If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting Brazil (it’s still on our travel list!), we’ve put together five virtual experiences to get your travel inspo juices flowing.
It may be awhile before we’ll all be able to set foot on planes again, but that’s no reason to miss out on this vibrant country’s cultural offerings. Check out our options below and who knows, your next journey may very include Brazil, home to the Amazon Rainforest.
Bem vindo ao Brasil!
[Christ the Redeemer; photo by Fernando Maia, Riotur]
The National Museum in Rio de Janeiro
Google offers a virtual recreation of the 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. This virtual tour was designed in 2016, two years before the Museum was sadly gutted due to a devastating fire.
What’s unique about this experience is that some of the objects preserved online will never again be seen in their original form. Your virtual visit also includes online-only exhibitions of artifacts from the collection, culled from cultures ranging from ancient Egypt to Brazil’s indigenous peoples.
[Afro Brazil Museum; photo courtesy of Governo do Estado de São Paulo]
Afro Brazil Museum
The Afro Brazil Museum, designed by world-famous architect Oscar Niemeyer, is dedicated to the great cultural contribution of Africans and Afro-Brazilians. Over 6,000 works highlight the importance of African people in the formation of Brazilian culture, heritage and identity and you can now visit this impressive collection virtually.
[Gávea; photo by Alexandre Macieira, Riotur]
Virtual Tours of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo
Take a virtual tour of the main attractions of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Virtual tourists can enjoy a taste of Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Copacabana Beach and Botanical Gardens, as well as São Paulo Metropolitan Cathedral and Ibirapuera Park.
[Photo courtesy Ministerio do Turismo]
Cook Like a Brazilian
Brazilian cuisine has gained international popularity thanks to its blend of African, Portuguese and indigenous cuisines. A Taste of Brazil contains 50 recipes, including favourite dishes such as Chocolate Truffles (brigadeiro) and Bean and Pork Stew (feijoada). A Taste of Brazil is available in both Kindle and paperback formats.
[Toca do Vinícius Bossa Nova Rio; photo by Alexandre Macieira, Riotur]
Listen to Bossa Nova (Brazilian Jazz)
Free online radio channels offer a taste of the unique Brazilian music style developed in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Bossa Nova music has a unique, nuanced feel, popularized by Brazilian singer João Gilberto and American jazz player Stan Getz. You can also check out a Bossa Nova playlist on Spotify.
Top two images: Carnival 2020 by Fernando Grilli, Riotur; Sta Teresa by Pedro Kirilos, Riotur
