A little more
Brazil.
A lot less roaming.

Travelling to Brazil: what to know before you go

Brazil is South America's largest country, covering most of the Amazon rainforest, thousands of kilometres of Atlantic beaches, the wetlands of the Pantanal and some of the world's liveliest cities. Its music, food and festivals vary enormously from region to region. It suits beach lovers, nature travellers, music fans and anyone with time to cover long distances.

Where to go

• Rio de Janeiro. A city between mountains and sea: take the train up Corcovado to the Christ the Redeemer statue, ride the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain, and spend time on Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.
• Iguaçu Falls. On the border with Argentina, a vast series of waterfalls set in rainforest.
• The Amazon. Manaus, at the meeting of the dark Rio Negro and the sandy Solimões, is the base for jungle lodges and river trips to see pink river dolphins, caimans, monkeys and the forest itself.
• The Pantanal. The world's largest tropical wetland, in the centre-west, and one of the best places in South America to see wildlife, including jaguars along the rivers, giant otters, capybaras and hyacinth macaws.

Best time to visit

Brazil is so large that the weather depends on the region. Rio and the south-east are hot and humid from December to March, with summer rain, and pleasant from April to October.

Staying online in Brazil

Mobile coverage with 4G and 5G is good in cities and most coastal areas. Coverage is patchy in the Pantanal and much of the Amazon, where jungle lodges may have only limited Wi-Fi, and absent on long river journeys. Wi-Fi is common in hotels, cafés and restaurants. WhatsApp is used for almost everything, from booking tours to contacting businesses. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.