Flights to Brazil from €634*

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Air France flights from Ireland to Brazil

Brazil is by far the largest country in South America with a population of 211 million people that’s one of the most ethnically-diverse on earth. Its major cities are Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, but Brasilia, the purpose-built capital, has grown to almost 4 million people since its foundation in 1956. Four different time zones put the country between 2 and 5 hours behind GMT.

The country’s diverse climate ranges from very wet and tropical in the Amazon region contrasting with the north-east, parts of which are semi-arid. In the highland areas of the far south, snow sometimes occurs. Generally, most of the country experiences annual average temperatures of 19 to 29°C, with hottest temperatures usually between December and March. The currency is the Brazilian Real. Flights to Brazil from Dublin can take as little as 14 to 15 hours.

Brazil’s amazing biodiversity - a magnet to wildlife-lovers

If you love natural history, Brazil promises an amazing adventure. The country is the most biologically diverse in the world, with almost 700 kinds of mammals, over 1800 bird species and tens of thousands of different plants and trees.

Brazil’s most biodiverse regions are as follows:

• The Amazon rainforest
• The Atlantic Forest
• The ‘Cerrado’ (tropical savannah)
• The Pantanal wetlands

Luckily, all these habitats can be accessed easily from major Brazilian cities. The Amazon region, surely the most famous natural habitat on earth, is home to one in ten of the world’s plant and animal species, including Scarlet Macaws, anacondas, blue poison dart frogs and the notorious piranha. Canopy walkways and towers are great ways of seeing wildlife hidden from view from the forest floor. Many tour companies also offer boat trips along the mighty Amazon River. The Atlantic Forest, meanwhile, has the advantage of being on the doorstop of major cities like São Paulo and Rio. As rich in endangered wildlife as its better-known Amazonian counterpart, this ecosystem is home to woolly spider monkeys, golden lion tamarins and jaguars.

Brazil’s Cerrado covers a huge area containing many unique mammals, birds and reptiles. Top sights include giant otter, Brazilian tapir, maned wolves and hyacinth macaws.

Lastly, the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, is the ideal place to watch iconic species like giant anteater, capybaras and caiman.

Brazilian urban life - definitely lived to the full!

Brazil is as famous for its cities as its natural landscapes – and justly so. Rio de Janeiro’s carnival is world-renowned, but it’s also much-loved for its dramatic urban skyline featuring Sugarloaf Mountain and the statue of Christ the Redeemer. A helicopter tour of the city is one great way to get to know it better. The purpose-built capital, Brasilia boasts the remarkable designs of star architect Oscar Niemeyer. The National Congress of Brazil, the President of Brazil’s workplace, the Palacio do Planalto and the Cathedral are all worth seeing.

Heading north, the city of Salvador has glorious colonial architecture and is a centre of Afro-Brazilian culture, manifested in music, dance and cuisine. Talking of music, it’s said the Bahian carnival is the biggest open-air show in the world!

Lastly, Manaus, capital of the Amazonas region, has a fascinating history as the world’s one-time rubber capital, which has left its mark in beautiful buildings like the Opera house and the covered market, built to an Art Nouveau design by Gustave Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame. Why not take a cruise and see the famous ‘meeting of the waters’, where the dark Rio Negro and the light-coloured Solimões River run alongside the other for several miles without mixing?

As always, keep an eye out for any special offers to this extraordinary part of the world!

Get planning your Brazilian trip thanks to these websites:

• visitbrasil.com/
• dublin.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/Main.xml
• metro.sp.gov.br/en/your-trip/index.asp
• metrorio.com.br/