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BRAZIL – GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS AND NATURE’S BEST
AIRPORTS: BEL – CNF & PLU – CWB
DURATION: 13 Nights / 14 days
HIGHTLIGHTS:
If there is anything more enjoyable than traveling through the endlessly beautiful scenery of Brazil while also tasting some of its finest regional cuisine, we would like to know about it! Lip-smacking local specialties, traditional recipes, cooking workshops and unusual Amazon ingredients are the order of the day on this culinary tour, one which also visits a healthy portion of natural wonders, stunning landscapes, and important cultural sites; Bom apetite!
Belem
Founded by the Portuguese in the mouth of the Amazon River, Belém, in its almost 400 years of history, has had its architecture strongly influenced by European culture, getting to be known as Paris-in-América in the early twentieth century. Currently, although cosmopolitan and modern in many ways, Belém has not lost the traditional appearance of the colonial period facades of houses, palaces, and churches. Embedded in the middle of the Amazon forest, you will be captivated not only with its architectural wealth, but with its people, its culture and its gastronomy, an interesting kettle of ethnic mixtures of indigenous origin, with flavors of European cultures.
Ilha de Marajó
At the estuary of the Amazon River where its waters begin to mix with the Atlantic Ocean, we find the island of Marajó with more than 50.000 km2 that will dazzle all travelers. It is possible to canoe through the mangrove swamps, observe the exuberant wildlife surrounding us or transform ourselves into Amazon cowboys. Learning to interact with nature and to leave behind nothing but footprints is the ultimate objective of this experience. You will feel comfortable and welcome at your stay in a fazenda, where you will also enjoy excellent gastronomy. Ilha de Marajó is the Amazon Pantanal, but with the difference that you will have the chance to ride a horse instead of going on a four-wheel drive.
Belo Horizonte
The capital of Minas Gerais is a metropolis with all the letters but hasn’t lost its “townish” way. Urban while bucolic, Belo Horizonte has pão-de-queijo (cheese bread), cachaça (local rum), parks and pubs, plus intense cultural programming, sophisticated shops, and starred restaurants. Framed by hills and mountains, the first planned city of the country was chosen by architect Oscar Niemeyer for his professional debut, in the 40’s. His works embellish the outline of the Pampulha Lagoon, one of the postcards of “Beagá” – as the capital is affectionately called by its residents.
Tiradentes
Tiradentes is one of the most charming historic towns. On its colonial pebble stone streets, 18th century churches share the attention with preserved houses that are now home to restaurants, pousadas, antique and craft shops that light their lamps on the facade at dusk. The lovely setting that has served as a location for movies, sitcoms, and soap operas, still displays an imposing landscape with characteristic mountains of Minas Gerais. Funky, Tiradentes is every day ceasing to be a purely historical destiny to become a cultural center with events such as the Film Festival and the Culture and Gastronomy Festival.
Ouro Preto
Declared a World Heritage Site, Ouro Preto preserves the greatest collection of Brazilian Baroque architecture. The discovery of gold in the ancient Vila Rica elevated the location to an economic center during the XVII and XVIII centuries. The fortune extracted left a legacy of mansions and churches constructed in spectacular harmony. To best discover this city’s rich heritage, you’ll need comfortable walking shoes to stroll the centuries-old, cobbled alleyways. Here we will see churches, towers, museums, and the influence of the large student population of this prominent University town.
Curitiba
The quality of life offered by the Paraná capital, makes of Curitiba a destination filled with facilities and attractions for tourists. The residents’ welfare is converted to excellent services to the visitors, who find comfortable hotels, good restaurants, intense cultural agenda, and plenty of mobility to visit the city’s postcards, always framed by forests and squares. Efficient signaling and modern transport ensure circulation by beautiful and unusual buildings such as the Ópera de Arame Theatre, the Botanical Garden, and the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, in addition to parks, such as Barigui, meeting point for families and athletes in the weekend.
Morretes
Some of the most beautiful roads in the country are those that lead to Morretes, a town on the coast of Paraná famous for historic buildings and the typical regional dish Barreado. Departing from Curitiba, you can go by car or train.
There are 33 kilometers of curves, parallelepipeds and panoramic landscapes that reveal flowering slopes, Atlantic forest, peaks, and waterfalls. So charming, the road inaugurated in 1873 is dotted with belvederes so that travelers can enjoy the look and take pictures. Worth to take advantage of the stop also to buy delicious banana candies, as well as cachaça and honey.
Ilha do Mel
Including in luggage an extra dose of adventure is essential for those who travel towards rustic Ilha do Mel. To begin with, access to paradise is by boat, from Paranaguá and Pontal do Paraná. It is small but capable of pleasing various types of travelers, from adventurers to more cautious. Therefore, to enjoy it, you must follow a small survival manual: here cars do not enter, you have to walk through sand tracks, and at night just a flashlight will light your way. The Praia de Encantadas brings together the younger crowd, while Nova Brasilia has better structure of lodging and restaurants.
PROGRAM
Day 1: Origin – Belem
Airport arrival at Belém, the economic capital of the Brazilian Amazon located at the mouth of the Amazon River. Belém is the economic center and most important port of the Amazon. It is an exciting and absorbing city with a unique cultural heritage of indigenous people and an interesting colonial downtown. Transfer ends at our hotel.
Night at the Atrium Quinta de Pedras Hotel or similar | Standard Room.
Included: driver + guide , private service , arrival transfer , room, and breakfast
Day 2: Belem
After breakfast, we will start our tour in Belém visiting the Mercado Ver-o-Peso, where products from the forest and rivers all over the state of Pará are available for the public. It is a mosaic of the Amazon colors, aromas, and flavors.
Then we will take a regional boat to cross the Guamá River to Combu Island. There, we will enjoy a gastronomic experience with the handcrafted chocolate of Filha do Combu, who opens the doors for visitors to see the cocoa plantation and accompany all stages of production. The process, which is very laborious, is done completely manually.
After a walk through the orchard, we will see the production process as we participate in a brief workshop to learn how to prepare a comidilha (little food) using their cocoa. Combu chocolate is conquering more and more refined palates and is considered by renowned chefs of São Paulo´s high quality gastronomy. After this, still on our boat, we go to have lunch and then we back to Belém to take a rest.
Night at the Atrium Quinta de Pedras Hotel or similar | Standard Room.
Included: activity with guide , boat ticket , lunch included , private service , room, and breakfast
Day 3: Belem- Ilha de Marajó
In the morning we will travel from the hotel to the harbor, where we will board typical boats of the region towards the island of Marajó. In the first part of the journey, we will be able to see the region of the islands that surround Belém. After arriving at the island, we will go by land to Soure (considered its informal “capital”) directly to the hotel where we will stay. Free time for lunch, for which we recommend the typical buffalo steak (not included).
In the afternoon, we will leave towards Marajó fields. Our goal is to observe marajoara species of wildlife as maguaris (photo), white and blue herons, red ibis, wild ducks, and many others. With a little luck we will see monkeys, caimans, and capybaras, very common in this region. We will see the sunset and return to the pousada.
Night at the Hotel Casarão da Amazonia or similar – Suite Master.
Included: activity with guide , boat Tour , private service , room, and breakfast
Day 4: Ilha de Marajó
We will leave the city and go to the fishing village, where we can watch the fishermen during the capture of Turú, shellfish species growing on the trunks of mangrove trees. Then we will move to an extractive fazenda and if the tide allows, we take a canoe trip that will take us paddling through the streams that cross the mangroves to Goiabal, a beautiful, deserted beach. We walk back to thefazenda.
At the fazenda we will participate in a cooking workshop about preparation of Turú Soup. Lunch at the farm. Free afternoon to enjoy the swimming pool or to explore personal interest topics. In the evening, we will attend a rehearsal of carimbó, an African dance brought to the island by slaves and developed by the mixture of cultures with Indians and Portuguese.
Night at the Hotel Casarão da Amazonia or similar – Suite Master.
Included: activity with guide , canoe ride , lunch included , private service , room, and breakfast
Ilha de Marajó- Belem
After breakfast, we will depart to explore different spots around the city with stops at an atelier of Marajoara ceramics, which makes pieces based on Aruan culture, the last indigenous ethnic group living in Marajo; and at a leather atelier that produces local crafts with traditional features passed from generation to generation.
We save the rest of the morning to enjoy the sun on thePesqueiro beach. We suggest a lunch with fish and crab on the beach (not included). Then we will go back to the pousada to get ready to return to Belém. Transfer to the hotel for accommodation.
Night at the Atrium Quinta de Pedras Hotel or similar | Standard Room.
Included: activity with guide , private service , transport , room, and breakfast
Day 6: Belem- Belo Horizonte- Tiradentes
We live the hotel after breakfast to get transferred to the airport of Belém for departure to Belo Horizonte. Airport arrival at Belo Horizonte and final transfer to Tiradentes where we’ll go to our pousada. Accommodation.
Night at the Pousada Villa Alferes or similar | Standard Room.
Included: driver + guide , private service , departure transfer , only Driver (Portuguese speaking) , arrival transfer , room, and breakfast
Day 7: Tiradentes
Tiradentes is known as the capital of Minas Gerais cuisine. On this gastronomic tour we will embark on a delightful discovery of the flavors of the region, where we’ll learn by personal experience the reasons of its worldwide fame. This unique tour is planned to indulge our senses with some handmade delicacies of traditional mining cooking, what is your preference? Sippy milk sweet, guava, fine cheeses, handmade popsicles, fruit jellies and the famous cachaça de alambique (tyoe of rum) are some of the delights that make part of this tour’s menu.
Night at the Pousada Villa Alferes or similar | Standard Room.
Included: activity with guide , lunch included , private service , room, and breakfast
Day 8: Tiradentes
After breakfast, we will go to Ouro Preto by car, to visit this historic and beautiful city. Uphill, downhill, the colonial architecture of Ouro Preto coexists with the students’ agitation and the visitors who come for events such as carnival, the Movie Festival (June) and the Winter Festival (July). Good starting points to see the historic attractions and understand the region’s importance to the country’s memory are Inconfidencial Museum and Casa dos Contos, old place for weighing and casting of gold. Around the city there are several gold mines that show how the slaves’ daily life was. And just 15 km from Ouro Preto is another jewel of the Brazilian colonial period: the city of Mariana, the first capital of state, with houses, churches and many workshops of painters and sculptors.
Night at the Pousada Villa Alferes or similar | Standard Room.
Included: activity with guide , private service , room, and breakfast
Day 9: Tiradentes
This day, riding a bike our tour will be made on a dirt road following the old railway Oeste de Minas (West of Minas), making it possible for us to pedal on plain terrain; the tour is ideal for those who want to enjoy the beauties of the region without making a lot of effort. Riding our bikes on an 18km journey we’ll be able to see some natural attractions around the city of Tiradentes. It’s a beautiful track, following the Rio das Mortes and going through places of greenery and countryside.
The constant view of the Serra de São José is a high point of the pedaling experience and we’ll get to stop for a deserved drink of lemonade at a local restaurant. Accommodation.
Night at the Pousada Villa Alferes or similar | Standard Room.
Included: activity with guide , bike , private service , room, and breakfast
Day 10: Tiradentes- Belo Horizonte- Curitiba
After breakfast and check out we’ll have transfer to the hotel for CNF (Belo Horizonte) for departure to our next destination. Airport arrival at Curitiba, capital of Paraná state and transfer to our hotel.
And as good as fresh coffee, you can’t wait to drink it, the best time to start the trip is now. Soon after checking in, mounted on our bikes, we’ll visit some of the most welcoming and important coffee shops of Curitiba, tasting the best Brazilian
coffee prepared by rewarded baristas in Brazil and abroad.
Each of the stops is made with a commented tasting, giving coffee lovers contact with at least 4 different types of specialty coffees. But not only the types of coffee show us the diversity of this delicious universe; in the Coffee Bike Tour we will be amazed at the different brewing processes offered by coffeehouses of Curitiba, such as the traditional espresso, the french press, aero press and differentiated brewed using the Hario V-60. Because coffee is a good partner for all hours and cafeterias in Curitiba offer us the best in specialties!
Night at Bristol Centro Cívico or similar | Luxo Room.
Included: only Driver (Portuguese speaking) , private service , departure transfer , arrival transfer
Day 11: Curitiba- Morretes
After breakfast, we check out and leave Curitiba towards Portal Estrada da Graciosa. From here, we’ll mount our bikes again until reaching Morretes, witnessing the incredible scenery amid Serra do Mar. We will have lunch in Morretes, a typical regional dish called barreado and seafood.
After lunch, we’ll take a walk in the historic downtown of the city and then to our pousada to check in.
After lunch, we’ll take a walk in the historic downtown of the city. Facing the Serra do Mar Mountains, we’ll see the train station, which is were
most Morretes’ visitors arrive. From there, we can stroll through the town and discover its curiosities. Older houses were built facing the Nhundiaquara River. We`ll go to Casa Rocha Pombo, a cultural center built in honor of the
multifaceted Rocha Pombo who was an acclaimed historian, teacher, writer and politician. The simple colonial architectural style of the Jesuit period characterizes this building. Later we visit the Church of St. Benedict; believed to have been built by slaves in 1765, its stone foundation was laid almost until later in 1863. It was constructed in the colonial style and a tower was added over half a century later at the behest of Captain Robert France. During the walking tour, we’ll also have a chance to see the local art craft, visiting a street fair with different kinds of products to eat, to wear, for decoration and souvenirs.
Night at Pousada Casas Di Monte or similar l Standard Room.
Included: private service , transport , activity with guide , bike , lunch Box , mineral water , lunch included , arrival transfer , walking tour , driver + guide , room, and breakfast
Day 12: Morretes- Ilha do Mel
After breakfast, we will go out for a bike ride in Morretes through rural villages, crossing rivers and streams, fountains of water, places with mountains views, an artisanal cachaça mill, natural pools, a small waterfall, lakes, woods, and a suspension bridge.
We will return to the pousada to check out and go to Pontal to catch the ferry bound for Ilha do Mel. Free afternoon in Ilha do Mel. Accommodation.
Night at Pousada das Meninas or similar | Mezanino “Saquinho” Room
Included: activity with guide , bike , guide included, driver + guide , private service , arrival transfer , regular transport (SIB – Shared) , room and breakfast
Day 13: Ilha do Mel
The island has 25 beautiful beaches, deserted or with little urbanization, we can find some small villages among them: Encantadas, Nova Brasilia, Farol, Praia Grande and Fortaleza. To preserve the environment and prevent the degradation of the island, the number of visitors is limited to 5,000 people per day. The visitation by the island is made in delimited spaces, as it is not allowed the access of much of its territory that is preservation area. The main sights of Ilha do Mel are the Encantadas Cave, the Conchas Lighthouse, and the Fortress S. dos Prazeres, all open for public viewing.
Day off for a well-deserved rest, or we can enjoy optional tours walking, biking or a beautiful boat ride at the sunset. Accommodation.
Night at Pousada das Meninas or similar | Mezanino “Saquinho” Room
Included: room and breakfast
Day 14: Ilha do Mel- Morretes- Curitiba
Departure to Curitiba airport to board to the next destination
Included: boat ticket , regular transport (SIB – Shared) , departure transfer , only Driver (Portuguese speaking) , private service , arrival transfer
USEFUL INFORMATION
What to bring?
Comfortable footwear closed and waterproof preferable to take walks in Marajó, because of wet sections.
Travelers need to use light clothes, but long pants and long sleeves to protect against insects.
A bottle to drink water, avoiding the use of disposable containers.
We recommend a 5-10 Kg backpack for activities in Marajó and leave the rest of the luggage at Belém. A raincoat with possibility of putting the bag inside is recommended.
Insect repellent, flashlight, raincoat, swimwear, and sunscreen all year.
Travelers should consult a local center of international vaccination before travelling.
Especially in winter (June to September) we should bring warm clothes for the nights.
Bathing clothes to enjoy this region’s waterfalls.
Good, comfortable shoes, for historic cities have cobblestone streets.
Binocular.
Best travel period?
You can travel all year round; between December and June the weather is unstable, between July and November is the dry season. Throughout the year tropical heavy rain is common. (Belém – Ilha de Marajó).
The river is dry from October to April and during these months more jungle treks are made. During the months in which the water level is high (May to September), there will be more canoeing activities in these same places. Between a period and the other, water level can reach a difference of 14 meters apart.
Most museums and some historic places are closed on Mondays, so better avoid cultural tours on this day.
In Curitiba you can travel throughout the year being the coldest between June and September and the hottest between December and March.
Banks and money exchange: The exchange and/or cash withdrawal at ATMs is preferably done at airports for security and because most of the Experiences take place in locations with little banking structure.
Comments & Restrictions
The tours: PVT FD Tour Discovering Belém with artisanal Chocolate and Gourmet – Is not available on Sundays, Mondays, and Public Holidays.
The tour PVT FD Ouro Preto e Mariana – 12h – Is not available on Mondays.
Comments to be considered:
Check-in to the hotel is normally after 2:00 PM. Early check-in may be granted subject to availability (not confirmed). You may store your luggage at the hotel until you are able to check-in
Check-out of the hotel is normally at 12:00 PM. Late check-out may be granted subject to availability (not confirmed). You may store your luggage at the hotel until you are ready to leave for the airport.
Breakfast is normally served from 6-7 to 9-10 and changes from hotel to hotel. In case your transfer out leaves before that time it is traveler’s responsibility to ask the day before at the reception desk to book or ask for an early breakfast service and extra costs may be applied by the property. Please note in some hotels do not even provide this service.
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