I’ll repost here the comments I gave in reply to Camidav – see their post https://voyageforum.com/forum/partir-10-jours-bresil-en-autonomie-d10702249/. As we’ve said several times, 10 days is short for Brazil! But it’s still enough for a “little introduction.” My very recent experience (April 2025) with a 2½-week itinerary might give you some ideas. To start, here’s the route: - - Saturday, March 29: departure from Lisbon and arrival in São Paulo with LATAM - - 2 nights in São Paulo - - Monday, March 31: bus from São Paulo to Paraty - - Monday 31, Tuesday 1st, and Wednesday, April 2: 3 nights in Paraty - - Thursday, April 3: bus from Paraty to Angra dos Reis, then ferry > Ilha Grande - - Thursday 3, Friday 4, and Saturday, April 5: 3 nights in Abraão, on Ilha Grande - - Sunday, April 6: speedboat > Conceição de Jacareí, then bus > Rio de Janeiro - - Sunday 6, Monday 7, Tuesday 8, and Wednesday, April 9: 4 nights in Rio - - Thursday, April 10: flight with LATAM from Rio to Foz do Iguaçu - - Thursday, April 10: one night in Foz do Iguaçu - - Friday, April 11: visit to Iguaçu Falls on the Brazilian side, then crossing the border to Puerto Iguazu - - Friday 11 and Saturday, April 12: 2 nights in Puerto Iguazu - - Saturday, April 12: visit to the falls on the Argentine side - - Sunday, April 13: return to Brazil, LATAM flight > São Paulo - - Sunday 13 and Monday, April 14: 2 nights in São Paulo - - Tuesday, April 15: flight from São Paulo > Lisbon with LATAM, arriving Wednesday the 16th. So, it’s clear I’m writing this now from Puerto Iguazu (Argentina), and the end of the trip is near: back to São Paulo and then the flight to Lisbon. I’ll of course share more about all this in the following messages.

Good evening, We're leaving from January 26 to February 7 with our two kids, aged 23 and 27. I'm hoping to visit Iguazu, Rio, Ilha Grande, or Cabo Frio. I have a few questions. - Should we visit Rio with a guide, considering we want to explore favelas and hike to reach the main sites? And how many days should we plan for it? - How many days for Ilha Grande, and is the weather favorable during this period? Is it a must-see? - What do you think of Cabo Frio? In terms of organization, is it better to visit Iguazu at the beginning, middle, or end of our stay, departing from São Paulo or Rio? We haven’t bought our flight tickets yet, so I can arrange to arrive or depart from Rio/São Paulo. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and opinions!

Hi everyone,

Next April, I’m planning a trip (the 1st) to Brazil. I’ll have 12 days there (not counting the 13th day for the return). I’ll arrive on 22/04 in the early evening in Rio de Janeiro. The return flight is from São Paulo on 04/05 in the afternoon. I know 12 days is very little for such a big country, which is why I’ll focus on a relatively small area: the southeast (though "small" is relative!). I’ve started mapping out the main stops for my trip, which would be: - Rio de Janeiro: 4 to 5 days? - Ilha Grande and maybe Paraty: 2 to 3 days - Iguazu Falls: Brazilian and Argentinian sides: 2 days - São Paulo: 1 to 2 days

What do you think? Is this reasonable? There are about 250/260 km between Rio and Paraty. I’d like to make the trip by rental car. What do you think? A car is definitely much more practical and faster than the bus. 12/13 days is short—I can’t afford to lose too much time in transit. To get to Ilha Grande, I understand there’s a ferry that shuttles between the mainland and the island. From which city can you take the ferry? Mangaratiba? Conceição de Jacareí? Angra dos Reis? If I arrive by rental car, where can I park it? I think cars are banned on the island, right? That’s where I’m at with my planning. So many questions! 😕 A big thank you to anyone who takes the time to read my post and shares their valuable tips! 🙂

Hi there, After a road trip along the Costa Verde, I wrote an article with our itinerary, our favorite spots, hikes, accommodations, and plenty of other tips. I hope it can help future travelers: https://worldseenbymathilde.blogspot.com/2024/09/la-costa-verde-de-sao-paulo-rio-bresil.html

The Costa Verde was a real favorite—stunning nature and such a welcoming local community.

Hi there,

We’re planning a 10-day road trip from Recife to Natal by car with our two kids (9 and 11). We’ll start by spending 2 days exploring Recife and Olinda, and finish with a few days in Pipa.

We’d love any suggestions for things to see, activities, or places to stay. Thanks!

https://frenchiesinamerica.travel.blog/

Looking for a female travel companion for a cycling trip (arriving by plane in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and cycling toward Montevideo, Uruguay, returning by plane to France from Buenos Aires, Argentina) – 1,500 km

Hello everyone! I’m planning a cycling trip across Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, with a departure set for late October, November, or December. I’m looking for a travel companion to share this long-distance adventure with.

Experience: I already have solid experience in bicycle touring in Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Currently, I maintain excellent physical condition by cycling an average of 250 km over 3 days per week (4 hours a day at 20 km/h).

The trip & the pace:

Daily pace: Between 50 and 80 km per day, to make steady progress while taking time to explore. Accommodation: Flexible and authentic. We’ll alternate between wild camping, campsites, Warmshowers, small guesthouses, and budget hotels depending on opportunities and the weather.

Looking forward to reading your message and planning this amazing journey together!

Hello, We’re a couple in our sixties and we’ve just spent 22 days in Brazil, from October 29th to November 21st. We flew from Marseille via Lisbon—outbound to Rio, and back from Recife. Our itinerary: 4 days in Rio 4 days on Ilha Grande 2 days in Paraty 4 days in Salvador 4 days on Boïpeba 4 days in Olinda The transfer between Boïpeba and Recife took us 2 days—boats, taxis, and a flight. We stayed in Airbnbs except in Paraty, where we were in a pousada, and during the Boïpeba–Recife transfer, when we booked a hotel near the airport. Our flights were with Gol and Azul. Transfers from Rio were arranged through Paraty Tour. In Rio, we used a local agency to visit Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain.

Happy to answer any questions! Marc

Hi everyone! I’m looking for accommodation in these three destinations, with a budget of 100 € per person max including breakfast. I’d prefer places by the water for the first two spots and somewhere halfway between the main sights for Iguazu. Could you help me out? Thanks! 😊