Most interesting attractions and landmarks in

Brazil
Gatis Pvils, 15 February 2012 No.31. http://www.wondermondo.com/Brazil.htm

Image: Caracol Falls. Tiago Fioreze, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Wondermondo is unique project: it aims to describe the most interesting man made and natural attractions /
landmarks in the whole world. Author of website www.wondermondo.com and each article in it is Gatis Pvils. Visit the site to find a lot more information!

razil is enormous, diverse country with many amazing and unique attractions. Especially impressive are the diverse natural landmarks many surprising geological monuments and areas with unique and endemic plants and animals. Few know it outside the country but there are many beautiful historical cities. Many beautiful monuments of architecture have been created in Brazil in 20th century. Below are listed some of the most amazing landmarks.

Brazil belongs to the largest countries of the world and most of the country is located in tropics. Thus it contains huge amount of very interesting geological and biological attractions including the largest rainforest in the world Amazon Rainforest. The specifics of Wondermondo are such that here are not described attractions with large area thus you will not find descriptions of Amazon Rainforest or Pantanal here. Wondermondo though offers description of smaller unique landmarks.

Diverse geology of Brazil has resulted in numerous very impressive rock formations met around the whole country. Below are listed some of the characteristic ones.
Caloene megalithic stones. Seemingly chaotic aggregation of stones possibly has certain order. Wikimedia Commons, user Leandroisola, 2008 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Sometime in the past in the north-east of Brazil

there were living people who created beautiful pottery and built megalithic structures. The best known monument left by these people is Caloene megalithic observatory, often called also Amazon Stonehenge. Ancient builders of this structure used interesting methods to mark the winter solstice this site served as an ancient astronomical observatory.

Itaimbezinho Canyon Rio Grande do Sul. Up to 720 m deep and 6 km long canyon with unbelievable, very impressive sights. Additional charm is added by exotic, tall araucarias. Pedra da Gvea Rio De Janeiro. Granite and gneiss dome rising 842 m above the sea level. Worlds largest monolith on a coastline. The giant rock has some similarity to human face. Sugarloaf Mountain Rio De Janeiro. Impressive, rounded, 396 m high granite peak, one of the dominants in the landscape of Rio De Janeiro. Can be reached by a cable car.

Morro do Pico Fernando de Noronha Islands, Pernambuco. Unusual, slanted peak rising from the ocean 321 m high. Pedra Furada Santa Catarina. Large natural arch or rather a hole in rock with forest growing in it. Eye of the Lear Bahia. Enormous and impressive, some 45 m tall natural arch.

Abismo Guy Collet Roraima. Deepest known quartzite cave in the world and by far the deepest in Brazil, explored up to 671 m depth. Toca da Boa Vista Bahia. Longest cave not only in Brazil but in the whole Southern hemisphere. Thus far explored passages with a total length of 105 km, labyrinth contains beautiful cave formations. Buraco das Arara Gois. Very impressive, 126 m deep sinkhole with lush tropical vegetation and several species of animals living on its bottom. Serra do Ramalho Bahia. System of several large caves with unique species of organisms including cave fish and the unusual arachnid Amblypygi. Gruta do Lago Azul Mato Grosso Do Sul. Unusually beautiful cave thanks to a deep, very large cave lake which is up to 70 m deep. In the morning the lake is

Lago Azul. Renato Saboya, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

illuminated by the Sun. Gruta do Janelo, Peruau karst Minas Gerais. Group of very impressive karst formations: underground river with 3 km long and up to 100 m wide and high passage. Includes two giant collapse dolines up to 170 m deep and several smaller ones. Includes one of the tallest stalagmites in the world 28 m high. Gruta dos Brejes Bahia. Very impressive, 6.6 km long cave with 106 m high entrance. Passages are up to 150 m tall. Contains giant, unusual travertine terraces and ancient cave paintings. Lago Azul Gois. Water-filed sinkhole, dived up to 274 m depth.

Iguazu Falls (Salto de Iguau) Misiones, Argentina and Paran, Brazil. One of the most enormous and most impressive waterfalls in the world, they are only 82 metres tall, but 2,700 metres wide. Cachoeira da Fumaa Bahia. Possibly the highest waterfall in Brazil. Single, 384 m tall free plunge. Seasonal. Arac Falls Amazonas, Brazil. A powerful, 365 m tall fall, discovered only recently, circa 2000 AD.

Mocon Falls - approximately 2 km wide waterfall. Leandro Kibisz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5

Brazil is extremely rich with smaller waterfalls, often located in a beautiful jungle setting. On the border of Brazil is located one of the most impressive waterfalls of the world Iguazu Falls. Unfortunately the most powerful falls of the world Guara Falls (Salto de Sete Quedas) have been flooded by Itaipu Dam.

Caracol Falls Rio Grande Do Sul. One of the most picturesque falls in Brazil. 130 m high single plunge, several tiers. Mocon Falls (Yucum Falls) Rio Grande do Sul and Argentina, Misiones. Unusual, very impressive waterfall on Uruguay River. This approximately 2 km long and up to 12 m tall waterfall is located in parallel to the flow direction of the river and ends in the middle of stream.

The list below most certainly can be longer Brazil belongs to most biodiverse countries of the world with multiple locations where unusual species of plants and animals are confined to a small area. Sooretama Biological Reserve and Linhares Forest Reserve Espirito Santo. The largest remaining area of North Eastern Atlantic forests. This approximately 50 000 ha large forest is virgin to a large extent and belongs to most biodiverse rainforests in the world with very high degree of endemism. Golfinhos Bay Fernando de Noronha Islands, Pernambuco. Unique site where almost every morning at 7:00 7:30 are observed 1000 1200 spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris (Gray, 1828)) coming to rest before leaving for ocean. Lagoa Salgada Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hypersaline lagoon with unique columnar carbonate stromatolites natural formations made by 19 species of cyanobacteria. Ilha da Queimada Grande So Paulo. 43 ha large island with an endemic snake Golden Lancehead (Bothrops insularis). This is one of the most venomous snakes in the world venom needs to be powerful in order to kill the only prey of snakes birds.

Lenis Maranhenses Maranho. Huge area covered with sweeping sand dunes, almost without vegetation. Abundant rain creates beautiful deep blue lagoons between the dunes with fish living there. Mina da Batalha Paraba. Mine where the unique Paraba tourmaline is found. This beautiful gemstone contains copper and thus is colored in amazing bluegreen color not met in any other tourmaline in world (except in Nigeria). Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago small islands belonging to Pernambuco. The only location where the abyssal mantle is exposed above the sea level. It is also the second largest megamullion of the world unique geological formation of seabed. Rocas atoll island, belongs to Rio Grande do Norte state, the only atoll in Southwestern Atlantic ocean and

Lenis Maranhenses with lagoon. Sarah and Iain / Iain and Sarah, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

one of the smallest atolls in the world.

Brazil is rather rich with prehistoric monuments richer than it was thought some decades ago. But the best known attractions have been created over the last centuries, since the start of colonization. Country has many interesting historical towns and buildings and amazing monuments of modern architecture.

Brazil is quite rich with petroglyphs they are located in many regions around the country with many new sites discovered in Amazon Rainforest and elsewhere. Last decades have brought to attention the existance of several ancient developed cultures in Amazon basin. Marajoara Culture in Amazon delta was known earlier but since the development and spread of satellite imagery there have been found traces of densely populated and well organised cultures in Amazon basin (Geoglyphs of Acre). Most likely there will be made new amazing discoveries in future. Petroglyphs symbols of Serra da Capivara. Marco Del Fiol, Flickr / CC BY 2.0 Serra da Capivara Piau. More than 300 archaeological sites with numerous, up to 26 22 thousand years old (Pedra Furada shelter) rock paintings of Nordeste and Agresete cultures. Controversial carbon dating shows that people here lived even 35 48 thousand years ago what contradicts the theories of human arrival in Americas. Caloene megalithic observatory Amazon Stonehenge Amap. Pre-Columbian structure a circle marked with 127 blocks of granite, stones are up to 3 metres high. Possible ancient observatory. Area contains numerous interesting megaliths.

Petroglyphs symbols of Serra da Capivara. Marco Del Fiol, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Geoglyphs of Acre Acre. In some clearcuts of the Amazonian rainforest mysterious signs on the soil have been noted for most part these are hundreds of enormous squares and circles. These might be remnants of dense habitation of this seemingly virgin land. Pedra Pintada Roraima. Very impressive, overhanging, 35 m tall cliff with a cave which contains 11,200 years old petroglyphs.

Plentiful natural resources of Brazil provided a background for the development of rich, beautiful cities in 16th 18th century. Later economical downturn helped to conserve them in unchanged style and today we can enjoy many authentic, beautiful historical cities. Newly built capital of Brazil Braslia serves as a testimony to ambitions of Brazil to become significant power of the world. Historic centre of Olinda Pernambuco. One of the oldest cities in Brazil, established in 1537 and reconstructed in late 17th century. One of the largest historical city centres in Brazil with more than 20 Baroque churches and convents. Pelourinho (Historic centre of Salvador de Bahia) Bahia. Large historic centre of the first capital of Brazil in 1549 1763, built on the upper side of a high cliff overlooking the Bay of Todos de Santos. Old city has retained its 16th century planning, contains numerous valuable historical buildings churches, palaces. Historic centre of So Lus Maranho. Well preserved, charming historic centre of town, which was

Pelourinho historic centre of Salvador de Bahia. Jos Luis Ruiz, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

established by French in 17th century, invaded by Dutch and finally colonized by Portuguese. Town has unique local style of architecture, rich with decoration. Historic Centre of Ouro Preto Minas Gerais. Former colonial mining town, founded in late 17th century and renovned due to beautiful Barocco architecture and well preserved historic centre. Historic centre of Gois Velho Gois. Monument of early Brazilian colonisation and mining from 18th 19th century. Gois served as a development centre of indigenous urban planning and architecture of the interior of Brazil and is well preserved up to this day. Region contains several more well preserved historic cities. Diamantina Minas Gerais. Authentic town of diamond miners, built in 18th and early 19th centuries with numerous buildings in Brazilian Baroque style. Braslia Distrito Federal. Capital city of Brazil with unique planning from 1956 by Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer. City has expansive avenues, it is divided into functional sectors.

In Brazil was developed specific trend of Baroque and Rococo styles and this style is best represented in local churches. Splendour of these buildings is hard to beat. 20th century has been represented in local architecture with magnificent, elegant and innovative church buildings. So Francisco Church and Convent in Salvador Bahia. Baroque style church with exuberant interior, built in 1708 1755. Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Ouro Preto Minas Gerais. Beautiful Rococo style cathedral, built in 1766 19th century. Santuario de Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in Congonhas and related buildings Minas Gerais. Beautiful, ornate Rococo style church built in 1772.
Cathedral of Braslia masterpiece of Oscar Niemeyer. Zemlinki!, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Cathedral of Braslia Distrito Federal. Unusual hyperboloid structure of 16 bent concrete columns with glass roof in between, built in 1970 according to the design of Oscar Niemeyer.

Rio De Janeiro Cathedral Rio De Janeiro. Modernist building, built in 1974. 75 metres tall conical building, 96 metres in diameter, adorned with four 64 metres tall glassworks.

Amazon Theatre Manaus, Amazonas. Beautiful, enormous Ecclectic style opera house, built in 1885 1896. Developed in the jungle metropolis Manaus during the times of rubber boom, using expensive materials from the whole world. Christ the Redeemer Rio De Janeiro. One of the most iconic statues in the world, the largest Art Deco style sculpture in the world, built in 1922 1931. Statue itself is 39.6 m high but it is located on the top of another landmark the 710 metres high granite peak Corcovado mountain. This is the highest granite dome in Brazil. Magnificent sights of the Rio de Janeiro city open from the top of mountain. Gustavo Capanema Palace Rio De Janeiro. One the first large scale modernist buildings in the world, 15floor government office building. Designed in 1935 1936, built in 1943.

Itaipu Dam Paran and Alto Paran department, Paraguay. Largest hydropowerplant of the world by the capacity of annual production of electricity, with installed capacity of generators 14 GW. Dam is 7.7 km long and 196 m high and belongs to largest man-made structures in the world, built in 1984. Juscelino Kubitschek bridge Distrito Federal. Suspension bridge of unique design with three assymetrical arches, total length 1200 m. Built in 2002. Niteri Contemporary Art Museum Niteri in Rio De Janeiro. Museum building of unique architecture similar to UFO, achievement of structural design. Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, built in 1996. Pao Imperial Rio De Janeiro. Royal palace of Brazil, built in the middle of 18th century. Initially served as seat of governors of Brazil, residence of kings and emperors of Brazil in 1808 1889. Built in Baroque style.
Niteri Contemporary Art Museum. Piutus, Flickr / CC BY 2.0