Walking Brazil - Rivers, Rainforests, & Rio!
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The world’s 5th largest country is a wonder of diversity. The Amazon basin, composing over half of Brazil, contains 17% of the world’s freshwater and over 6 million square miles of river and jungle. In fact, the world’s largest jungle and largest inland swamp fall within Brazil’s borders. Over 4,000 miles of coastline yield picturesque cobalt-blue waters fringed by mile upon mile of white beaches. These natural resources are combined with an equally diverse culture enriched by contributions from Africans (the slave trade), indigenous tribes, and European immigrants from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany, Russia, Japan, and more. Join us for a new journey of discovery in South America’s largest country!
Click here to read Dan’s blogs from the Brazil planning trip.
Click here to read “Walking Among Waterfalls” in Walk About Magazine, an article describing Dan's experience at Brazil's Iguaçu Falls!
Walking Brazil - Rivers, Rainforests, & Rio
DAY 1: MIAMI – MANAUS, BRAZIL (D)
We meet this morning at Miami International Airport in preparation for our flight to Manaus in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest. Because of the number of internal flights necessary to visit Brazil – a country larger than the continental USA – we will be flying as a group. Upon arrival in Manaus, we travel by bus and boat to the Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge, on the banks of the Rio Taruma (tributary of the Amazon), where we will spend the next three nights in the Amazon jungles. Join us after dinner for a canoe trip in search of caiman alligators (the babies) with our local guides!
DAY 2: ACTIVITIES IN THE AMAZON (BLD)
Amazon Jungle Survival Walk – 10 km, rated 2+
Our day begins with a jungle walk through the rainforest with our local guide. Though the abundant foliage makes seeing wildlife challenging, you are likely to spot a variety of birds and animals, and incredible foliage. This afternoon we visit two types of local residents. The nearby Monkey Jungle Reserve is home to primates confiscated from illegal sales and exports, while the main event of the afternoon is a cruise to a “Caboclos” village (people of mixed native Brazilian and European immigrant ancestry) to learn about their life in this watery world of the Amazon.
DAY 3: ACTIVITIES IN THE AMAZON (BLD)
We’ll spend a good portion of today cruising the Amazon on the lodge’s 2-deck riverboat. From the Rio Taruma, where our lodge is situated, we sail downstream to the Rio Negro. Passing the busy, picturesque waterfront of Manaus, we continue to the junction with the Rio Solimoes. The Meeting of the Waters is where dark, relatively clear waters of the Rio Negro meet the tan-colored, silt-filled Rio Solimoes. Beyond this point, these waters flow side by side for eight kilometers, the different colored streams creating a dramatic contrast. After lunch, and an opportunity to visit a different kind of local village, we’ll return to the lodge for a free evening, and maybe a chance for some Amazon fishing!
DAY 4: AMAZON – CUIABA, BRAZIL (B)
Manaus Amazon Walk – 5 km, rated 2
We leave the Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge this morning for the nearby city of Manaus – over 2 million people maintaining a metropolis in the heart of the world’s largest rainforest. Our walk explores local markets and the intriguing hustle and bustle of the waterfront, where boats of all descriptions are loaded and unloaded as they transverse this mighty waterway. Mid-afternoon, we fly to Cuiaba, staging point for tomorrow’s entry into the world’s largest wetland – the Pantanal!
DAY 5: CUIABA – THE PANTANAL (BLD)
Pantanal Wetlands Walk – 10 km, rated 1+
We drive south this morning along the Transpantaneira Highway into a magical wetland plain inhabited by a colorful variety of birds. Caiman alligators sun themselves on the banks of lazy streams as our coach transports us into a wildlife wonderland. Tropical heat in the middle of the day discourages activity, so upon arrival at the Araras Lodge, we’ll have lunch, then be on siesta until mid-afternoon. Today’s walk takes us through patches of native bush in search of monkeys, deer, anteaters, jaguar, and any number of the 600 plus species of colorful birds and 1000 species of butterflies that inhabit this blessed land.
DAY 6: ACTIVITIES IN THE PANTANAL (BLD)
Pantanal Dawn Delights Walk – 10 km, rated 1+
Rising before the birds is difficult in the Pantanal. Our goal, however, is simply to beat the sun over the horizon! Before breakfast, we’ll explore our surroundings, encountering a kaleidoscope of color – sunrise oranges, reds, and yellows; jungle greens, river and sky blues; and the delightful and ever-present activity of wildlife painting a rainbow of colors before our eyes. After breakfast at a remote lodge, try your hand at canoeing on one of the waterways or horseback riding through further reaches of the wetlands. Following siesta, we’ll enjoy more walking and activities, possibly piranha fishing or climbing atop the viewing platform near our lodge in the company of a large clan of howler monkeys.
DAY 7: PANTANAL – RIO DE JANEIRO (BD)
An early breakfast precedes a return drive along the Transpantaneira Highway, saying “farewell” along the way to more of our colorful feathered friends. Upon arrival in Cuiaba we board our flight for Rio de Janeiro. En route to our hotel in this amazing city on the sea, we stop at a “churrascaria” restaurant – a popular style of steakhouse in Brazil with a fun and interactive way of serving their guests!
DAY 8: ACTIVITIES IN RIO (BD)
Rio’s Famous Beaches Walk – 10 km, rated 1
Our hotel is just a block from Ipanema Beach and serves as the start point for a walk along the famous beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. We look forward to walking with several members of our Brazilian host club – Anda Brazil. After lunch, we board gondolas, gliding to Sugarloaf Mountain while enjoying the spectacular 360-degree views along this splendid coastline! Dinner tonight offers another slice of traditional Brazilian culture at the Severina Restaurant with some delightful local fare – and the Samba music can be just as spicy! Don’t worry, we’ve timed our departure to occur before the decibels rise too high!
DAY 9: ACTIVITIES IN RIO (B)
Urca Beach Walk – 10 km, rated 1
The train ride up Corcovado to the Christ the Redeemer statue rivals even the views from Sugarloaf Mountain. After drinking in vistas over Rio, Sugarloaf, the beaches, and the prolific Atlantic Rainforest, we’ll ride down into Santa Theresa Neighborhood for lunch and a taste of one of Rio’s oldest neighborhoods. The afternoon activity is a walk along the base of Sugarloaf Mountain alongside the Urca and Vermelha beaches – more amazing scenic views await us! Dinner is on your own tonight – there are several options within a block or two of our hotel.
DAY 10: RIO – PARATY (BD)
Historic Paraty Walk – 10 km, rated 2
We leave beautiful Rio today, driving southeast along the lovely coastline toward Paraty, where we’ll participate in a fun walk through this historic colonial time capsule. Streets created from rounded boulders, and warehouses from the glory days of Portuguese exploitation are just a couple of reminders of the heritage of Paraty.
DAY 11: ACTIVITIES FROM PARATY (BL)
Royal Road Walk – 10 km, rated 2+/3
After breakfast, open-sided jeeps take us into the mountains in search of ghosts of the Royal Road. Our walk takes us along stretches of this historic stone road used 300-400 years ago to transport gold and other commodities from the interior to Paraty, where they were then shipped to Portugal. Following lunch in a delightful jungle restaurant, Part 2 of the walk continues along country roads offering wonderful vantage points over farmland and through local villages, finishing at a lovely waterfall!
DAY 12: ACTIVITIES FROM PARATY (BLD)
Another fine day in Paraty starts with a walking tour through the historic district. Our walk ends at the dock, where we board a schooner bound for an afternoon of South Atlantic delights in Paraty Bay. Our picturesque craft will stop several times to offer opportunities to swim, go ashore to stroll the picture-perfect tropical beaches, or simply soak in the sun aboard ship. Robinson Crusoe never had it so good! This evening, we’ll rendezvous to swap stories and reminisce at our Farewell Dinner.
DAY 13: RETURN HOME FROM PARATY - OR - CONTINUE ON TO FOZ DO IGUAÇU (B)
Our flight back to Miami from Sao Paulo departs late this evening, so we have the morning free to browse the interesting shops and streets of colonial Paraty before departing mid-afternoon for the airport.We return home with new understandings of the blessings and challenges of this amazing land of Brazil!
Iguaçu Falls Extension
DAY 1: PARATY – FOZ DO IGUAÇU (B)
We leave Paraty this morning on a scenic drive to Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city. Here, we catch a flight to Foz do Iguaçu, on the Brazilian border with Argentina and Paraguay. We arrive late afternoon, and after checking into our hotel, we’ll have the evening free to relax, explore the area near our hotel, and anticipate tomorrow’s memorable activities.
DAY 2: ACTIVITIES FROM FOZ DO IGUAÇU (BD)
Iguazú Falls Walk – 10 km, rated 2+
The full day is devoted to a multi-faceted experience of Iguazú Falls on the Argentina side. The falls, and the Iguazú River that creates them, form the border between the two countries. After clearing border procedures, we start our walk in nearby Iguazú National Park. Along the way, we’ll hitch a ride on a narrow gauge, natural gas-powered train, tread a boardwalk over the Iguazú River to the Garganta do Diabo (Devil’s Throat) where over 50% of the water falls, and ride a jetboat into the spray of some of the 280 cataracts that roar over the 3-kilometer-wide precipice.
DAY 3: ACTIVITIES FROM FOZ DO IGUAÇU (BD)
Three Frontiers Walk – 10 km, rated 2
Elected by civil engineers in 1994 as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, Itaipu Dam is a joint project between Brazil and Paraguay; our coach takes us onto Paraguayan soil during this tour of the dam. Today’s second stop is Brazil’s Iguaçu National Park. Since the great majority of the water falls on the Argentine side, the best panoramic views of the amazing falls we walked among yesterday are from Brazil. After lunch, we visit the Guarani Indians, a seemingly forgotten people whose story is told in the 1980’s movie “Mission”. The balance of the afternoon is devoted to the Three Frontiers Walk, starting in Argentina with views of Brazil and Paraguay at the Three Frontiers Monument, and ending in Brazil.
DAY 4: ACTIVITIES FROM FOZ DO IGUAÇU (BLD)
Corn Fields & Jungles Walk – 10 km, rated 1+
Our last walk in Brazil is a delightful rural route that takes us through cleared farmland as well as adjacent stands of virgin jungle. Along the way, we’ll stop at a farmhouse and learn a bit about this different face of Brazil. Lunch today is a fun picnic at an organic farm where the meal is prepared and served by our host. Later this evening, we’ll rendezvous for a fun Farewell Dinner at Rafain Churrascaria steakhouse – your last chance for a traditional Brazilian bar-be-que!
DAY 5: RETURN HOME FROM FOZ DO IGUAÇU (B)
We say “farewell” to Iguaçu this morning and return to ordinary life! Connecting with this land of great resources and great potential has been enriching. We look forward to watching from afar as Brazil continues to emerge and grow to fulfill its destiny.
What's Included
Walking Brazil - Rivers, Rainforests, and Rio
Summer l 12-14 Days
Including
- Airport to hotel transfers on first and last day
- All land travel as outlined
- Roundtrip boat transfer to Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge
- Superior tourist-class (3-star or better) hotel accommodations
- All breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 9 dinners as listed (B,L,D)
- 8 IVV walks as listed and fees for walking credit
- WAI guide service throughout
- Cultural and historical expertise of our local guide throughout
- Gratuities for coach driver and local guides
- Excursion fees/admission to:
- Alligator hunt by canoe – Amazon
- Visit to a “Caboclos” village – Amazon
- Meeting of the Waters excursion – Amazon
- Canoeing in the Pantanal
- Horseback riding in the Pantanal
- Sugar Loaf Mountain gondola ride – Rio de Janeiro
- Corcovado train ride to Christ the Redeemer – Rio de Janeiro
- Paraty Bay schooner cruise - Paraty
- More fun stops than we can list!
Iguaçu Falls Extension
Summer l 4-6 Days
Including
- Airport to hotel transfers on first and last day
- All land travel as outlined
- First-class (4-star) hotel accommodations
- All breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 3 dinners as listed (B,L,D)
- 3 IVV walks as listed and fees for walking credit
- WAI guide service throughout
- Cultural and historical expertise of our local guide throughout
- Gratuities for coach driver and local guides
- Excursion fees/admission to:
- Iguazú National Park (Argentina side)
- La Gran Aventura boat safari at Iguazú
- Itaipu Dam tour
- Iguaçu National Park (Brazil side)
- More fun stops than we can list!
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Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance
Walking Adventures has negotiated with an insurance carrier to provide travel insurance in the form of a Preferred Benefits™ policy. We are pleased to make this package available and believe that it will provide travelers with an important element of security at a reasonable price.
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