Brasil Encantado — 17-day Brazil round trip

Hotel Atlantis Copacabana is a three-minute walk from Copacabana beach and within walking distance of Ipanema, between the districts of Arpoador, Ipanema and Copacabana. Rooms have air conditioning, TV and private bathroom; a varied breakfast buffet is served and Wi-Fi is free. The rooftop terrace has a pool and views of the Atlantic, and the hotel offers a beach service. Recently renovated, with a multilingual reception, sauna and more than 35 years of experience in hospitality in Rio’s most famous neighbourhood.

Nadai Confort Hotel & Spa is located in the centre of Foz do Iguaçu. Rooms have air conditioning, cable TV, minibar and private bathroom with marble floors; Wi-Fi is free throughout. Facilities include a heated outdoor pool and jacuzzi, an à-la-carte restaurant with national and international dishes, a gym, a spa with massages and beauty treatments, and a kids’ club. A well-equipped tourist-class choice with a central location.

Hotel in a restored historic building in the centre of Manaus, with a garden, a shared lounge, a terrace and free WiFi throughout. Several room types, including apartments with different bed configurations. Breakfast with local products. Within easy reach of the Teatro Amazonas and the other historic sights.

Mid-sized lodge with 21 wooden and stone bungalows on high ground, spread over a large area with jungle gardens, a pool and a jungle trail of about 1 km. All rooms have a private bathroom with hot water and air conditioning; the superior bungalows are more modern and larger. Restaurant overlooking the central garden, open lounge with hammocks. Multi-night packages on full board with daily excursions led by experienced nature guides; the surroundings combine flooded forest and higher jungle and are rich in birds, caimans and dolphins. Transfer 3.5–4 hours: car to the port of Manaus, boat across the Meeting of the Waters to Porto Careiro, road, then about 40 minutes by motorboat on the Mamori river. Optional survival packages with a night in hammocks in the jungle.

Small boutique hotel in an 18th-century building next to the Praça da Sé in the heart of Pelourinho, 200 m from the Elevador Lacerda. Rooms with local artwork, air conditioning, safe, TV, minibar and private bathroom with hot shower. Bar, billiards, free WiFi and a varied breakfast with fruit, fresh juices, cheese, ham and eggs. Airport 20 km.

Beachfront pousada surrounded by a tropical palm garden, with apartments on the 3rd beach (pool and restaurant) and on the 4th beach near the natural pools. Apartments have air conditioning, TV with DVD, minibar, safe and bathroom with hairdryer. Restaurant Recanto do Aviador serves local and international dishes; outdoor pool with bar service and hammocks in the garden. Village bars and restaurants are 5–15 minutes’ walk.

Windsor Excelsior sits directly on Copacabana beach and offers a top location, a rich breakfast buffet, a rooftop pool with sea views, a gym and free Wi-Fi. Room types range from standard (no view) to superior with side sea view and deluxe with frontal sea view, king bed, coffee machine, soundproof windows and jacuzzi. Within walking distance of Copacabana fort, Leme, Ipanema and the Rio Sul shopping centre.

Five-star Sanma Hotel lies 400 m from the entrance of Iguaçu National Park, amid nature and close to the falls. Large pool surrounded by gardens, an ecological trail through native forest, volleyball, football and tennis courts, and a spa with sauna, jacuzzi and massages. Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with local touches, a wine bar with fondue, and happy hour with live piano in the Lobby Bar Aldemir.

Hotel Casa do Bispo is a stylish pousada in a restored late-19th-century mansion, the former bishop’s house, two minutes’ walk from the Teatro Amazonas. Rooms combine classic details with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and comfortable beds. A tropical garden and outdoor pool offer a quiet retreat; breakfast features local specialities. The Palácio Rio Negro and the Mercado Adolpho Lisboa are within walking distance.

Amazon Premium Lodge is a boutique jungle hotel on the Paraná do Mamori river, designed with respect for the forest and its people. Eight luxury bungalows (65 m²) with queen beds, air conditioning, hot water, minibar, Wi-Fi and large balconies with hammocks overlooking the forest, plus a two-level Premium Bungalow for families. Air-conditioned reception, bar and restaurant with an Amazon chef, a pool with hydrotherapy and exhibitions of local artists. Packages combine jungle walks, boat trips and encounters with the traditional Mamori communities.

Charming boutique hotel in a beautifully restored 17th-century building in the heart of Pelourinho, steps from squares, baroque churches, cafés and street music. The owners welcome guests personally; an à-la-carte breakfast of Bahian and international dishes is served in the room. Each room is individually furnished with antiques and colourful art referring to Afro-Bahian culture, with air conditioning, minibar, free WiFi and cable TV.

Brightly painted pousada on the third beach, within walking distance of the natural pools, the village centre and the island’s nightlife. Cosy rooms with wooden furniture, private balcony, air conditioning, minibar and TV. Lush garden with seating, two pools in different settings, massages, free WiFi, a restaurant with fresh local and international dishes and a bar.

Hotel Miramar by Windsor faces Copacabana beach and is one of the best hotels in Rio. 200 elegant apartments with air conditioning, safe, minibar, 55-inch TV, Nespresso machine and bathrobes; connecting rooms for families. Categories run from Superior (side sea view) and Superior Executive (frontal view) to Executive and Master Suites with jacuzzi and panoramic views. Pool, gym, restaurant, rooftop bar and beach service with towels, chairs and parasols. Shops, restaurants and nightlife are all around.

Exclusive five-star hotel set in the subtropical rainforest of Puerto Iguazú, 15 minutes from the falls, with direct access to the Iguazú river. Large outdoor pool with sun terraces, hanging bridges between the trees, an extensive spa with sauna and wellness treatments. Elegant suites in natural tones with parquet floors, air conditioning, cable TV and modern bathrooms, some with bathtub and panoramic balcony. Restaurant Naipi serves refined regional cuisine; Tiki Bar and room service.

Boutique hotel in a restored mansion from the rubber era, with 30 apartments (5 standard, 20 superior, 5 premium) all overlooking the inner garden and the natural-stone pool. Spacious rooms with a modern design, bathtub, balcony and premium amenities. Fitz Carraldo Bistro with a menu that combines international classics with Amazonian cuisine; fitness room overlooking the garden.

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge is a small, exclusive lodge on the Rio Negro opposite the Anavilhanas National Park, the world’s second-largest river archipelago, in an area with very few mosquitoes. 24 accommodations built with sustainable materials: chalets, glass-walled bungalows, panoramic suites and a villa with private pool, all with air conditioning, minibar, Wi-Fi and cable TV. Pool and lounge overlooking the river, floating bar, wellness room and à-la-carte restaurant; all meals, bar drinks and selected wines included. Daily small-group excursions: sunrise trips, canoeing in flooded forest, dolphin spotting, night tours, community visits and the Madadá caves. B Corp certified, with its own solar plant and the Anavilhanas Institute community projects.

Luxury hotel in a 19th-century colonial mansion in Pelourinho, overlooking the Baía de Todos os Santos. Spacious rooms with balcony (city or bay view), air conditioning, flat-screen TV and CD/DVD player. Rooftop pool and panoramic terrace, a bar beside the plant-covered patio with fresh cocktails and Brazilian tapas, regional and international dinner, gym and free WiFi. Many sights within walking distance.

Exclusive boutique pousada on Praia do Encanto, the most peaceful and unspoilt beach of the island, in 10 hectares of tropical gardens with direct access to an almost deserted beach. Only ten spacious bungalows with king-size beds and mosquito nets, air conditioning, large bathroom with bathtub, safe, minibar and cable TV, each with a veranda facing the garden or the ocean. Gastronomic fusion restaurant, beach lounge bar, pool bar, massages, beach service, childcare and laundry.

The urban bike tour starts at 9 am at the bike shop in Copacabana. Cycling shows Rio the way the cariocas live it, beyond Copacabana, Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer. The 3-hour city tour runs along Copacabana beach to Sugarloaf Mountain and the small Praia Vermelha, through lively Botafogo and on to the Lagoa city lake, with a Dutch- or English-speaking guide. An environmentally friendly alternative to bus tourism that covers a lot of ground in a few hours.

Shared excursion to the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the 710-metre Corcovado mountain, one of the most famous monuments in the world. Pick-up at the hotel in the morning or afternoon, then the cog train winds up the steep slope through the Tijuca rainforest. At the top, close-up views of the statue and sweeping panoramas over Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, the botanical garden and the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. Drop-off at the hotel afterwards. English-speaking guide; also available on a private basis at a supplement.

Explore part of the largest urban forest in the world, Tijuca National Park, with a 45-minute hike to the top of Pedra Bonita (693 m) and one of the most impressive views over Rio. Continue to Barra da Tijuca for a boat ride between islands and narrow channels through lagoons and mangroves, home to capybaras and broad-snouted caimans. Includes transport with pick-up and drop-off and Dutch- or English-speaking guide. Starts in the morning.

Morning pick-up at the hotel for a private excursion to the Brazilian side of the falls. From the visitor centre a drive through the park’s subtropical vegetation leads to the walkways along the canyon with panoramic views of the falls and the Devil’s Throat. A glass lift takes you to the upper viewpoint with cafés. Park entrance not included (approx. USD 30).

Morning pick-up for a private excursion across the Tancredo Neves bridge into Argentina. Several trails offer panoramic views over the falls and the surrounding forest; the highlight is the platform on the edge of the Devil’s Throat. Optional add-on: the Gran Aventura jungle and waterfall boat tour. Park entrance not included (approx. USD 30).

Complete four-day, three-night programme at Amazon Turtle Lodge with an experienced English-speaking guide. Day 1: journey via the Meeting of the Waters, riverside villages and creeks to the lodge, lunch buffet and motorised canoe trip. Day 2: sunrise tour, jungle trek with survival techniques, afternoon canoe trip with birds, sloths and monkeys. Day 3: visit to a caboclo family (rubber, cassava, forest fruits and herbs), piranha fishing and a night canoe trip to spot caimans. Day 4: breakfast and return to Manaus.

Private 4-hour tour with English-speaking guide along the sights of Salvador’s Cidade Baixa (lower town), starting in the morning or afternoon with pick-up at the hotel. Visit to the famous Igreja do Bonfim, focus of many of Bahia’s religious traditions such as the Lavagem do Bonfim festival, and the historic Ribeira district with a stop at the Sorveteria da Ribeira, an ice-cream parlour with a unique range of flavours since 1931.

Jungle truck ride and speedboat trip under the falls on the Argentine side. Bookable at a supplement during the Argentine-side excursion.