Brasil Southbound

This portion of the route was prepared by Jeanne Maly. Please contact her if you have any suggestions for Brasil.

Brasilian truck drivers are so infamously aggresive that they're known as os touros (the bulls.) They run over anything that gets in their way, including horses and donkeys, leaving nasty carcasses on the road. This makes for dangerous driving. The roads are also very bad. There are potholes as big as a truck and broken tarmac. The bottom line is that we'll need to drive carefully and slowly.

Many postos (gas stations) in Brasil are tree-shaded parks with restaurants and free showers. They cater to long-distance truckers, but we should be able to take advantage of them as a convenient place to stay.

Brasil is huge. It contains more than half of South America. There are 7,408 km of beaches. A direct north-to-south trip is 4,320 km. It's tempting to rush through Brasil, and hopefully this route avoids that temptation:



Day:	Destination:	Km:	Comments:
9 -11 Oct	Boa Vista	237	Drive south from the crossing town of Santa Elena de Uairen to Boa Vista, where we will need to register our vehicles with Brasil's own version of the Libretta. I've heard that the process can take several days, so we may get to explore Boa Vista in detail.
12 Oct	Bar Restaurant D'Jonas	285	Supposedly a clean, pleasant place to eat and hang a hammock (...and park your camper?)
13 Oct	S. Antonio do Abunari	300	Stop at the southern border of the Uaimiri Atroari Indian Reserve. (We're not permitted to stop within the reserve, or to be within the borders between dusk and dawn.) There is a service station at the southern edge of the reserve. We'll cross the equator today!
14 Oct	Manaus	200	Drive the remaining 200km to Manaus.
15-16 Oct	Manaus		Several days off in Manaus. Rest, repair, tour. (This may be shorter or longer depending on when we can arrange transport to Belem.)
17-21 Oct	Belém	boat 850km	Float our vans downriver to Belém. Cost is approximately $750 per vehicle and $50 per passenger. Double berth rooms are approximately US$260, hammock space US$75. South American Handbook recommends several ships (including the Nélio Correa, Defard Viera, and Cidade de Bairreirinha.) The SAH also recommends that you get a cabin.
22 Oct	Capanema	120	Capanema is a nicer city than Belém, and we might stay here if we get to Belém early enough in the day. BR-316 leads east from Belém to Capanema.
23 Oct	Santa Ines	456	A long day's drive south brings us to the small town of Santa Ines. The Restaurante Sabors do Nordeste allows camping and serves a good fish dinner. There are also two hotels with parking.
24 Oct	São Luis	246	Founded in 1612 by the French, São Luis is built on an island. The old part of town is supposed to be very picturesque. Since this is an urban area, we will probably stay at a hotel with secure parking.
25 Oct	Teresina	441	The capital of Piauí state is supposedly the hottest city in Brasil after Manaus. We'll arrive here after a fairly long day's drive south and inland from São Luis.
26 Oct	Piripiri	180	Heading northeast towards the coast again, we'll arrive in the small town of Piripiri after a short day's drive. 26km away is the Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades, a collection of strange eroded rock formations. There are also lots of wildlife. If you want to go hiking, beware of rattlesnakes. The hotel Novotel offers protected parking as well as fans in the room.
27 Oct	Tianguá	301	Located in the Chapada de Ibiapaba, an area of tablelands, caves, and rock formations.
28 Oct	Fortaleza	330	We reach the Atlantic once again in Fortaleza, There's a lot to see here, and we'll stop here for two days. Fortaleza calls itself "The Beach of the Future" and has a fairly laid-back atmosphere. We'll try to stay at the Fortaleza Camping Club, R Pedro Paulo Moreira 505, Parque Manibura, Água Fria, T 273-2544. The South American Handbook recommends several other places if this one is full.
29 Oct	Fortaleza		Day of rest in Fortaleza. Relax on the beach, or walk around town.
30 Oct	Tibau	252	4 km south to a friendly outdoor bar. 2 men pull you and your vehicle across the river on a low tech ferry. Low tide only!
31 Oct	Natal	262	Natal is the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, and is supposed to be one of the most attractive cities on Brasil's NE coast. Beaches, buggy rides and nightlife. 14 km south of town to Ponta Negra we can see Morro da Careca - a monstrous sand dune.
1 Nov	Tibau do Sul	122	Passing through Natal, we continue south along the Rota do Sol (RN-063) which hugs the coast and provides access to many beaches. We'll stop at this small town, noted for its beautiful beaches surrounded by high cliffs, lagoons, and dolphins. If we don't find someplace here that we like, Praia da Pipa (3 km south) is supposed to be lovely as well. Just north of town is a 70m high dune (the Santuário Ecológico de Pipa) which offers excellent views of the ocean and dolphins. We should stop here to take a stroll.
2 Nov	Olinda	309	This smaller city 7 km north of Recife is also easier to navigate, but has many attractions and is perhaps less overwhelming. Unfortunately, the beaches are reputed to be polluted. If you're still feeling a need to work on your tan, you may find the beaches just north of town to be cleaner. We'll try to stay at Camping Olinda, Rua Bom Succeso 262, T 429-1365. If they don't have room, there are several nice hotels and pousadas in Olinda.
3 Nov	Maceió	210	Supposedly a friendly city with a low crime rate. We'll camp either north of Maceió at Camping Jatiuca (electricity and showers) or at Camping Pujuçara at Largo de Vitória 211, T 231-7561 (clean, safe, food for sale.)
4 Nov	São Cristvão	295	This charming hilltop town was founded in 1590.
5 Nov	Salvador	327	Salvador (often called Bahia) was the capital of Brasil until 1763, and still remains the cultural capital of the country. Salvador is known for it's spicy, African-inspired cuisine. We'll try to camp at Ecológica, near the lighthouse at Itapoã. The campground features a bar, restaurant, and hot showers and is recommended by the South American Handbook.
6 Nov	Salvador		Another day in Salvador.
7 Nov	Itaberaba	255	Today we start driving across the sertão, a land of little water. Between droughts, the land is used for herding goat and occasionally cattle. The inhabitants are mostly Portugese-Indian. These is a hotel in Itaberaba called Pousada Bahia on the Av. Rio de Janeiro. Rates are approximately $30 / night.
8 Nov	Lençóis	145	Continuing west on BR-242, we come to this 'colonial gem' founded in 1844 to mine diamonds in the region. Since this is a short driving day, we will have time to explore the Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina, which includes mountains, waterfalls, and caves. One famous local fall is Cachoeira da Fumaça. It's a 30km drive to the village of Capão, and then a 2 1/2 hour walk. It's supposed to be astonishing. We'll probably stay at Camping Lumiar, near the Rosário church in the center of town.
9 Nov	Ibotirama	265	There is at least two hotels in this small town (Velho Chico and Gl�ria Palace.) Rates are approximately $30 / night.
10 Nov	Barreiras	211	Continuing west...
11 Nov	Posse	341	Finally heading south again! A very long day's drive brings us to this small town described by the South American Handbook as 'picturesque'. (Is that like 'mostly harmless'?) If this drive is too long, we may break it up into two days.
12 Nov	Formosa	260	Continuing south towards Brasilia, we'll stop just short of our goal in Formosa. The Camping Club do Brasil maintains a campground near the Itiquira waterfall. Information on the site is available from Edif Maristela, phone 223-6561.
13 Nov	Brasilia	75	A short drive brings us to Brasilia, the new capitol constructed in 1960.
14 Nov	Cristalina	115	Heading southeast towards Rio along BR-040, we'll take a left turn at Km 104 to the town of Cristalina, known for its waterfall, magnificent rock formations (about 6 km away) and cheap semi-precious stones.
15 Nov	Três Marias	333	We'll stop for the night at the Três Marias dam.
16 Nov	Sete Lagoas	263	Heading southeast, we'll take a side trip to the Gruta de Maquiné. This is the most famous of the prehistoric art caves, and has six chambers open to the public. From BR-040, we'll turn north at Caetenópolis and go 25 km north to the Gruta. We'll stop in Sete Lagoas, a suburb of Belo Horizante, known for the Gruta Rei do Mato, a cave containing prehistoric inscriptions and cave paintings. It's open 8-5, and the phone number is 773-0888.
17 Nov	Parque Natural de Caraça	196	We'll continue to Belo Horizante, 80 km down BR-040 and then take BR-262 towards Vitória. We'll turn south at km 73 and stop for the night at Parque Natural de Caraça. This remarkable reserve actually belongs to a seminary, part of which has been converted to a hotel. There are many endangered species in the park, including the maned wolf (which the monks feed on the seminary steps each evening) and the southern masked titi monkey. There are also a number of rare and endangered bird species. The park contains well-marked trails.
18 Nov	Parque Natural de Caraça		Relax for a second day, walking through the forest and enjoying the hospitality of the monks.
19 Nov	Juiz de Fora	404	We'll backtrack to Belo Horizante, and then head south towards Rio, stopping after a long day's drive at the pleasant city of Juiz de Fora. The central streets are a maze of shopping. We'll probably stay in a hotel with safe parking, unless we can find a safe place to camp.
20 Nov	Rio de Janeiro	184	Located on a narrow strip between the mountains and the sea, Rio is magnificent. Brazilians say 'God made the world in 6 days, and he devoted the 7th to Rio' (pronounced Heeo by locals.)
21 Nov	Rio de Janeiro		Unless we're way behind schedule, we'll spend a second day in Rio. This is a good chance to get a tune-up. before heading south to Argentina.
22 Nov	Paraty	241	We'll head south from Rio for 4 hours along BR-101. This stretch from Rio to Santos is said to be one of the world's most beautiful highways. If we drove straight through to Santos, it would take 7 hours, but we'll enjoy this last stretch of coastline before heading inland. Paraty is a charming colonial town. The entire downtown area has been declared a national historic monument, and the architecture and churches are supposedly delightful. There is a small Camping Club site on he Praia do Pontal (T 371-1877). There is supposedly another site called the Camping Beira-Rio, just across the bridge, before the road to the fort.
23 Nov	Ubatuba	70	Thanksgiving! Along one of the most beautiful stretches of the São Paulo coast is Ubatuba. We'll try to stay at Praia Perequê-Açu, 2 km north of town (T 432-1682.) If they're full, however, there are supposedly 8 other sites near Ubatuba. I just want to say that over and over. Ubatuba. Ubatuba. Uba-tuba.
24 Nov	Guarujá	219	Continuing south, we'll stop at Guarujá, which during the summer becomes a crowded, sophisticated resort. We'll be there in the early season, so hopefully the crowds will not yet have arrived. We'll try to find camping at São Pedro beach.
25 Nov	Registro	212	Heading south on BR101 to BR-116 we'll stop at this small town in the heart of Brasil's tea-growing region. Registro is populated mainly by Japanese Brasilians, and there are several hotels. From Registro, it is possible to make a westward excursion to the Caverns of the Vale do Ribeiro. This area contains one of the largest concentrations of caverns in the world, including the 8 km long Caverna do Diablo. There is also Petar (Parque Estadual Turistico do Alto Ribeira), which contains three significant caverns (tours US$45 / day).
26 Nov	Curitiba	226	Curutiba is supposedly one of the three cleanest cities in Latin America, and we'll stop here for a couple of days before heading inland. Things get a lot less cosmopolitan after this, so if you need any work done on your vehicle, this is the time to do it. We'll try to camp at the Camping Clube do Brasil site 16 km north of the city on BR-116 at Km 84.5 (T 358-6634 / 224-3083).
27 Nov	Guarapuava	208	Heading west on BR-277, we'll stop in the vicinity of Guarapuava (basically, wherever we can find camping in Guarapuava or further along the road.)
28 Nov	Foz do Iguaçu	380	A long drive today brings us to one of the natural wonders of the world, Iguazu Falls. There are 275 falls across a frontage of 2,470 meters. The main falls are 20m higher than Niagra Falls, and 1,750 cubic meters of water fall every second. The mist from the falls forms perpetual rainbows, and the moisture forms a climate rich in orchids, palms, toucans, parrots, jaguars, monkeys, and butterflys (at least 500 different species.) Camping in the park is prohibited, but there is a Camping Clube do Brasil site 17 km away, at the entrance to the park. I am going to try to stay at the Hotel das Cataratas, the only hotel in a Brasilian national park. Some rooms look directly out at the falls. (See the link above for a picture.) Rates are approximately $130-$200 per night.
29 Nov	Foz do Iguaçu		A second day at the park. It won't be enough.
30 Nov			Cross into Paraguay.
Total kilometers:		9476

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