Five Pura tips for a brilliant holiday to Brazil
An empty beach on a tropical island near Rio is as good a place as any for Chris to share a few pearls of wisdom for your next Brazil holiday. We hope they inspire, inform and have you itching to follow in his sandy footsteps.
Cheesy samba soundtrack at the ready...
1 - Understanding distances
Brazil is vast. Its treasures — the Amazon rainforest, Iguazú Falls, the Pantanal wetlands, high plateaus, cities, and beaches — are spread across a continent-sized country.
A flight from Rio to Manaus, gateway to the Amazon, takes four hours — roughly the same as New York to Nevada. Trying to fit everything into one trip means a lot of airports and not much Brazil.
Our advice: slow down. A single region, such as Rio de Janeiro state, can give you a little of everything — culture, nature, beaches, and local life. Better to travel less and experience more.
2 - Think local
The best of Brazil lives in its people.
Local connections turn great trips into unforgettable ones: joining a beach football game in a fishing village, visiting Samba City to see carnival floats being built, sharing a home-cooked feijoada with a family in the countryside.
This is where real culture happens — stories told, friendships made, laughter shared. To know Brazil, travel with Brazilians.
3 - Have fun!
Yes, Brazil has world-class wildlife, landscapes, and heritage. But it also has joy at its core.
Leave space for spontaneity: a swim beneath a waterfall, ordering the dish you can’t pronounce, stopping to listen to street music, or joining a local celebration.
It’s these unscripted moments that make the memories you’ll talk about for years.
4 - Don't overthink safety
Brazil is a welcoming country. In cities, use common sense as you would anywhere: know where you’re going, keep valuables close. Beyond the cities, it’s calm and friendly.
Remember, there’s a difference between being safe and feeling safe. The right guides, places, and timing make all the difference — that’s our job. Yours is simply to relax and enjoy.
5 - Skip the summer
Counter-intuitive but true: April to October - Brazilian winter - is a wonderful time to visit.
You’ll find blue skies, mild temperatures, and fewer crowds. It’s cooler, calmer, more comfortable, often more affordable - simply better.
We love Brazil. We know it well, and we’re honest about what works.
If you’re curious, start with our Rio & Beyond journey — a blend of vibrant culture, wide beaches, and wild nature, shaped by local people and crafted with care.
Chris Bladon
Senior Product Lead at Pura Aventura, Chris has the unenviable task of travelling across the Pura world and bringing our wonderful collection of trips into being.
After visiting Argentina in 2013, he taught himself Spanish, later using it to design No-Fly holidays to Catalonia, walking routes in Andalucía, and Pura's first Spanish island hikes. In 2024, he helped create our first trips to the Azores, then the next year pioneered a unique trip to Rio de Janeiro. These trips have been featured in The Times and FT, and he has been quoted in The Telegraph and iPaper.
Chris focuses on holidays rooted in local communities and the people he meets. His recent travels include a 1,000-mile Patagonia journey, a coast-to-coast Costa Rica road trip and forays deep into the Ecuadorian Amazon and Bolivian Altiplano. When not travelling, he is often out walking his beagle in the South Downs.
