gulliver433

My husband and I will be traveling to Brazil in November/December for 11 full days and we plan to visit 3 different places to get a sense of the country. We definitely want to visit Rio and Paraty. And for the third place we're deciding between Salvador (staying in the historic quarter) and Minas Gerais (basing ourselves in Tiradentes and making a day trip to Ouro Preto.) We love colonial architecture, culture, food, music, art and shopping, so both destinations are incredibly appealing so its a tough choice. Does anyone have any advice, especially regarding what pairs best with Rio and Paraty to round out our trip to Brazil?

Minas Gerais looks charming due to the colonial architecture and setting in the hills, but it doesn't seem like a popular tourist destination for non-Brazilians so I'm wondering if there's something we're missing and perhaps it shouldn't be prioritized as a top 3 Brazil destination?

Salvador is calling out to us because of the amazing music and beautiful architecture, but should we save it for a second trip to Brazil and then pair it with the Bahia beaches, instead of flying all the way over for just 3-4 days?

Thanks so much!

Carlos69

I think you have pretty much asnswered yoour own question. Salvador has so much more to offer than just colonial architecture. Of that it has some the finest examples in the country, very little compares to the interior of the Igreja de São Francisco. There is so much in Salvador that you will no doubt want to return but you might as well get a taste.

MG isn't completely unknown to foreign tourists but to get the most out of it will require a little travelling from town to town. With Salvador at least you can fly there in two hours.

Susan7

I've been to both places and while I would return to Minas Gerais in a flash, I would rather not return to Salvador. I'm glad I've been to Salvador but wouldn't consider a repeat visit unless I had to.

It's the only place in Brazil I feel that way about. While it is very beautiful in the historical centre you get constantly hassled, often aggressively and persistently. Once you are out of the centre, it's a normal place, but as the majority of the museums and churches are there it's hard to avoid. Also, it's a port so the beaches in the immediate vicinity and on the adjacent island are not especially clean or inviting.

There are a number of colonial towns to visit in Minas Gerais (Ouro Preto, Tiradentes, Mariana, Congonhas). In particular, the work of the architect and painter Aleijadinho http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleijadinho

As well there is Pampulha (the Oscar Niemeyer designed area) just outside Belo Horizonte.

gulliver433

Thanks for the replies! We're really tempted to visit Salvador because we love the music that originates there and it would be incredible to see it performed live. Perhaps due to the hassling, it makes sense to do a short trip just for the music and a quick introduction to the architecture and museums, and then we should move on? And we're enamored by the photos we've seen of the Gold Mountain towns, so I'd love to work it in too if possible. Would it be jumping around too much if I tried the following itinerary to get a taste of everything?

Days 1-3: Salvador

Days 4-6: Minas Gerais (Ouro Preto, Tiradentes, & Mariana)

Days 7-9: Rio

Days 10-11: Paraty

This flight routing connects neatly, and we'd rent a car to avoid potential delays, so we wouldn't be losing much time in transit. What do you think? We're definitely energetic travels, but are we rushing too much to get a sense of each place, or do you think it's the perfect itinerary to whet our appetite for Brazil? Thanks so much! Your advice is really helpful!

Carlos69

This business about being hassled in Salvador is really overhyped, I certainly wouldn't let it put you off a longer stay. There's so much to do inand around the city anyway. Remember that each time you add a leg, you have the additional time loss of checking in/checking out at hotels and airports plus transit to and from the airport.

If you haven't driven in Brazil before and you don't speak fluent Portuguese I really wouldn't recommend renting a car, which is very expensive here.