Southeast Region

Brazil begins to show its more urban side in the Southeast. The states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, comprise this region. In Rio de Janeiro, known as the "cidade maravilhosa" (marvelous city), the lush greenery is starkly contrasted against the thousands of modern buildings within this bustling metropolis. The city offers a night life and cultural activities famous for their year round intensity. Don't miss the most renowned Carnival parade in the world with its luxurious samba schools and a high quality hotel system. The state of Rio de Janeiro also has stunning beaches in Angra dos Reis, Búzios, and Cabo Frio, historic buildings in Parati, and the mountainous region of Petrópolis
(the famous Imperial City), Teresópolis and Friburgo.

In the state of Minas Gerais, you can discover the architecture of the past, visiting the famous masterpieces of the baroque sculptor Aleijadinho, and the historic towns of Ouro Preto, Mariana, São João Del Rey, Tiradentes, Sabará, Diamantina, and Congonhas do Campo. In the state of Espírito Santo, the chef's recommendation is the famous
"moqueca capixaba", a very tasty regional specialty. You may also visit the historic cities of Vila Velha and Anchieta and the monazite sand beaches of Guarapari.

In the city of São Paulo, the largest metropolis in South America, all the continents intermingle within the most modern, cosmopolitan, and urban of settings. The inhabitants of São Paulo are mainly of European, Japanese, and Arab ancestry. Together, they built veritable industrial and commercial empires, bringing with them their native culture and cuisine. Thus, they turned this city into a land of wonders with its myriad of restaurants and shopping centers, and with some of the country's best music, theatre, and business enterprises. The northern coast of the state of São Paulo boasts splendid beaches at Ilha bela, Ubatuba, and São Sebastião.

The Colonial towns of Minas Gerais
A French geologist summed up Minas Gerais 150 years ago when he wrote that the state had "a breast of iron and a heart of gold".

The landlocked state of Minas Gerais in the Brazilian Highlands is as large as France and has a population of some 16 million. Its hills and mountains contain the richest mineral deposits in Brazil and led to the area being christened «General Mines» when gold and diamonds were found at the end of the seventeenth century.

In the 18th century it was the world's principal source of gold and the news and gold fever spread fast. Minas set the gold rush standard - crazy, wild and violent - over 100 years before the Californian and Australian ones. Stories abound of men who acquired fabulous wealth from one day to the next and others who died of hunger with their pockets full of gold. The gold lasted more than a century and some 1,200 tons were extracted during that era.