Colonial Treasures of Brazil (10 DAYS): Vacation Package

Day 01 - Arrive Salvador

Arrival in Salvador. You will be met at the airport by our guide and transferred to your downtown hotel.

Day 02 - Salvador City Tour

The city of Sao Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos (Saint Savior of the Bay of All Saints) was founded by Portuguese colonialists in 1549. The upper region of the city at Pelourinho was declared a UNESCO heritage site for its magnificent colonial buildings, still very much intact with their intricate facades and uplifting colors. The colors too are reflected in the African heritage Brazilians that inhabit this beautiful city. Their carnival of Salvador is a truly immense mix of samba rhythms, African heritage and Salvadorian energy that sets it apart to rival even Rio as the best carnival in Brazil. This city boasts a colonial heart like no other, renowned cuisine, amazing dance, friendly people and to crown a perfect day, Porto da Barra is one of the world’s finest beaches. Your tour today will visit all of the highlights and you are assured of a day to be long cherished in this city of wonders.

Day 03 – Salvador, Relaxation Day

A day of heavenly leisure on the astounding beach at Porto da Barra. What more can be said?

Day 04 - Salvador to Rio de Janeiro & Paraty

Transfer to Salvador Airport and fly to Rio de Janeiro. You will be met my our representative and taken on the luscious tropical Costa Verde (Green Coast) route by road south of Rio to your accommodation at the picturesque colonial town of Paraty.

Day 05 - Paraty

Today we venture out on a tour of Paraty and its colorful colonial past. The town was officially founded in 1667 at the Church of "Nossa Senhora dos Remedios", its patron saint. It had an important strategic location in the trade of sugar cane along with gold and precious gems from the upper reaches of Minas Gerais State. The town has an idyllic setting bounded by the Ilha Grande and Atlantic Ocean on one periphery and the lush vegetation of the mountains and National Park of Bocaina from above. Today you will experience the beauty of the colonial architecture of the old town with a guided walking tour by morning, lunch and an afternoon visit to the nearby waterfalls and enjoy a taste of Cachaça (Brazil’s national spirit) at a local distillery.

Day 06 - Ilha Grande, Boating Excursion

Today is a day to luxuriate in the natural beauty of the bay of Ilha Grande with its 365 isles and turquoise green waters and white sands. We will venture out on a boating excursion to Ilha Grande and take timeout for some swimming and snorkeling from deserted tropical island beaches. These waters are home to an astoundingly diverse range of tropical fish, sea turtles amid pristine colored coral lagoons. Overnight at Paraty.

Day 07 - Paraty to Sao Paolo & Ouro Preto

Transfer out Paraty hotel to Sao Paolo Airport. Flight to Belo Horizonte and transfer to Ouro Preto. Ouro Preto was founded at the end of the 17th century. The city was at a heady peak during the Brazilian gold rush and in the 19th century was known as Villa Rica de Ouro Preto (Rich Town of Black Gold). The town’s fortunes changed in the latter part of that century but today we are still blessed with the stunning architecture as a memory of times gone by. Especially so the creations of the Baroque sculptures of Aleijadinho with churches, bridges and fountains bearing testimony to a glorious past.

Day 08 – Ouro Preto

We begin our tour of Ouro Preto with a visit to Tiradentes Square and the Inconfidencia Museum, the old Town Council and Prison. These locations will afford us some insights to the great artists of the time and allow us to step back in time to understand the mindset of the people of the town in the 18th and 19th centuries. The works of protagonists such as Aleijadinho, Mestre Athayde and Xavier de Brito will be explored. We will see the Church of St. Francis of Assisi by Aleijadinho in addition to the artistic works of Athaíde. Today you will learn of a famous conspiracy and one of its poetic instigators Antonio Gonzaga. No visit to Ouro Preto would be complete without seeing the Churches of Pilar and Nossa Senhora do Rosario. Both are dressed in all their Baroque finery and boast elaborate exteriors. Pilar has an interior of complex carvings in wood and ornate gold embellishments. This contrasts to the stark Nossa Senhora do Rosario interior with its depictions of the black saints. You will be left in doubt as to why this city is a world-renowned UNESCO heritage site.

Day 09 – Mariana

This colonial town of Mariana was founded in 1745 and heavily influenced by the gold rush of the region. We begin our tour with an old-world train journey of 18 kilometers from Ouro Preto across a beautiful valley and into the colonial town of Mariana. Founded in 1696 this beautiful colonial town holds many treasured buildings that you will visit including the Town Hall and Jail, Archdiocesan Religious Art Museum and Cathedral. Here in the Museum of Music, you can see the old Palace of Bishops, which houses one of the most important collections of Brazilian sacred music dating from the 18th and 19th century. To complete the day on a unique note, we venture to Minas da Passagem, a working gold mine where you can venture 120 meters underground for a true feel of the life of a gold miner. Overnight Ouro Preto.

Day 10 – Ouro Preto – Rio de Janeiro

Transfer from Ouro Preto to Rio de Janeiro and depart with a new perspective on an old land, now a part of you too. As writer Paulo Coehlo so eloquently says of Brazil “Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own.”