What to see in Brazil: 10 must-sees

Follow the curve of Copacabana to the black-and-white mosaic promenade, with coconut water stalls every few meters. Take the Corcovado train for a close-up view of Christ the Redeemer, arms outstretched over Guanabara Bay. Then ride the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain and watch the sunset tint Ipanema and Leblon. Between beaches, try feijoada in the Santa Teresa neighborhood and listen to samba at Lapa's tables, where the illuminated arches set the rhythm of Rio's nightlife.

Explore São Paulo, the largest city in South America, and start your day at the Municipal Market sampling the mortadella sandwich and tropical fruit juice. Stroll through Ibirapuera Park among its lakes and the auditorium designed by Oscar Niemeyer, then visit the MASP on Paulista Avenue. In the late afternoon, have dinner at an Italian cantina in the Bexiga district or try the Japanese cuisine of Liberdade, before ending the night in the bars of Vila Madalena.

Walk the walkways of Iguaçu National Park in Paraná and feel the mist of 275 cascades plunging 80 meters in a constant roar. Get close to the Devil's Throat, where the water plunges in a horseshoe shape, and take a boat ride upstream to catch the spray up close. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also home to toucans, coatis, and butterflies that cross the trails through the Atlantic rainforest. Bring waterproof clothing and set aside half a day to explore it at a leisurely pace.

Hop in a canoe in Manaus and head into the largest rainforest on the planet, home to 10 million species including howler monkeys, pink dolphins, and macaws. Sail along the Rio Negro to where it meets the Solimões, where dark and light waters run side by side without mixing for kilometers. Camp among century-old trees, hike the trails with local guides, and meet indigenous communities that have lived in the Amazon for centuries. At night, listen to the chorus of frogs and insects under a sky full of stars.

Follow the trails of Chapada dos Veadeiros in Goiás, between quartzite walls and waterfalls such as Santa Maria, which drops 120 meters. Swim in crystal-clear pools, spot macaws and maned wolves in the cerrado, and walk over rocks more than a billion years old. From the viewpoints of Alto Paraíso you'll see open valleys and fields of wildflowers; come between May and September, when the rains ease and the paths dry out for a relaxed tour of the national park.

Wander the uneven stone streets of Paraty on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, past colonial houses painted white with colorful trim. Visit the cathedral, walk down to the harbor where the schooners dock, and pause in the squares where music plays as evening falls. Learn about the local tradition of artisanal cachaça and the crafts locals pass down from generation to generation, and feel a direct connection to three centuries of colonial history.