Three weeks backpacking in Brazil

General Information

The Ihla Grande was an absolute highlight for us. The island can only be explored on foot or by boat, as there are no roads and no cars. There are numerous hiking trails and beautiful secluded beaches. Basically the island only consists of a small village from which you can do many hikes to more than 20 beaches. Of course, you can also take a boat to the more distant beaches. There are a lot of wild dogs out there, but we haven't had any bad experiences with them. Mosquito repellent should always be taken with you.

Accommodation

Adora Suites - Ilha Grande, Rua Antonio Moreira, Vila do Abraão, Angra dos Reis

We took an apartment in the "capital" Vila do Abraao. But there are also hotels in other corners of the island if you want it a little more lonely. But then you have to take the taxi boat more often. From the village you can easily reach many hiking trails, eat and shop or go for a drink in the evening.

Activities and Sights

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Explore Vila do Abraao

We just strolled a little through town. In the Padaria (see photo) you can have a coffee, have breakfast or eat a burger in the evening. We were there almost every day and got something for the road.

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Small hike to a beach

Relatively short hike of 1.5 hours (easy)

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Relax on the beach

This small beach is right next to the city and you can walk there quickly. Yet we were all alone there.

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Day hike

Great hike towards Lopez-Mendes-Beach. We hiked all day and kept coming back to beautiful secluded beaches where we took a little rest. In the end we went back by boat.

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Lopes Mendes, Angra dos Reis, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Large beach with white, squeaky sand. Very nice but also well attended. We liked the smaller secluded beaches better.

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General Information

In Sao Paulo, too, we were generally very careful and booked a hotel directly on Avenida Paulista. On the first evening we had to look for something to eat and so we were still out late at night. However, there were a lot of people in this area, so we actually felt quite safe. In Sao Paulo we had a friend with whom we traveled a lot. In general, the locals are also very careful in the evening or at some underground stations.

Accommodation

Blue Tree Premium Paulista, Peixoto Gomide Street, Bela Vista, São Paulo

We were lucky and were able to get a real bargain in this 4 star hotel including breakfast via Booking.com.

Activities and Sights

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Brazilian barbecue

We made a real Brazilian barbecue at our friend's house.

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Avenida Paulista, Bela Vista, São Paulo, State of São Paulo

On Sundays, Avenida Paulista is closed to cars and Brazilians use the street to skate, rollerblade, dance or just take a walk. There is always something going on, the shops are open and there are small market stalls with souvenirs

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Liberdade, São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil

A visit to Liberdade, Chinatown or Japantown is really recommended. There was a great street food market here on Sundays

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Farol Santander, Rua João Brícola, Centro Histórico de São Paulo, São Paulo

There is a viewing platform from which you have a great view of the city. Entry is free, all you have to do is show your ID.

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Casa Mathilde

Make sure to try the best Pasteis de Nata here!

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Municipal Market, Rua Cantareira, Centro Histórico de São Paulo, São Paulo

There are plenty of typical Brazilian delicacies in the market hall

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Circolo Italiano San Paolo, Avenida Ipiranga, Centro Histórico de São Paulo, São Paulo

There is also a free viewing platform here

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movie theater

We went to the cinema in a mall. The volume in Brazilian cinemas is a lot louder. If you are sensitive, you should take earplugs with you to be on the safe side.

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Beco do Batman, Rua Medeiros de Albuquerque, Jardim das Bandeiras, São Paulo

Cool street with lots of artwork on the walls

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General Information

Foz do Iguazu is the starting point for a visit to the Iguaçu National Park. The city itself is not very worth seeing. Be sure to take your DEET mosquito repellent with you, because there are a lot of mosquitos. The Iguazu Falls are located in two national parks, one is on the Brazilian side and one is on the Argentine side. If you have the time, you should definitely visit both parks because they are very different. Agency lines are generally more expensive, so entry is not as cheap as in Brazil. You can either cross the border into Argentina for a day or change hotels. We were one day in the Brazilian park and two days in the Argentine park - but have also moved to the Argentine side.

Accommodation

Pousada Café Brasil 2, Rua Martins Pena, Jardim Festugato, Foz do Iguaçu

Nice owner, centrally located and very cheap.

Activities and Sights

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Excursion to Paraguay

From Foz do Iguacu there is a public bus that goes across the border to Paraguay to Ciudad del Este. If you only want to go over for one day, you don't need a visa. However, we didn't find it very nice there and only stayed a short time

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Iguaçu National Park, State of Paraná, Brazil

Take a rain jacket with you, because the Devil's Throat will get you wet. If you have some food with you, be careful not to let the coatis steal it from you. They are very pushy and sometimes aggressive.

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Parque das Aves, Avenida das Cataratas, Vila Yolanda, Foz do Iguaçu

You can still visit this park after the waterfalls.

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Itaipu Binacional, Avenida Tancredo Neves, Jardim Itaipu, Foz do Iguaçu

Visit of the hydropower plant and the associated Itaipu dam as well as the Itaipu reservoir at Paraná on the border between Paraguay and Brazil. A bus takes you across the entire site.

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Triple Frontera

You can take the public bus for a short excursion to the triangle between the three states Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

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General Information

The exchange rate in Argentina was very bad at that time and so everything cost us a lot more compared to Brazil. The city itself is quite nice and there are a few nice restaurants and shops.

Accommodation

Our hotel was called Iguazu Hojas Verdes and was very bad for the price. We had bedbugs and everything was very filthy.

Activities and Sights

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Iguazu Falls, Misiones Province, Argentina

The national park on the Argentine side is much larger and you can easily spend 2 days here. We personally liked the Argentine side better. You can also move back and forth between the two countries so that you don't necessarily have to book a hotel in Argentina.

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