Brazil

Brazil, the largest country in South America and its only Portuguese-speaking one, moves to the rhythm of samba and bossa nova. Rio de Janeiro spreads between green mountains and the Atlantic: the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Corcovado, crowned by the statue of Christ the Redeemer and looking out over the whole bay. Bossa nova was born here, and every year carnival turns the city into one vast stage.

São Paulo, the continent’s biggest city, is its capital of dining as well as a hub of art, design and nightlife – from MASP on Avenida Paulista to the Pinacoteca and hundreds of restaurants and bars. On the Argentine border, inside the UNESCO-listed Iguaçu National Park, the Iguaçu Falls thunder into a gorge framed by humid Atlantic Forest. Beyond these, the country’s wider draws include the Amazon rainforest, the wildlife-rich wetlands of the Pantanal and the coast of Bahia.

The climate is tropical. Rio de Janeiro is warm all year, hottest and wettest from December to March; the falls are at their fullest in the rainy season, while São Paulo is milder. Brazil suits city and food lovers, honeymooners, nature and wildlife enthusiasts, and families.