Iguazu National Park (photo credit in the bottom of the page)
Brazil is one of the megadiverse countries in the world, meaning it encompasses a considerable chunk of Earth's species and high numbers of endemic species. In the other hand, according to a study co-realized in 2019 by The Warthon School/ University of Pennsylvania about the best countries to live, Brazil was ranked 1st in terms of Adventure Tourism. In practical terms, the 50+ national parks scattered through Brazil, some of them part of the UNESCO Natural World Heritage site list, can actually testify such statements. In one hand, they offer an excellent opportunity to the tourists be in contact with vivid nature and the wildlife in Brazil, to see breathtaking scenic beauties and to practice adventure tourism (from mild to wild). In the other hand, a trip to such parks provides a unique chance to experience the rich culture from the people that live in its surroundings. In other words, if you are a nature lover and like to experience the culture from other nations, Brazil should be in your wish list!
Chapada Diamantina National Park (photo credit in the bottom of the page)
Since Brazil is enormous and there are too many attractions, I will give you some tips about variables to consider when making a plan to visit the national parks.
Brazil is composed of six main biomes, where maybe the Amazon Rainforest is the most known worldwide. There, nature is brute and beautiful. The forest, and the rivers, ubiquitous! Nevertheless, the other Brazilian biomes, not so famous abroad, show unique attractions that make them almost impossible to be excluded from any tourist wish list. For example, it is not rare to see couples of colorful macaws screaming and flying around freely while we are hiking in parts of the Brazilian Savannah (this is amazing to experience!), while in the Pantanal biome you see lots of birds, butterflies, and too many crocodiles at basically anytime. Notice that we are not talking about the chance to see a rare Guara wolf or a jaguar in their respective environments! Similarly, the other Brazilian biomes have their wonderful attractions. In summary, take some time to get more qualified information about the several tourist attractions in Brazil (go far beyond the famous ones), make a plan, and be prepared for indescribable sensations.
Lençois Maranhenses National Park (photo credit in the bottom of the page)
When selecting a conservation unit to visit in Brazil, the tourists should be aware of how difficult is the access to the main attractions they want to explore, especially in the large parks. There are some national parks in the Amazon, for example, that could be larger than countries. Also, what to take with you during the visit, how long it takes to get there, and if it is included in the World Heritage site (UNESCO) list, meaning its significance to humanity.
Sometimes the access to some national parks is complicated, but it is still possible to feel and see the wildlife without being in the park itself. For example, some (not all!) conservation units in the Brazilian Amazon region and even the Pantanal National Park are of difficult access. Nevertheless, the areas of influence of the biomes Amazon Rainforest and Pantanal are so broad and so intense that it is possible to feel them far beyond the borders of such parks. Just in case you do want to watch a jaguar in nature, for example, that you will probably need to go to an isolated area.
Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (photo credit in the bottom of the page)
There are still other variables the visitors should consider when making this selection. We do believe the tourists should make a plan to explore all possible unique experiences in the surrounding area of the national parks. It could evolve, for example, the culture of indigenous tribes or maybe the one from an isolated Afro-Brazilian slave descendant community. You can't imagine how beautiful their handcrafts could be, how interesting their stories are, and so on. How about taking a hot air balloon ride over a national park, chasing some spectacular 200+ meters waterfalls in Chapada Diamantina or maybe a full day hiking accompanied by indigenous people in the forest? The keywords here are awareness and planning!
Brazil has too many first-class tourist attractions to offer besides Rio de Janeiro, especially about nature, beaches, and cultural influence. Nevertheless, maybe they are not well promoted abroad. This way, extra effort may be required to make The Plan to visit Brazil, which is absolutely worth it. In order to make my contribution, I will present six breathtaking Brazilian national parks to visit in my next post, from which four of them are now represented by the pictures in this article.
Photo credits:
* Iguazu National Park
* Chapada Diamantina National Park
* Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park
* Lençois Maranheses National Park
