This festive and musically-charged country is the largest in South America by far. Its rich diversity means that there’s something for everyone, whether it be lively cities, glorious beaches or jungles for those seeking a diverse array of wildlife.
Best Gap Year Programs in Brazil
Argentina & Brazil Highlights
• 10 days
• Price from £1,807
The Great South American Journey: Quito to Rio
• 65 days
• Price from £6,799
South America Explorer Trip
• 18 days, 3 countries
• Price from £3,917
Brazil Gap Year Ideas
Don’t leave here without…
Dancing in the street
For professional party animals, the Rio and Salvador carnivals are the ultimate tests. If you can shake your booty samba-style for several days straight, ideally dressed in a sequined bikini and high heels (that’s you too, boys), you’ll have earned a PhD in partying.
Making out from Manaus
The Amazon is so vast it’s hard to know where to start, but the jungle city of Manaus isn’t a bad place. From here you can arrange week-long treks or, if sleeping further than 5m from a flushable toilet isn’t your thing, day trips to see toucans. If you are keen to volunteer in Brazil there are lots of wildlife and conservation projects here.
Beaching yourself in the north
Sea and sand worshippers might just faint when they catch sight of Brazil’s northeast coast – over a thousand miles of tropical wonder and the stuff of beach-bum folklore. The hippie magnet that is Caraiva village is a good place to start your coastal odyssey.
Pretending you’re a gaúcho
Channel your Brazilian cowboy in the southern state of Rio Grande Do Sul. Don a poncho, saddle up a horse, eat steak and share cups of chimarrão – a type of herbal tea drunk through a metal straw
Piranha-fishing in the Pantanal
The piranhas of the Pantanal won’t tear you limb from limb, but they still have a mean pair of gnashers. If they nip at your toes, get your own back by taking an organised trip into this wildlife-intense region, where you can fish for, and eat, the tasty carnivorous creatures.
Going overland
Due to the size of the country, and the language barrier and safety concerns, taking a tour of Brazil is one of the best ways to discover the highlights of the country. Throughout Amazonia, boats provide the main means of transport and are also the only way of getting to the islands and beaches along the Atlantic coast.
In the rest of the country, buses are the primary source of travel and are usually extremely reliable and comfortable (although fairly pricey). Travelling by car is for the brave-hearted, and be sure to have the correct insurance and registration documents with you. In most rental firms, you have to be at least 25 to hire a car.
