Brazil tourist attractions include Iguazu waterfalls, Ouro Preto, Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer, and Museu Historico Nacional.
Iguazu waterfalls, part of the Iguazu River, are located within the border between the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones.
The waterfalls consist of a total of 275 individual waterfalls, at length of about 2.7 km (1.7 miles) within the Iguazu River.
Biggest of these waterfalls, Garganta do Diabo, ‘the Devil’s Throat‘ in English, is a….
- U-shaped,
- 82 meter (269 ft) tall,
- 150 meter (492 ft) wide, and
- 700 meter (2,296 ft) long waterfall, which is also a natural border between Argentina and Brazil.
Of the waterfalls, about 2/3 are within the Argentine side of the border.
Nearest town to the falls is Foz do Iguaçu, in Brazil, although some of the cheapter hotels are located on the Argentine side of the border.
On the Brazilian side of the border, you can get to the waterfalls using a long walkway, which has an right next to the Devil’s Throat waterfall’s lower level.
Ouro Preto (www.ouropreto.com.br), meanwhile, is a former colonial mining town, located at the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, within Serra do Espinhaço mountains.
Because of its unique Baroque architecture, the city, as a whole, is part of the UNESCO world heritage list.
The colonial architecture in Ouro Preto is surprisingly well-preserved, and you won’t find too many signs of modern, urban living from the city.
Highlights in Ouro Preto include its gilded churches, such as the Igreja de São Francisco de Assis, and the artworks within those churches, from masters such as sculptor Aleijadinho and painter Mestre Athayde.
Brazil tourist attractions also feature Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, one of the world’s most famous beaches together with another famous beach in Rio, Ipanema.
Copacabana beach extends from Posto Dois (guard tower two) all the way to Posto Seis (guard tower six).
The area has many popular places for accommodation and recreation, including at least 63 hotels and a beach promenade, lined with numerous restaurants, bars, and night clubs.
Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer (www.corcovado.com.br) statue has become one of the leading symbols for both Brazil and Rio de Janeiro, similarly to, say, New York City’s Statue of Liberty has become a symbol of the United States.
The statue has a height of 38 meters (124 ft), and it is located on top of a 700 meter (2,296 ft) tall Corcovado mountain, overlooking Rio de Janeiro.
Christ the Redeemer was designed by Paul Landowski, and it was completed in 1931.
Within the base of the statue, you’ll find a church, a popular place for Rio de Janeiro weddings, consecrated by Rio’s archbishop, Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid, in 2006.
Brazil tourist attractions also include Museu Historico Nacional (museuhistoriconacional.com.br) in Rio de Janeiro, created in 1922, and today, one of the most important national history museums in Brazil.
The museum’s collection includes more than 287,000 objects, including one of the most important numismatic collections in Latin America.
Museu Historico Nacional covers an area of about 20,000 m2 (4.9 acres), and at any one time, there are 25 permanent and temporary exhibitions, portraying the most important stages in Brazil’s history.
Highlights at the museum include King Pedro II’s imperial crown, as well as the painting “Battle of Riachuelo“, from 1882.