live there now. No one has any problems. Just stay in the tourist areas and be attentive. As for the rest of Brazil, outside big cities and dodgy truck stops, Brazil is pretty safe. Big bus companies do not stop in dodgy places and they are very safe for travelling around the country. Small towns are very tranquil. There are some great vineyard tours in the South and adventure holidays. I would second combining it with Argentina and seeing Iguassu falls while you are there. Hotel Fazendas are great places to stay if you're into the outdoors and would like to know more of the history/culture of Brazil.

@linoleumblownapart, wonderful advice! 😀

Been to Brazil - was a few years ago now though. Flew into Rio - amazing to see but safety was quite an issue so stuck to guided tours. Stayed in PortoBay hotel overlooking Cococabana to start with - lovely beach but prostitutes operating and at the hotel there was a man trying to negiotiate one prostitute at breakfast and was being offered 10 on a boat. Went on lovely trips to see Sugarloaf mountain, Christ the Redeemer statue and monkeys as well as round centre (less interesting), all great.

Then got transfer down to Paraty - this was interesting as driver kept closing his eyes going down the motorway. We somewhat amazingly arrived safely - really charming place, seemed lost in time. Cobbled streets, white houses and horse and carriage rides and lots of fishermen sitting round who later when we visited offered to take us on their boats. Had lovely horse and carriage ride. Husband was nervous about taking boat but I persuaded him and was a lovely boat trip. Felt very safe there though appeared lots of fisherman with nothing to do. Stayed in rainforest by there Pousada Bromelias, lovely place though some seriously large insects one of which decided it liked me at breakfast. Beautiful fresh fruit breakfast, jacuzzi in rooms, pool etc in rainforest.

Then back to Rio and stayed at Sheraton this time, not such a good location and could hear someone being shot in a favela, waiter said this was normal. I would do Rio for the main sites but on escorted tours then Paraty was lovely.