Day-by-day programme of this 12-day itinerary across South-East: Rio, the Costa Verde and Iguazu.
Day 1 â Arrival in Rio de Janeiro
Landing in Rio de Janeiro, one of the most spectacular cities in the world, set among mountains, forest and ocean. A first plunge into the atmosphere of Copacabana.
- âïļ Rio de Janeiro â Aeroporto di Rio de Janeiro-Galeao (GIG)
- ð Copacabana â Copacabana is the most famous beach in the world: four kilometres of sand edged by the celebrated wave-patterned pavement, where the cariocas play beach volleyball and footvolley, drink coconut water and enjoy the sunset. Towards evening, from the fort at the far end, the view over the bay is magnificent. You walk to nearby Ipanema for the first caipirinha. Tomorrow you climb to the symbol of Rio: Christ the Redeemer.
- ðĻ Ibis Copacabana Posto 5 â Copacabana / Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Day 2 â Christ the Redeemer and Santa Teresa
A day among Rio's symbols: Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado, with the most famous view in Brazil, and the bohemian district of Santa Teresa with the Selaron steps.
- ð Christ the Redeemer â A rack railway climbs through the Tijuca forest to the top of the Corcovado, where the 38-metre Christ the Redeemer, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, dominates Rio with open arms. From up here the 360-degree view is breathtaking: the bay, the Sugarloaf, the beaches, the favelas and the forest creeping in among the skyscrapers. You go early to avoid clouds and crowds. Then you head down to the most artistic district.
- ð Santa Teresa â Santa Teresa is Rio's bohemian district, perched on a hill: cobbled streets, old colonial villas, artists' studios and cafes, crossed by the historic yellow tram (bondinho). You walk down to the famous Escadaria Selaron, a stairway of 215 steps covered in colourful tiles from all over the world, the work of the Chilean artist Jorge Selaron. In the evening, nearby Lapa lights up with music and samba. You return to the hotel with a full heart.
Day 3 â Sugarloaf and Ipanema
The Sugarloaf by cable car at sunset, the legendary beaches of Ipanema and Leblon and an authentic, respectful look at life in a favela.
- ð Sugarloaf Mountain â The Sugarloaf, the rock that closes Guanabara Bay, is reached by a double cable car starting from the Urca district: first to Morro da Urca, then to the summit. The best time is late afternoon, to watch Rio pass from golden light to evening lights, with the illuminated Christ the Redeemer in the distance. It is one of the most romantic views in the world. Earlier, a morning on the beaches of Ipanema. Tomorrow you leave the city for the Costa Verde.
- ðŊ Santa Marta Favela â To truly understand Rio, a guided and responsible visit to the Santa Marta favela, one of the safest and most pacified, accompanied by a local guide who tells of its life, community and culture without sensationalising poverty. You go up by funicular among colourful alleys and murals (Michael Jackson filmed a video here) and enjoy an unexpected view of the city. An experience that changes your perspective. In the afternoon you climb the Sugarloaf.
Day 4 â The Costa Verde: Paraty
A scenic road along the Costa Verde to Paraty, a colonial town that is a UNESCO site, with its historic centre of white houses and colourful boats.
- âïļ Rio de Janeiro â Paraty â Centro storico, Paraty
- ð Paraty Historic Centre â Paraty's historic centre is an intact colonial masterpiece: cobbled streets with large irregular stones, white houses with doors and windows painted in vivid colours, 18th-century churches and no cars. At sunset the golden light and the fishermen's boats in the little harbour create an atmosphere suspended in time. You dine on fresh fish and taste cachaca, produced here for centuries. Tomorrow you take to the sea, among the islands.
- ðĻ Pousada Villa Real Paraty â Centro storico, Paraty
Day 5 â The islands of Paraty
A day by boat in the bay of Paraty, among dozens of islands, deserted beaches and transparent waters perfect for snorkelling, with a stop at a cachaca distillery.
- ðŊ Bay of Paraty â A traditional sailing boat (schooner) sets off from Paraty's harbour for a day among the bay's many islands: you swim in calm, transparent waters, snorkel among colourful fish and stop at little beaches reachable only by sea, such as Praia Vermelha or Ilha do Pelado. On board you lunch and sip a caipirinha in the sun. A day of pure tropical relaxation. You return to Paraty for the last colonial evening.
- ð―ïļ Paraty â On the last evening in Paraty you dine in the historic centre lit by lanterns, trying the flavours of the coast: moqueca (fish stew in coconut milk and dende oil), prawns and palm hearts, finishing with a cachaca dessert. The town in the evening, car-free and with its colourful facades, is magical. Tomorrow you set sail for Ilha Grande, the green island of the Costa Verde.
Day 6 â Ilha Grande
A ferry to Ilha Grande, a tropical island covered in forest and fringed by dozens of beaches, where no cars circulate. An afternoon in the village of Abraao.
- âïļ Paraty â Ilha Grande â Vila do Abraao, Ilha Grande
- ð Vila do Abraao â Vila do Abraao is a relaxed village of fishermen and travellers, with paths instead of roads, beachfront eateries and a simple life set by the tides. You can swim right in front of the village or set off on foot to the nearby beaches, through the Atlantic forest full of monkeys and toucans. In the evening you dine on fish with your feet in the sand. Tomorrow the great hike to the most beautiful beach: Lopes Mendes.
- ðĻ Pousada Agua Viva â Vila do Abraao, Ilha Grande
Day 7 â Lopes Mendes beach
A hike through the Atlantic forest to Lopes Mendes, a long beach of pure white sand and turquoise sea, regularly voted among the most beautiful in Brazil.
- ðŊ Lopes Mendes â You reach Lopes Mendes beach by combining a short boat crossing and a forest path (about an hour and a half among giant trees, lianas and howler monkeys). The effort is repaid: three kilometres of fine white sand, so compact it squeaks underfoot, lapped by a turquoise sea loved by surfers. No buildings, only nature. You return to Abraao in the afternoon, tired and happy. Tomorrow you leave the sea for the great Iguazu falls.
Day 8 â The Iguazu Falls
A long transfer and flight to Foz do Iguacu, in the deep south, to admire from the Brazilian side the panoramic overall view of the giant falls.
- âïļ Rio de Janeiro â Foz do Iguacu â Aeroporto di Foz do Iguacu (IGU)
- ð Iguacu Falls (Brazilian side) â The Brazilian side of the falls offers the most spectacular panoramic view: a walkway runs in front of the entire wall of cascades, giving an overall sweep impossible from the other bank, ending at a footbridge that pushes into the heart of the Devil's Throat, under a rain of spray and rainbows. Coatis and butterflies populate the path. You return to Foz for the night. Tomorrow you cross the border to the Argentine side, more immersive.
- ðĻ Foz Presidente Comfort Hotel â Foz do Iguacu, Parana
Day 9 â The Argentine side and the birds
Crossing the border to the Argentine side of the falls, more immersive, with the walkway right to the edge of the Devil's Throat, and a visit to the Parque das Aves.
- ðŊ Devil's Throat (Argentine side) â You cross the border to the Argentine side, where the circuits let you walk in the midst of the falls, among water jets and forest. The little train and a long walkway over the river lead to the edge of the Devil's Throat: an abyss where an impressive volume of water plunges with a deafening roar into a perpetual cloud of spray. It is the most thrilling moment of Iguazu. In the afternoon, back in Brazil, you visit the Parque das Aves.
- ð Parque das Aves â The Parque das Aves, next to the Brazilian entrance, is a large sanctuary in the Atlantic forest where you walk inside huge aviaries in contact with toucans, brightly coloured macaws, flamingos and birds of prey, many rescued from illegal trafficking. It is a sweet and colourful end to the Iguazu chapter, much loved by children too. You return to Foz for the last night. Tomorrow you fly to Sao Paulo, the megalopolis, for the final stop.
Day 10 â Sao Paulo, the megalopolis
A flight to Sao Paulo, the largest city in South America: a dizzying metropolis of skyscrapers, museums, street art and one of the best food scenes in the world.
- âïļ Foz do Iguacu â Sao Paulo â Aeroporto di Sao Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU)
- ð Avenida Paulista â Avenida Paulista is the modern heart of Sao Paulo: an avenue of skyscrapers home to MASP, the art museum with its famous architecture suspended on red pillars and a collection ranging from Van Gogh to Picasso. On Sundays the road closes to cars and fills with musicians and cyclists. Nearby, the Beco do Batman is an alley entirely covered in street art. You dine in one of the city's many excellent restaurants. Tomorrow more corners of Sao Paulo.
- ðĻ Melia Paulista â Centro / Paulista / Jardins, Sao Paulo
Day 11 â Markets and neighbourhoods of Sao Paulo
A last day among the flavours of the Municipal Market, the historic centre, the Japanese district of Liberdade and the murals of Vila Madalena.
- ð―ïļ Mercadao â The Municipal Market (Mercadao) is a cathedral of food: under the Liberty-style stained glass pile up tropical fruits to taste, cheeses, spices and the famous sandwiches, from the brick-thick mortadella sandwich to the salt-cod pastel. It is the right place to immerse yourself in Brazilian flavours. Around it pulses the historic centre, with the Se Cathedral and the Theatro Municipal. In the afternoon you visit Liberdade, the Japanese district, and Vila Madalena, capital of street art.
- ð Ibirapuera Park â The Ibirapuera Park is Sao Paulo's great green lung, its Central Park: lawns, lakes, cycle paths and the curving pavilions designed by Oscar Niemeyer, home to museums and the auditorium. It is where the paulistanos relax at the weekend. A stroll at sunset closes the trip in Brazil, among skyscrapers and flowering jacarandas. In the evening, a last Brazilian dinner with a feijoada or a churrasco. Tomorrow you head home to Europe.
Day 12 â Departure from Brazil
Return flight from Sao Paulo. The end of a journey among legendary beaches, forests, immense waterfalls and the unstoppable Brazilian energy.
- âïļ Sao Paulo â Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa (MXP)
