Brazil, the sole Portuguese-speaking country of Latin America achieved independence initially not through a republican movement but thanks to a prince who liked the beach. In 1808, Rio de Janeiro became the imperial capital, with King John VI and his son Dom Pedro in residence. When the king returned to Lisbon the prince stayed put. Calls from Lisbon in 1821 were ignored, giving Brazilians a sense that they were no longer at the beck and call of Portugal. On September 7 1822, on the banks of the River Ipiranga near São Paulo, independence was proclaimed. The republic only came into being in 1889, when Pedro II was deposed.
Top five attractions
Salvador’s carnival, which is far more of a people’s party than Rio’s commercial extravaganza; Brasilia’s modernist architecture, conceived by Niemeyer; the wildlife of the Pantanal wetlands, where jaguar can still be seen; an Amazon riverboat cruise from Belem to Manaus, which is still epic and is about as cheap and authentic as cruising gets; and the long sandy beaches of the north-east, from Maceio to Natal, with the surreal dunes and lagoons of the Lençóis Maranhenses.
Rio de Janeiro, because it’s all things to all travellers: it has some of Salvador’s African culture, a hint of São Paulo’s sophistication and a uniquely democratic beach culture.
Tour: Highlights of Brazil with Southern Pantanal and Bonito
A 12-night tour, including Rio, the Iguaçú Falls, Salvador, the Pantanal and Bonito.
Price: from £2,875 based on two people travelling, including transatlantic and internal flights, breakfast, all transfers and the services of an English-speaking guide.
- Contact: 020 7730 9639; steamondjourneys.com
Souvenir to buy
Havaiana flip-flops are cheaper here than elsewhere, as are bikinis.
Fifty-five million condoms were handed out by the government for the carnival last month.
A Death in Brazil by Peter Robb (Bloomsbury). A study of Brazil’s dark side, covering slavery, corruption, and the importance of carnival and pop culture.