Things to Do in Southeast Brazil

While it may be hard to pull away from Rio’s white sand beaches, there’s more to the vibrant Brazilian city than sand and Sugarloaf Mountain. One of those spots is Tiradentes Palace, a soaring, concrete, exquisite palace that’s named for “Tiradentes,” a Brazilian revolutionary who was jailed while fighting for the nation’s independence. While his cell once stood on the very ground where the palace stands today, when the palace was constructed in 1926, it not only adopted the hero’s name, but was also built with sculptures atop the dome that represent independence. When standing in front of the spectacular palace and admiring from the outside, gaze upwards at the concrete, Corinthian columns rising 40 feet in height. Inside, paintings by Brazilian Rodolfo Chambelland accompany displays recounting the building’s modern political history. The palace was where the National Congress gathered until 1960, and is used today by Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro. 

Situated grandly atop downtown São Paulo’s Vale do Anhangabaú like a concrete wedding cake, the century-old Theatro Municipal still shines as an example of the city’s place at the vanguard of art in Latin America. Opened in 1911, the ornate showplace—styled in the tradition of the great European opera houses—has welcomed Maria Callas, Isadora Duncan, Duke Ellington, and Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Ellington to its stage. A recent multimillion-dollar renovation has restored the grandeur of the structure, which serves as the official home of the São Paulo Municipal Symphony Orchestra and the São Paulo City Ballet, among other artistic organizations.

With a design inspired directly by Milan’s Teatroalla Scala, the theater was erected during the height of São Paulo’s wealth and influence as the center of Brazil’s coffee industry, though the location of the structure is called Morro do Chá—Tea Hill. The site of many debuts by Brazilian composers as well as host of 1922’s groundbreaking Week of Modern Art, which set the tone for the country’s multifaceted participation in Modernism, the theater welcomes visitors and offers guided tours arranged through its on-site historical museum, and purchasing tickets for any of the various artistic events at the theater’s turn-of-last-century box office is an experience in itself.

The gigantic Maracana Stadium (Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho) is one of the most iconic soccer temples in South America, built to open the 1950 World Cup. The site holds the record for the largest attendance at a World Cup Final thanks to the 199,854 paying spectators who crammed into the stadium in 1950 and also hosted the FIFA World Cup Final again in 2014 and the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. Officially known as Mário Filho Stadium but called Maracana after the small river that runs alongside it, the arena is now a historical site dedicated to its former use as a world-class arena and event venue.

Like the shores of Sono, Trindade Beach requires travelers take a bit of a hike before basking in the rays of South American sun. But visitors to this quiet haven 30 kilometers south of Paraty say the distinctly island vibe, reggae sounds, fresh fish and strong cocktails make this beach feel like a piece of paradise. A short 20-minute hike through thick forests, past Cachadaco Beach, ends at soft sand and warm clear waters. Be sure to venture to the nearby circle of boulders that hides a natural swimming pool perfect for a peaceful post-hike dip.

Squeezed on a curved slice of land at the foot of Sugar Loaf Mountain and its shorter, wider companion at the other end of the cable car, tiny Urca remains one of Rio’s most unique neighborhoods in that it has retained its intimate feel and close-knit character for decades, despite rapid and unrestrained development in other sections of the city. Facing west across an inlet of Guanabara Bay and overlooking the stately districts of Botafogo and Flamengo, Urca is home to several restaurants and bars that make the trip from other parts of town worthwhile if only for the ambiance.

The site of a Portuguese fort erected in 1565 to fend off the nascent city from French colonial ambitions, Urca developed as a neighborhood much more recently. In the 1920s, the amount of buildable land in the area was expanded with landfill and the first housing developments sprung up. By the end of the decade, the district was a thriving commercial and residential community with its own casino, built to compete against the luxe but barely-accessible Copacabana Palace Hotel. Much of the architecture in the area reflects the development of the 30s and 40s, with a mix of faux Spanish and Tudor-style stucco houses and apartment buildings that render the entire neighborhood a historical treasure.

Already known as one of the world's most vibrant cities, Rio de Janeiro will likely see its popularity continue to soar as it hosts the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. A city of six million people, Rio is glittering, vibrant and sexy and is sure to dazzle most first-time visitors.

How to Get to Rio de Janeiro
Your ship will dock at Pier Maua, which is within walking distance of Rio's central business district. Taxis are readily available, or your cruise ship might arrange transportation for you to Copacabana, Ipanema or the city center. Some jewelry stores may also offer complimentary rides to and from their stores, usually located in Ipanema.

One Day in Rio de Janeiro
Start your day with a visit to one of Rio de Janeiro's most famous sites "“ Corcovado, the large art deco statue of Christ the Redeemer that stands over 2,000 feet above the city. Get there by taking the funicular from the Cosme Velho station first thing in the morning to enjoy the views and beat the crowds.

Then, head back to central Rio to explore some of the city's museums and churches. The 16th-century Mosteiro de Sao Bento, the 17th-century Convento do Santo Antonio and the 18th-century Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Candelaria are all worth a visit. Art lovers will then want to make their way to the Flamengo neighborhood, where you will find the Museu de Arte Moderna with its large contemporary art collection and the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, which showcases Brazil's top artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Spend the rest of the afternoon walking the length of Copacabana Beach, taking in Rio's legendary beach scene. Continue south to Ipanema, recently named the best beach city in the world. For a quick lunch, you can stop at a lunch counter around Copacabana or Ipanema for a sandwich and fresh fruit juice, or pull up a seat at an outdoor cafe and enjoy the people-watching.

If you have time for dinner before returning to your ship, don't miss dining at an all-you-can-eat churrascaria and sampling a caipirinha, a typical Brazilian drink made of sugar cane rum, lime and sugar.

Port Information
The official language in Brazil is Portuguese, but Spanish may also be spoken. English should be understood in hotels and shops. The local currency is the Brazilian real, but US dollars are widely accepted (change will be given in reales). You should be able to find ATM's and currency exchange offices throughout the city.

A rectangular eye at the center of the urban hurricane that is Sao Paulo, Praça da República might have seen better days, but the plaza still holds on to its importance as a focal point for cultural life in the city. Built in 1889 to commemorate a new era in the city's expansion and development, Praça da República served as the primary location for concerts, political protests, and other large gatherings. Perched within the otherwise tree-shaded plaza is the former Caetano de Campos School, now site of the Sao Paulo State Department of Education, a handsome structure of yellow brick that"”at over 120 years old"”contrasts greatly with the mid-20th century glass and steel towers fronting the park. Just across AvenidaIpiranga from the plaza is one of the city's oldest Modernist residential buildings, the Edifício Esther, inaugurated in 1938, and overlooking the park from the southwest corner is the nearly 500-foot-tall EdifícioItália, Sao Paulo's second-tallest building.

On weekends, the plaza hosts a large crafts fair and flea market, with over 600 vendors selling everything from colorful landscape paintings from Brazil's northeast to woodcarvings and other household knickknacks. Despite 24-hour police presence, the area can get sketchy after dark, when hustlers and the homeless make their way into the park.