Day 1
Iguassu falls brazilian side
The ferocity and enormous scale of the thundering Iguaçu Falls are what the Victoria Falls are to Africa, in other words they belong to an exclusive group of the world’s natural wonders. Tremendous quantities of water funnel and crash into a deep gorge - aptly named the Devil’s Throat - with brute force. This reverberating spectacle of seething waters produces a sky-high cloud of mist, visible from far and wide. The excursion begins at the Iguaçu National Park Visitors’ Centre with a drive through the park’s lush sub-tropical vegetation. Near the falls, visitors leave the vehicle and proceed on foot along a trail that leads into the canyon and a spectacular panoramic viewpoint over the falls. The awe-inspiring trip along a walkway, which takes visitors right into the Devil's Throat, leads to a glass elevator which transports them up the cliff-face for a view of the upper falls.
Day 2
Iguassu falls Argentinian side
The excursion crosses the Neves Bridge with its lovely view over the Iguaçu Canyon en route to the National Park, then proceeds along the upper walkways, allowing a bird’s-eye view of the falls and adjoining rainforest. The climax is a suspended platform at the edge of the Devil’s Throat. The Iguaçu National Park, along with its sister park in Brazil, makes up the most significant remnant of rainforest in the southern cone, which together with the Falls has been declared a National Heritage site by Unesco.
Day 3
Iguassu-Salvador de Bahia- Salvador
The slave trade during the 18th and 19th centuries brought great numbers of African slaves to Northeast Brazil, mainly as labourers in the growing sugar industry. This influx has had enormous repercussions on the development of the local culture, especially in Bahia, where the majority of imported slaves were concentrated. After the abolition of the slave trade, most of the slaves remained in Bahia, their cultural and religious practices giving Brazil its unique multicultural flavour. In search of this Afro-Brazilian heritage, the excursion starts with a visit to the Orixá community at Tororó Dam, followed by the Terreiro Ilê Apo Ofonjá, where Candomblé celebrations take place.
This fascinating tour of the Upper City reveals the features of the earliest streets and architectural structures of Bahia. From Farol da Barra, a lighthouse which now functions as the city's nautical museum, the excursion proceeds in the direction of Porto da Barra, with views of the forts of Santa Maria and São Diogo. Next there are the traditional neighbourhoods of Corredor da Vitória and Campo Grande - the square where Carnival begins and ends, with a brief stop at the park and fountain of Piedade. The principal and by far the most significant site visited during the excursion is the Pelourinho, the historical nucleus of Salvador and a true World Heritage Site, considered by UNESCO to be an outstanding example of 17th and 18th century colonial architecture, in fact the largest and best-preserved in the Americas. Built on a steep hillside and artistically decorated in a variety of pastel colours, the picturesque colonial houses and churches (such as Igreja do São Francisco) make this enchanting part of town a must for anyone visiting Bahia. As the Pelourinho occupies one of the highest points, visitors are rewarded with stunning views over the surrounding city and harbour.
Day 4
Salvador
This charming excursion takes the tourist into the historical heart of Salvador – The Cidade Alta, revealing some of the first streets laid in Bahia. The excursion begins at "Farol da Barra", a lighthouse that now functions as the city's nautical museum. The excursion then proceeds in the direction of "Porto da Barra", from where visitors can see the Santa Maria and São Diogo forts. From here, the tour moves on to Salvador's more traditional neighborhoods, namely Corredor da Vitória, Campo Grande and Piedade.
Day 5-6
Salvador-Sao Paulo-Paraty
Leaving the port of Paraty in the morning, the schooner sets sail for an archipelago of densely forested islands, crystal clear waters and secluded white, sandy beaches. On arriving in this paradise, the schooner makes three one-hour stops in the emerald bay for sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling. Including the islands of Comprida, Algodão, Cotia and Praia Vermelha, destinations may vary depending on the wind direction, giving each tour a unique character.
Day 7-8
Paraty - Rio de Janeiro
Perched atop the Corcovado (Hunchback) Mountain at an altitude of 710m, the statue of Christ the Redeemer is certainly one of the world's best-known and most-visited monuments. Clad with a soapstone mosaic, the statue is also one of Rio's finest Art Nouveau monuments and at night becomes a shining landmark visible from all over the city. From the top there are breathtaking views of Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, the Botanical Gardens, Jockey Club and Rodrigo Freitas Lagoon. A rack railway takes the visitor up to the foot of the statue, the train leaving the Cosme Velho district and climbing the steep slopes of Tijuca Forest. Located around the base of Corcovado and with many springs and waterfalls, this dense forest was proclaimed a National Park in the early sixties. After descending, the tour stops at Mário Filho Stadium, known worldwide as Maracanã, and the Sambódromo, designed by Oscar Niemeyer and the stage for the largest and most flamboyant carnival celebrations in Brazil.
Day 9
Rio De Janeiro
The native indians called this volcanic dome “pau-nd-acuqua”, meaning a high, pointed, isolated peak. To the Portuguese, this sounded like “pão de açúcar”, its shape reminding them of the clay moulds used to form refined sugar into an oval lump called a sugarloaf. The Sugarloaf is the imposing natural monument that has made the unmistakable Rio skyline a modern icon.
The tour is divided into two parts, the first taking in a number of sites of interest in downtown Rio de Janeiro, namely the contemporary Metropolitan Cathedral, with its vast stained-glass windows and Aterro do Flamengo, a calm, spacious park with lawns and blossoming trees, offering lovely views of Rio and The Sugarloaf. The second stage of the tour takes visitors through the old Urca neighborhood towards the Sugarloaf. Here tourists board a cable-car which starts the steep, exhilarating 215m climb up Morro da Urca. From here, the cable-car travels high above the rugged, vegetated terrain to the Sugarloaf’s 395m summit. Visitors can enjoy wonderful panoramic views over Rio de Janeiro from the top. |
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