Loading...

Brasilia and the West

TRAVEL GUIDE

Brasilia and the West

TRAVEL GUIDE

Once a frontier region that was the preserve of gold explorers and colonial adventurers, the Center-West has been home to the country’s political nerve center, the futuristic national capital Brasília, since 1960. This masterpiece of modernist architecture glows in the endless sunshine of the cerrado, Brazil’s vast savanna region, where wolves and deer still roam among the waterfalls. From Brasília, the cerrado extends hundreds of miles to the west until it meets the waters of the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland and the habitat for an astonishing variety of wildlife, from jaguars to giant otters, from anacondas to toucans.

For many visitors, the Pantanal is the high point of the West, a floodplain the size of Great Britain with ever-present possibilities for spottin... Read More

Once a frontier region that was the preserve of gold explorers and colonial adventurers, the Center-West has been home to the country’s political nerve center, the futuristic national capital Brasília, since 1960. This masterpiece of modernist architecture glows in the endless sunshine of the cerrado, Brazil’s vast savanna region, where wolves and deer still roam among the waterfalls. From Brasília, the cerrado extends hundreds of miles to the west until it meets the waters of the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland and the habitat for an astonishing variety of wildlife, from jaguars to giant otters, from anacondas to toucans.

For many visitors, the Pantanal is the high point of the West, a floodplain the size of Great Britain with ever-present possibilities for spotting wild animals. The cities of Cuiabá and Campo Grande are the gateways to the northern and southern Pantanal respectively. From Campo Grande many visitors also head to swim, snorkel and even scuba dive in the crystal clear rivers around Bonito.

Lúcio Costa, who planned Brasília with architect Oscar Niemeyer, famously said that Brasília’s sea is the unending blue sky that stretches all above and around the capital. Here, in Brazil’s most affluent and controversial city, modernist structures crawl along the flat landscape and then shoot up in shafts of concrete and glass that capture the sun's rays. Initially the preserve of uprooted bureaucrats, Brasília is now home to a new generation who have grown up in the city and are making it a more lively and interesting place to live and visit.

Recommended Fodor’s Video

Hotels

Fodor's Choice
Fodor's Choice
Fodor's Choice
Fodor's Choice
Fodor's Choice

Quickly find Brasilia and the West Hotels and compare prices.

Powered by Clicktripz

Find the perfect tours and activities in Brasilia and the West.

Powered by GetYourGuide

Find the best food tours and activities in Brasilia and the West.

Powered by GetYourGuide

Language

Portuguese

Nearby Airports

BSB, CGB, CGR

Electrical Outlets

The current in Brazil isn't regulated: in São Paulo and Rio it's 110 or 120 volts (the same as in the United States and Canada); in Recife and Brasília it's 220 volts (the same as in Europe); and in Manaus and Salvador it's 127 volts. Outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two round prongs.

Currency

Real

Language

Portuguese

Electrical Outlets

The current in Brazil isn't regulated: in São Paulo and Rio it's 110 or 120 volts (the same as in the United States and Canada); in Recife and Brasília it's 220 volts (the same as in Europe); and in Manaus and Salvador it's 127 volts. Outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two round prongs.

Currency

Real

Nearby Airports

BSB, CGB, CGR

In Brasília and much of the West you can count on clear days and comfortable temperatures from March to July (the mean temperature is 22°C/75...Read More

Discover the best neighborhoods in Brasilia and the West with curated recommendations from our editors.

Explore All

In Brasília and much of the West you can count on clear days and comfortable temperatures from March to July (the mean temperature is 22°C/75...Read More

Discover the best neighborhoods in Brasilia and the West with curated recommendations from our editors.

Explore All

In Brasília and much of the West you can count on clear days and comfortable temperatures from March to July (the mean temperature is 22°C/75...Read More

Discover the best neighborhoods in Brasilia and the West with curated recommendations from our editors.

Explore All