Things to Do in Brazil

The colonial mansion that houses Casa da Cultura, dates back to the middle of the 18th Century, making it an ideal place to explore the rich history and traditions of this colorful community. Halls are lined with artifacts from an extensive permanent collection, including historic photographs, video interviews with famous Paraty residents, and unique carpets made from flower petals that were once used in the Corpus Christi festival. The pieces on display at Casa da Cultura are worthy of a visit, but incredible views of the neighborhood from the upstairs gallery are what make this site truly spectacular.

The most famous residents of Iguacu's humid subtropical forests—the parrots, toucans, lorikeets, flamingos and other brightly colored tropical birds—can be difficult for the casual traveler to spot in the rain forest. Since 1994, however, those of us without a birder's patience or cunning have been able to enjoy the airy aviaries of Birds Park, Latin America's largest.

Around 150 species enjoy spacious 26-foot (8-meter) enclosures in this heavily wooded, 12-acre (5-hectare) park, all thoughtfully designed by naturalists and the owners. It's a lovely stroll, and photographers will find ample opportunity for the perfect shot. Other denizens from around Brazil include caimans, anacondas, boa constrictors, marmosets and scores of gorgeous butterflies. Other biomes, such as the African savannah and Australian outback, are also displayed, housing ostriches, curassows and other exotics.

The Museo Afro-Brasileiro is one of the few museums of its type in Brazil exclusively dedicated to African cultural heritage and its influence on contemporary Brazilian culture.

The museum’s collection of African artifacts ranges from maps (depicting the original slave trade routes), masks, jewelry and clothing to musical instruments, traditional games and pottery.

The candomblé exhibit is particularly fascinating as it explains the roots, icons and rituals of this colorful religion. Don’t miss the impressive wooden tablets sculpted by noted Bahian artist Carybé that depict the candomblé orixás of Bahia with their weapons and liturgical animal. Make sure you ask for an English translation booklet at the entrance.

Visitors looking to escape the sun and instead, soak up a bit of Paraty culture will enjoy exploring the cobbled streets of the town’s compact Historic Center. Small enough to cover entirely on foot, the area if filled with a number of attractions unique to Paraty.

Spend an afternoon people watching in the grassy lawns of quaint Martiz Square or wandering through streets lined with old colonial architecture. A handful of churches are worth a visit, including Ingera Marriz Nossa Senhora do Rosario, the largest church in Paraty, and Capela de Nossa Senhora das Dores, religious home to Paraty’s well-heeled. After church-hopping, head to Rua do Comercio, where local merchants hawk handicrafts and Brazilian cuisine. Then unwind with incredible bay views at the Shambhala Asian Day Spa, just a 10-minute walk from the Historic Center.

Set in an impressive neoclassical building in downtown Rio de Janeiro that harkens back to an era when the city was a national—and imperial—capital, the National Fine Arts Museum (Museu Nacional de Belas Artes) houses over 16,000 artworks created by Brazilian painters, sculptors, and other visual artists. Focused mainly on artists from the 19th century, including Brazilian-born but French-trained painter Victor Meirelles de Lima and painter-turned-educator Pedro Américo, the museum also features works imported from Europe when the Portuguese royal family moved the imperial capital from Lisbon to Rio ahead of Napoleon’s troops in 1807, and works by contemporary Brazilian artists such as Lithuanian émigré and Modernist artist Lasar Segall and Nativist painter Di Cavalcanti, a heavyweight in the Brazilian Modernist movement who attempted to exclude any discernible European influences in his artwork.

Opened in 1937, the museum includes a collection of Brazilian folk art with a heavy focus on northeastern Brazil, and a collection of traditional West African art, such as textiles, wood carvings, and masks. Paintings featuring religious scenes and iconography, such as Giovanni Battista Tieppolo’s reverent Saint Cajetan and 16th century humanist Francisco de Holanda’s The Lord’s Supper make up some of the signature pieces of the museum’s international holdings.

Holding over 9 million volumes within its stacks and archives, Brazil’s extensive National Library (Biblioteca Nacional) is the largest library in Latin America and remains one of the first institutions established during Rio’s reign as imperial capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. Founded in 1810 and relocated to its current handsome Greek Revival-style setting in 1910, the library has maintained an archive of the country’s most important publications, periodicals, photographs, films, and music through the present—its collection of Brazilian popular music is unmatched, with over 200,000 pieces, from samba to sertanejo (a genre from the dry backlands of the northeast akin to American country music).

The library is open for public use and wows visitors with its elegant red-carpeted staircase and eclectic interior flourishes. One of the most valuable holdings inside is the late-19th century photography collection of Empress Theresa Christina Maria, Naples-born wife of Brazil’s second emperor, Pedro II, which was recognized by UNESCO for its historical significance and given to the library after her death by Pedro on the condition that the collection would be named for her. Despite moving the national capital to Brasília in 1960, a branch of the National Library didn’t open there until 2006.