Rio De Janeiro, Brazil When one thinks of Rio de Janeiro, beautiful beaches, carnival, and soccer (Brazilian football) instantly spring to mind. These are all an integral part of Rio's vibrant culture, and make this city one of the most exciting and interesting places to visit in Brazil. Rio has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it is blessed with stunning natural beauty and a year-round pleasant climate. Uniquely situated on a narrow strip of land between green mountains and the deep blue sea, it is surrounded by granite based peaks, coves, and white sand beaches. The most famous landmark is Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf Mountain), which has wonderful views of the city, the bay, and the Corcovado (the statue of Christ).
Bonito, Pantanal, Brazil Bonito is located in the southern Pantanal area in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. It is a magical place with numerous freshwater lakes, rivers, and spectacular caves. The rivers and caves, with transparent water due to the natural limestone filter, are teeming with colorful fish. With over 80 wet and dry caves, Bonito is reputed to be one of the best places in the world for caving, cave diving, and fresh water snorkeling. Waterfalls and canyons in the region also make excellent rafting possible. As in the Pantanal, wildlife here is abundant, with monkeys, toucans, and macaws congregating in droves on the river banks.
Pantanal, Brazil The Pantanal is considered to be the world's biggest wetland area, covering an area of approximately 230,000 sq km (143,000 sq miles), situated in the upper Paraguay River Basin. In this immense, pristine and biologically rich environment, there exists an extraordinary concentration of diverse flora and fauna, and a landscape spanning a variety of ecological sub-regions. This area is an unparalleled wildlife sanctuary of spectacular beauty, an ecological paradise containing hundreds of species of birds, thousands of varieties of butterflies, myriads of brightly colored flowers, and shoals of fish.
The Pantanal is noteworthy for its extraordinary biodiversity and abundance of wildlife and is known as 'the world's biggest ecological sanctuary.' Animals like Capuchin and Howler monkeys, capivbaras, toucans, anacondas, caymans and tapirs, the endangered jaguar, the increasingly rare Hyacinthine macaws, and giant river otters, all make their home here. The Pantanal is a truly unique and exquisite natural paradise and deserves to be seen.
