Travel to Brazil

Ouro Preto (black gold)

Located in Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto is a historical city, full of colonial houses and old Cathedrals.
It's one of the oldest cities in Brasil and it's central church still has sacred pieces from 1600!.

Of course they still have stone roads :) can you picture it? marvelous!

You will be amazed by the precious stones you can buy straight for the minners (real bargons!), or in the local shops and also you can see how they work with them, I mean all the process.

If you love the food, you will love this place the most, the local dishes such as tutu mineiro, feijoada, leitao a pururuca are delightfull things to try.

In ouro Preto you will find one of the best Mardi Grass you can enjoy in Minas Gerais. Imagine all those people dancing and singing the party never ends!  take out your feathers and start shaking!

Museu da Chácara do Ceu

Previously owned by Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya, Chácara do Ceu is today dedicated to exhibit works of art and antiques that once belonged to this fine arts lover. Amongst the most important pieces are works by Picasso, Debret, Dali, Braque, Degas, Matisse and Monet, as well as the Brazilian Portinari, Djanira and Heitor dos Prazeres. The furniture is all original, and the 17th and 18th century maps add to the classic atmosphere of the house. A special attraction, the shaded and peaceful garden.

Ponta Negra Beach

The most popular beach in Manaus, and the favorite place of the local residents and tourists is the most famous address of the city.There are many good restaurants and night clubs.Ponta Negra is a great place to spend the end of the day and see the gorgeous sunset.

The new bridge across Potengi

The construction of the new bridge is slowly making progress. The plan was to have this finished in summer 2006.In Brazil plans are not always the reality in many ways. According to the picture posted here, taken at that time - - - it still will be a long time before this bridge is finished and in use?

Jungle trips to Manaus

Manaus also offers Eco Tours to National park of the Jaú (Parque Nacional do Jaú situated in the state of Amazonas, 220 km of Manaus, to Rio 105 km of Manaus offers archaeological grottos and caves, waterfalls, and native scenes. type: Trekking

City of Manaus

The city is pleasant and friendly, although quite hot, and is still a major port, and a good base for river tours.Unfortunately there’s not much left of the fortress built in 1669 where the city originated, but there are lots of other interesting sights. You cannot miss the Jesuit church, dominating the city centre, but you should also see the harbour installations, completed in 1902. Another interesting industrial sight, finished in the same year, is the Mercado Adolfo Lisboa, a miniature copy of the demolished Halles de Paris, built by Gustav Eiffel. From Manaus you can start programs to the four main points of the Amazon area. In the south Mamori, Juma e Janauacá. In the extreme north Presidente Figueiredo. In the east the national park Jaú and Rio Negro. In the west Rio Urubu, represented by a vegetation bulk, being composed for dense tropical forest or open forests. You can expect to see some wildlife and visit some of the forest remnants, but two weeks or more are needed to reach untouched areas. Small two-story river boats carry five to ten people, sleeping in hammocks on the lower deck. Local residents use these but they are not recommended for tourists. Tour boats carrying from 15 to 30 people are comfortable, accommodating, and economical. Large boats carrying hundreds ply the river too, but the big boats don't stop between ports.   

MANAUS

MANAUS is a city in north-west Brazil and capital of Amazonas State. It is situated on the Rio Negro river, just 10 kilometers upstream from the point this river meets the Solimoes to form the Amazon. When in the area you should pay a visit to this point for the mingling of black and yellow water from the two rivers is really a sight worth seeing. The city boomed due to the richness from the nearby rubberplants who used this place to trade latex. When the rubber business came into decline due to synthetic alternatives , the city fell into decline. It now has a population over one and a half million people. Situated in the middle of the Amazon rain forest it serves as a travel hub and a distribution center for the river areas of the upper Amazon. It is thriving river harbour as well as the major destination on the highway from the south. You will be impressed by the vast number of river vessels of all shapes and sizes that ply their way from here to every township up and down this great river. Manaus is also the furthest point along the Amazon's deep-water channel, which allows huge ocean liners to come the 2,000 km/1,250 miles upstream from the Atlantic. The Rio Negro (northern) branch of the Amazon is the color of strong tea, peaty brown and its comparative acidity means few mosquitoes. At Manaus the Amazon rises and falls almost twenty meters between seasons. In May and June it's at its peak, full and very wide, spreading way out into the trees. In November December it's low; still massive but with sandbanks showing.

Belem

The city of mango trees is the main port of the Amazon, and as harbor cities go a very busy and industrialized area. It's the economic center of the north and the capital of the state of Para. Being close to Equator line it's also very hot, and almost contradictory to this also one of the rainiest cities in the world. Attracted to the possible job offers, Belem has many poor inhabitants and quite extensive slum areas around it, but the center has quite some pretty places. When in Belem, you should not miss the Cidade Velha, or old town. Here are the best colonial buildings preserved, among which the Cathedral (1748). Also the Praca da Republica (Republica Square), a nightlife hangout, crowned with the Neo Classical Teatro Paz is a must. Other sights are the 1909 Basilica of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré, with its astounding stained glass windows, paid for with the profits made on rubber plants, upstream. A peculiar sight is the replica of the Big Ben tower on the Praca do Mercado, just next to the fishing port. A very nice touristic center was recently opened in the old harbor area. There are three different spaces: one for events such like conventions, one for gastronomy and another one for arts. There you can also schedule boat rides. The most interesting of all leaves at four o'clock every mornig, and leads the tourists to the so called "Parrots Island"- these birds chose it to spend the nights, and the visit occurs at the time they begin to fly away: unforgetable for birds lovers

Belém

Belém is a city in the northern part of Brazil. It is the capital and also the biggest city of the state of Pará. Its metropolitan area has approximately 2.08 million inhabitants. It is the entrance gate and, together with Manaus, the most important city in the Brazilian amazonic region. It is also known as Cidade das mangueiras due to the amount of those trees found in the city. Belém is served by the Val de Cães International Airport  that connects the town to rest of the country and other cities in South America. Brazilians often refer to the city as Belém do Pará  rather than just Belém so as to differentiate it from Belém in the West Bank. Belém, like Manaus, is a jumping-off point for those seeking Amazon adventures, and also one of Brazil's busiest ports -- about 60 miles upriver from the Atlantic Ocean. The river is the Para, part of the greater Amazon river system, and the city is built on a number of small islands intersected by channels and other rivers. One part of Belém contains modern skyscrapers and the other part, the colonial section, has charming tree-filled squares, churches, and traditional blue tiles. Belém is a hot and rainy city with very high humidity. The equatorial climate means little variance from day to day, but the wettest months are between January and May.

Belo Horizonte city

The city is often referred to as BH, which is pronunciated as "Beagá". Created to replace Ouro Preto as the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte is one of the few Brazilian towns that were planned (other major cities which were planned before construction are Brasilia and Palmas). Situated at an altitude of 858.3 metres, its construction began in 1893 and it was inaugurated four years later with the name Cidade de Minas Gerais. In planning it, the engineers, Aarão Reis and Francisco Bicalho, found their inspiration in the town plan of Washington DC (USA).