Brazil on a Budget » Maps

Salvador Map

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:41:17 +0000

Salvador is easy to get to and easy to leave making it a great hub for Brazilian travel and stop for moving farther up the coast to beach towns like Jericoacoara, Canoa Quebrada, and Praia da Pipa.

Getting to Salvador

There are loads of bus connections to Salvador from just about wherever you might be arriving in Brazil, including daily buses from Aracaju, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Ilhéus, Lençóis, Maceió, Natal, Penedo, Porto Seguro, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Vitória. From the bus station, a taxi to the Cidade Alta or Cidade Baixa is about R$20. Air conditioned minbuses marked ‘Praça da Sé’ leave from Shopping Iguatemi, across from the bus station, and cost about R$2.50. ‘Barra 1’ buses leave from in front of the bus station and go to Barra.

Salvador also has flight connections to most main cities in Brazil and a few international destinations as well. As places go when you travel Brazil, it’s pretty easy to get around. The airport is located quite far out of town (30km). A taxi will run you between R$60 and R$80 (depending on the type of taxi – radio or metered), while air conditioned minibuses head to Praça da Sé via Barra for R$5.

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Rio de Janeiro Map

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:37:24 +0000

Rio de Janeiro lies on Brazil’s Atlantic coast, facing south. Founded around Guanabara bay, the entrance to which is the iconic Sugar Loaf peak, the city’s coastline now stretches east and west of the bay, with the major tourist destinations of Copacabana and Ipanema located in the Zona Sul.

Getting to Rio de Janeiro

Both getting to and around Rio de Janeiro is quite easy. Most international flights to Brazil arrive either in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo. Rio has two airports, Aeroporto Galeão serving international flights and Aeroporto Santos Dumont serving domestic flights. If arriving at Galeão, the cheapest and most efficient way to get into the city is catch the Real bus to Santos Dumont, from where you can catch a cab into the city or to connect to a bus for only a few reais.

The Rodoviária Novo Rio, Rio’s main bus terminal, is located about 2km northwest of Centro, in a very seedy area. If you’re arriving or departing Rio by bus, take a taxi to/from the bus station. Fares to Copacabana or Ipanema are approximately R$30.
http://www.novorio.com.br

The bus system in Rio is excellent, cheap, and frequent. It’s really easy to figure out which bus to take since Rio is long and narrow so buses run primarily in two directions, and the main destinations are all written on the front of the buses. Fares range from R$2.20 for no air conditioning, to R$2.50 for air conditioning, to R$5 for air conditioning and plush coach seats. Although the buses in Rio are generally quite safe, it’s advisable to watch your belongings during peak times when the buses can get quite crowded.

Rio’s Metro system is also excellent, clean, safe and air conditioned! It operates Monday to Saturday, 5am to midnight, and Sundays and holidays 7am to 11pm. The only downside is that it’s not extensive, so you may have to connect to a bus, depending on where you’re headed. The upside though is that you can request an Integracão ticket that connects to Metro buses, free of charge. Fare is R$2.30.

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Praia da Pipa Map

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:30:07 +0000

Located just over 80 kilometres from Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte state, Praia da Pipa is one of the Northeast’s most famous beach towns and is packed with loads of hostels, restaurants, and activities! Many of these are run by international ex-pats and the town attracts a very international and cosmopolitan crowd. Despite the influx of international and Brazilian tourists, the town itself remains small, surrounded by environmental protected areas that provide ample opportunity to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery and wildlife in the area.

There are loads of daily buses that run between Natal and Pipa, taking around 2 hours and costing about R$10. Arriving from the South, catch a bus to Goianinha (about an hour and a half south of João Pessoa) and then transfer to one of the many minibuses that run to Pipa (about 40 minutes, R$3). If you’re heading south from Pipa, Pipatour reserves bus seats onward from Goianinha for R$6. In the busy season, it’s advisable to book ahead as this is, after all, one of the Northeast’s hottest destinations.

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Morro de Sao Paulo Map

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:24:06 +0000

Morro de Sao Paulo lies 262 kilometres by land, or 60 kilometres by sea, from Salvador da Bahia, on the picturesque island of Tinharé. One of five villages on the island, Morro is by far the best known and visited by both Brazilian and international travelers. While the town is far from an undiscovered tropical beach town, the town retains much of its charm and its spectacular natural scenery as a result of the ban on motorized vehicles. That said, the place is high on the list of the most popular Brazilian beach destinations, so if you’re coming in high season, you very well may want to book hotel or hostel accommodation well in advance.

Getting to Morro de Sao Paulo

Morro de Sao Paulo is easily accessible, whether you’re arriving from the North or South. From Salvador, catch a catamaran or a lancha rapida (speedboat) (R$60; two hours) from the Terminal Maritimo do Mercado Modelo, across the street from the Mercado Modelo. There are several daily departures, but be warned: the sea can be rough and many get seasick.

Arriving from the South, head to Valença and catch a passenger ferry upriver to Morro (R$5; two hours).

There are daily flights to Morro from Salvador with Aerostar and Adey Taxi (30 minutes). Fares vary according to season and demand, but cost approximately R$200.

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Jericoacoara Map

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:16:48 +0000

Jericoacoara is located approximate 300km West of Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará. Arriving from the East, the bus company Redenção provides at least two daily services to Jijoca, connecting to an overland truck for the last hour and a half of the 8 hour trip (both legs of the trip are included in the price). If you’re coming in late try and book Jericoacoara hostels the night before. If you don’t have a place booked and can’t find a place head for the bars (you can’t miss them) and look for a friendly local to help you out.

Have a look at some beautiful Jericoacoara beaches from the sky.

Getting to Jericoacoara

Arriving from the West, the best option is to organize a dune buggy ride to Camocim (the scenery on this route is spectacular – much more worthwhile than the inland road – and the overall cost, if shared by 4 people is not much more than the inland route via Jijoca). If you’re heading to the Lençois Maranhenses National Park, connect to a bus to Parnaíba, another bus to Tutoia, transfer to an overland truck to Paulino Neves, and then another truck to Barreirinhas. The Camocim-Barreirinhas leg can be done in one day. This all sounds complicated, but is actually fairly straight-forward and the locals are extremely helpful in getting you onto the next form of transportation – just tell them your final destination. This might be one of the hardest routes you come across if you travel Brazil, but it’s well worth it. Don’t worry, the Brazilian locals are friendly and happy to help. If you’re heading to São Luís or Belem, connect to Teresina and then onto your final destination – the route’s not as scenic, but much faster.

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Iguazu Map

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:08:44 +0000

You can come at Iguazu (Iguacu) from either the Argentine or Brazilian side, and no matter what side you stay arrive on, you can choose either side to stay on. Either way the falls are a highlight of any Brazilian vacation.

Foz do Iguacu

The airport is 16km outside of the centre, and there are flights to Foz from all over Brazil, the majority from Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Curitiba. Buses also do the trek from these cities, as well as Campo Grande and smaller cities within Paraná state. There are international buses from Asunción, Paraguay, and connections from Argentina and Chile. The bus station is 6km outside of the centre.

Bus 120 P Nacional runs to and from the airport from Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek, takes about 45 minutes, and costs around R$4 or AR$8. A taxi is significantly more, at around R$40 or AR$80. From the bus station, any TTU bus will take you to the local bus terminal or any Centro bus will take you to downtown, for about R$2 or AR$4, while a taxi will cost about R$12 or AR$25 to the centre. To and from the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (Brazil), bus 400 (R$4/AR$8) leaves for the falls from the local bus terminal on Av. Juscelino Kubitscheck, every half hour until midnight. To and from the Parque Nacional Iguazú (Argentina), any bus marked ‘Puerto Iguazú’ will take you to the Puerto Iguazú bus station where you can transfer to a bus to the falls. Catch the Puerto Iguazú bus in front of the local bus terminal on Av. Juscelino Kubitscheck; they depart every half hour Monday to Saturday, and every hour on Sundays.

Puerto Iguazú

There are several flights per day with Aerolíneas Argentinas and LAN to Iguazú from Buenos Aires. International service is only through the airport in Foz, across the border. There are bus departures for many towns and cities across Argentina, including Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Corrientes, Posadas, Resistencia, Rosario, San Ignacio and Santa Fe, and prices are very reasonable (unlike air tickets).

Buses leave from the Aerolíneas Argentinas office in Puerto Iguazú two hours before scheduled departures. A taxi to the airport costs about R$20 or AR$40. Buses to Foz do Iguaçu and to the Parque Nacional Iguazú (Argentina) leave regularly from the bus terminal and are relatively cheap. Groups of two-three or more may find that hiring a remise taxi for the day to visit the Brazilian side of the falls can be only slightly more expensive and much more efficient. A full day tour with a remise, including Itaipú Dam, the Parque das Aves, and the Brazilian Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, with as much wait time as you wish, costs about R$110 or AR$220.

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Ilha Grande Map

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:58:16 +0000

Ilha Grande lies just 2 and a half hours south of Rio and is just a quick boat ride from Angra dos Reis on the mainland. The best strategy is to take a boat in, crash in an Ilha Grande Hostel and be ready to start your activities and adventures the next day. Don’t miss this beautiful Island and the great Ilha Grande Hostels and Ilha Grande Activities you can do while you are here. Ilha Grande is the best beach you’ll find south of the Northern beach towns such as Canoa Quebrada, Jericoacoara, and Praia da Pipa. It’s a short jaunt from Rio and well worth the trip.

There are two departure points on the mainland from which to reach Ilha Grande: Angra dos Reis and Mangaratiba. Barcas SA runs ferries between the two hubs and Vila do Abrãao. Both trips take about 80 minutes and tickets vary from R$6 to R$15, depending on the day of the week. Schedules vary according to season, but generally run on the following schedule:

Angra dos Reis – Vila do Abrãao
Monday to Friday 3:30pm departure
Saturday & Sunday 1:30pm departure

Vila do Abrãao – Angra dos Reis
Monday to Sunday 10am departure

Mangaratiba – Vila do Abrãao
Saturday to Thursday 8:00am departure
Friday 8:00am and 10:00pm departure

Vila do Abrãao – Mangaratiba
Monday to Sunday 5:30pm departure

In high season, there are also smaller tourist boats operated by individual companies and organized through the Associação de Barqueiros and Ilha Grande Turismo. Prices vary from R$15 to R$20.

There are no cars allowed on the island, so all transportation is by foot along sand paths or by boat between beaches and towns.

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Canoa Quebrada Map

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:33:17 +0000

Canoa Quebrada is just a quick jaunt from Fortaleza and as a result it is frequented by many local Brazilians. Compared to Jericoacoara, it’s a beautiful beach, but a lot less hassle to get to making it a popular spot for those with less time to travel Brazil!

You can see some of Canoa Quebrada’s stunning coastline from the sky!

Getting to Canoa Quebrada

There are several options to or from Fortaleza. There are at least five daily buses that take approximately 3 hours and cost about R$20. There are also tour vans that do the same trek in only 2 hours, but cost R$35. Arriving from the South, catch a bus to Aracati, 13km southwest of Canoa Quebrada, and hop on a minibus that leaves every half-hour until 6pm for R$2, or catch a taxi for R$15.

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