'''Southeast Brazil''' is the cultural and economic hub of the country, and contains three of the four largest cities: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte.

States

  • Espirito Santo
  • Minas Gerais
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Sao Paulo
  • Cities

  • Belo Horizonte
  • Buzios
  • Niteroi -- The city across the Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro. There are beautiful beaches and mountains you can go to the top of them and view all the beauty of Rio. A visit to '''Itacoatiara''' beach is recommended.
  • Ouro Preto
  • Passa Quatro -- A very charming town in Minas, out of the normal itinerary, with lot's of waterfalls, not far from Paraty.
  • Paraty
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Sao Paulo
  • Santos - An important port city in Sao Paulo state, home of the football club for which Pele played most of his career.
  • Tiradentes -- A well preserved historic town in the state of Minas Gerais.
  • Other destinations

  • Ilha Grande
  • Itatiaia National Park
  • Understand

    Since the 18th century, Brazil_fs Southeast has been the heart of the country_fs economy. Firstly, with the intense gold and diamond mining in the state of Minas Gerais, which gave birth to several colonial towns - many of them still well-preserved, as well as the transfer of the country_fs capital from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro in 1763. When the mining activities declined, the coffee produced in the region took its place as the country_fs main export, followed by Brazil_fs industrialization, which helped develop the region from the 1930s on. Today, the Southeast is still the most populous and economically powerful of the country_fs regions, besides being the epicenter of the Brazil_fs cultural industries. Nevertheless, it is still to overcome problems that plague the rest of the country, such as the extreme contrast between the rich and the poor, and the lack of security in the metropolises. In spite of that, Sao Paulo and Rio are the main gateways to Brazil, both for business and leisure travelers, and the region offers countless attractions to all its visitors.

    Climate

    The diverse landscapes of the southeast can have very different climates altogether ? check the state articles for details. As a general rule, areas along the coastline can be hot and humid year-round ? less so in winter. Northern Minas Gerais is also hot, but drier. In higher altitude areas (such as Sao Paulo (city), southern Minas Gerais and the mountains of Rio state) winters are usually cool. Summer is the wettest season whereas winters are generally drier.

    Talk

    English is normally spoken only at the tourism businesses (hotels and a few more tourist-oriented restaurants), and by the well-educated upper classes. Do not assume everyone speaks Spanish. Brazilians do not like to be mistaken for Spanish-speakers and some can find it rude to be approached in Spanish. Portuguese is spoken with variations in accent and a few tweaks in vocabulary. Some of them may be interesting for the traveller to know:
  • Semaforo (traffic lights): Sinal (in Minas), farol (in Sao Paulo)
  • Get in

    By plane

    Sao Paulo has the country's largest number of international links. Note that some connections to domestic flights may require a change between airports, from Guarulhos International (GRU) to Congonhas (CGH), which is a busy national hub.

    Rio de Janeiro (GIG) also receives international flights, including the only direct flight to Angola. Rio's other airport (SDU) serves only domestic destinations.

    Other cities with international connections are Belo Horizonte (from Portugal) and Cabo Frio, in the Buzios region, with flights to and from Buenos Aires.

    Get around

    See

    Itineraries

  • The Royal Road - Cutting through the States of Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo to the port cities of Paraty and Rio de Janeiro, the Royal Road is one of the oldest roads in the Americas. It thrived during the diamond and gold-digging ages, linking many of the most important historic towns in the region.
  • Do

    Eat

    lots of things

    Drink

    Stay safe and be happy

    Get out