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Frequently Asked Questions |
What
is the best time of year to visit Brazil?
Brazil is a country of continental dimensions and an incredible
climatic variation. Thus, there are several destinations that can
be visited any time of the year, providing unforgettable vacation
time. Research the place you want to visit and see when the best
time to visit is.
Which
are the most visited cities?
Rio de Janeiro, in the State of Rio de Janeiro; São Paulo,
in the State of São Paulo; Salvador,
in the State of Bahia;
Fortaleza in
the State of Ceará;
and Recife,
in the State of Pernambuco
are the top five cities in the ranking of most visited cities by
foreign tourists. But Brazil has countless options for your trip,
whether for vacation or business.
I
would like some information about lodging
... and transportation for a specific city / region.
Access the page Accommodations
and select the city you wish to visit. There you will find this
and much more information. Brazil has excellent air connections
to all continents and offices of most of national and international
airlines are found throughout the country. There are also many options
for lodging, from
the simplest and coziest inns to sophisticated hotels
and resorts.
| Book
Your Hotel Online |
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Click
the pop-down menu at the left and choose the city where you
would like to stay in Brazil |
| I
am from a tourism agency
... and I would like to contact professionals in this area
in Brazil.
You can contact one of these entities:
- Brazilian
Incoming Travel Organization (BITO)
www.bito.com.br/index.htm
- Associação
Brasileira de Agências de Viagem (ABAV) (Brazilian
Association of Travel Agencies)
www.abav.com.br
- Associação
Brasileira das Operadoras de Turismo (Braztoa) (Brazilian
Association of Tourism Operators)
braztoa@braztoa.com.br
- Associação
Brasileira de Empresas de Eventos (Abeoc) (Brazilian Association
of Events Organizers)
abeoc@abeoc.org.br
- Federação
Brasileira de Convention & Visitors Bureaux (FBC&VB)
(Brazilian Federation of Conventions & Visitors Bureau)
fbcvb@fbcvb.org.br
- Comissão
de Turismo Integrada do Nordeste (CTI-NE) (Northeast Integrated
Tourism Committee)
ctine@ctinordestedobrasil.com.br
- Fórum
de Operadores Hoteleiros do Brasil (FOHB) (Forum of Hotel
Operators in Brazil)
fohb@fohb.com.br
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How
many foreign tourists does Brazil receive annually?
According to EMBRATUR’s (Brazilian Institute of Tourism)
Annual Statistics Brazil saw a 15.49% growth in foreign tourists
in 2004. The country received 4.7 million international visitors
in 2004, compared to 4.1 million in 2003. The Argentine tourist,
followed by North-Americans, Germans and Portuguese are the
main visitors. |
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Which
are the most popular festivities in Brazil?
Brazilian popular festivities permeate the entire calendar, which
makes Brazil a country of constant celebrations. Below are some
of the most important festivities:
Carnaval
One of the greatest popular manifestations in the world, Carnaval
is an accurate register of Brazilian cultural miscegenation. The
festivity has its own characteristics in each part of the country,
but some cities are famous at this time of the year.
In
the city of Rio de Janeiro, Escolas de Samba (Samba Schools) parade
at the Sambódromo, presenting their stories and parading
enormous floats down the samba avenue, together with approximately
5,000 members wearing a variety of costumes – always in tune
with that year’s theme, parading in front of the audience
as if telling a story.
In
Recife and
Olinda, in the State of Pernambuco,
frevo (a typical dance) – typical dance from the State –
is the dominating dance setting the pace for the party.
On
the Saturday before Carnaval a crowd of almost one million people
take the streets of Recife to go dancing with the Galo da Madrugada
(Midnight Rooster), the greatest symbol of Pernambuco frolics. During
Carnaval time, old Recife becomes crowded.
In
Olinda, the merrymakers parade their costumes on the city’s
streets. In Salvador,
in the State of Bahia,
people occupy the streets to follow the Trio Elétricos, which
are big trucks transformed into moving platforms where bands play
axé-music, a typical rhythm from Bahia.
Starting from the Pelourinho and the Low City, African groups play
their drums all the way to Castro Alves Square, the heart of the
carnaval from Bahia,
where there is a celebration.
This
festivity starts on Saturday, finishing the following Tuesday, almost
always in the month of February. According to the Catholic-Apostolic-Roman
calendar, Carnaval is held 40 days before Easter. In some places,
the festivities start before and continue for more than a week after
the official date.
June
Parties (Festa Junina)
In Campina Grande, State of Paraíba, this festivity is enlivened
by the forro-pé-de-serra and the square dance – the
typical rhythm from the Northeast and one of the several types of
dance in the country. The Party gathers thousands of people and
has won the title of the “Greatest São João
in the World”. Its name is in honor of Saint John’s
Day, June 24th, one of the most important festivities of the June
circuit. The People’s Park becomes an enormous outdoor ball
room, where one can also find typical food and arts and crafts.
Another destination that has become famous for its June celebrations
is the city of Caruaru. There, northeastern rhythms like forro,
xote, and baião attract approximately one million people
to the Caruaru Party. There is also presentation of square dancers,
floats and folklore groups, while fireworks illuminate the sky.
There are kiosks of typical food and arts and crafts spread around
the city, and there is also a meter-high bonfire marking the last
day of festivity. The June parties are celebrated all over the country,
but in Caruaru they start earlier, in the end of May.
Parintins
Folklore Festival – State of Amazonas
In the heart of Amazônia, in Parintins, there a dispute between
Caprichoso and Garantido, the city’s most famous bois-bumbás.
The oxen are characters of a dramatic dance from the Christmas cycle,
in which one of them dies and resuscitates later. The city is painted
blue (Caprichoso) and red (Garantido), dividing the crowd of 100
thousand people that goes to the Bumbódromo every year. Floats,
costumes and fireworks complement the party, which is held in the
second half of June, and lasts three days.
Nazareth
Candle – Belém, State of Pará
The city’s largest party, Círio de Nazaré is
in homage of Our Lady of Nazareth, patron of the State of Pará.
It gathers approximately 1.5 million believers in a procession through
the city to the Nazareth Basilica. In the procession, the Saint’s
image is conducted on a platform, with a long cord attached to it.
Thousands of people dispute the privilege of holding the cord as
a way to show gratitude for the blessings. The event is held annually,
always on the second Sunday of October.
New
Year in Copacabana – City of Rio de Janeiro
The most famous Reveillon (New Year’s Eve) in the world gathers
millions of people along Copacabana Beach. Coming from all parts
of Brazil and from other countries, people usually dress themselves
in white to celebrate the beginning of the New Year, to watch the
fireworks and to perform their private ritual of passing from one
year to the next. Some people offer flowers to Iemanjá, believed
to be the queen of the sea; some jump seven waves in order to have
a good year; among other things. The celebrations start in the evening
of December 31st, with many musical shows, and only end with the
sunrise.
São
Paulo International Cinema Show
This showing, which is about to complete its 30th edition, promotes
a selection that contemplates diversity and the revelation of new
talents in the national and international cinematographic universe.
The event starts in the second half of October and continues for
two weeks.
Brazilian
Grand Prix of Formula 1
The only GP in South America attracts racing fans from all over
the country and the world to the racing circuit at Interlagos, in
the city of São Paulo. It is traditionally held during the
months of March or April.
Gramado
Cinema Festival
At the top of the Gaúcha Mountain Range, Gramado is itself
cinematographic scenery, with its beautiful landscape. In Gramado,
national and Latin-American movies are proudly exhibited. The winners
take the Kikito – a city symbol trophy – that represents
the God of Good Humor. The event always happens in August and lasts
6 days.
Oktoberfest
The country’s largest German party, the Oktoberfest receives
hundreds of thousands of people that consume and celebrate. Blumenau
, a city of German colonization, becomes the main destination in
Santa Catarina during the two weeks of October when the festivity
is held.
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