Attractions of Brazil

Paraty was an important port town during the height of the Brazilian gold rush and today is a beautifully preserved Portuguese colonial town. Its town centre is filled with colonial whitewashed buildings and pedestrianised cobbled streets, some of which are partly covered with seawater at high tide. There are four impressive colonial churches, the most imposing of which is the Nossa Senhora dos Remedios. As well as exploring the atmospheric town, its bay has islands with excellent beaches and inland the town is surrounded by mountainous national parks filled with trails and wildlife.

Five Jesuit missions were built in the land of the Guarani Indians in the 17th and 18th centuries, four of these are in present day Argentina and one in Brazil - the ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes. The missions were all laid out in the same pattern with a large open square surrounded by the church, residence of the Fathers and houses of the Indians. The Jesuits purpose was to educate the natives and convert them to Christianity and they also sought to protect them from capture and abuse from Spanish and Portuguese colonists.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil)

The town of Ouro Preto (Black Gold) played a leading role in Brazil's Golden Age and its gold rush in the 18th century. Attracted by local gold deposits, the town was founded by prospectors who were followed by artists who created outstanding buildings fusing European Baroque and Rococo with Brazilian influences. The town contains many works of art by the famous sculptor Aleijadinho including the Church of Sao Francisco de Assis in addition to imposing buildings such as the Parliament House and Palace of Governors. The irregular urban landscape following the contours of its hilly location as well as the cobbled streets and beautiful churches, bridges and fountains make Ouro Preto a beautiful historic town. You can visit the gold mine of Minas de Passagem and the Museum of Mineralogy to learn more about the importance of the region's mining history.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Town of Ouro Preto

The colonial town of Diamantina is located in a mountainous landscape north of Rio and dates to the diamond prospectors of the 18th century. The Portuguese colonial architecture displays Baroque and local influences and the town is characterised by colourful 18th and 19th century semi-detached houses and picturesquely paved streets. Buildings of note in Diamantina include the Old Market Hall built in 1835, the Passadico - a footbridge covered in blue and white wood, and the Rua Direita sculptured fountain.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina

Goiás was a mining town in central Brazil in the 18th and 19th centuries and is a testament to the colonisation of the interior of the country and the evolution in urban architecture of South American colonial settlements. The layout shows the town's organic development from a modest village to a subdistrict capital and has changed little since the 19th century.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Centre of the Town of Goiás

Salvador is the capital of the state of Bahia and is one of Brazil's greatest historic cities and the centre of Afro-Brazilian culture. Its roots date back to 1501 when the navigator Amerigo Vespucci first sailed into its bay and the city, later founded by the Portuguese, was capital of Brazil between 1549 and 1763. The city prospered with the nearby sugar cane and tobacco plantations and Salvador saw a major influx of slaves from Africa to work on these. Most of the city's residents are descendants from these workers, giving Salvador a rich a distinctive culture fusing African and Brazilian influences, seen in its cuisine, music and the religion of Candomble which mixes African and Christian deities and rites. The Portuguese colonial architecture in Salvador has been well preserved, particularly in the Pelourinho area which overlooks the bay. Colourful churches and other buildings lie amongst spacious plazas and narrow cobbled streets.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia

The historic town of Olinda is located on Brazil's north-eastern coast and dates back to the 16th century when it was founded by the Portuguese. Its historic centre now dates mostly to the 18th century and includes outstanding Baroque buildings such as the Episcopal Church, the Church of Graca, the Convent do Carmo and numerous Franciscan, Carmelite and Benedictine monasteries and convents. The richly decorated religious buildings contrast with the charming simplicity of the brightly painted houses in the town.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda

São Luís, located on Brazil's northern coast, was founded by the French in 1612 and occupied by the Dutch before coming under Portuguese rule. Economic stagnation in the 20th century ensured the survival of numerous historic buildings in the town, with some 4,000 within its historic centre. These are mostly private dwellings characterised by courtyards, painted or tiled facades, tall narrow windows bays and balconies with forged or cast-iron railings.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Centre of São Luís

The historic town of São Cristóvão is centred on São Francisco Square, a quadrilateral open space surrounded by buildings such as São Francisco Church and convent, the Church and Santa Casa da Misericórdia, the Provincial Palace and numerous 18th and 19th century houses.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: São Francisco Square in the Town of São Cristóvão

The Serra da Capivara National Park contains over 300 archaeological sites which include rock shelters with cave paintings that are believed to be more than 25,000 years old. The paintings depict aspects of religious beliefs and practices and are testimony to one of the oldest human communities of South America.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Serra da Capivara National Park