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Brazil 2025

A Travel Diary

Brazil 2025

Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro — Spring 2025

67Photographs
7Days
4Places
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Cidade Maravilhosa

A week in Brazil — the monuments and miles of street art in Sao Paulo, and then Rio de Janeiro: Copacabana and Ipanema, the cable car up Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer over the city, the mansion and jungle of Parque Lage, the tiled Selaron Steps, sunsets over the bay, and the green islands of the coast. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or open the map.

A week in Brazil split neatly in two. São Paulo came first — a sprawling, restless city of monuments and mile after mile of street art, the kind of place that rewards just walking and looking up.

Then Rio de Janeiro, the Cidade Maravilhosa itself: Copacabana and Ipanema in the morning, the cable car swinging up Sugarloaf, and Christ the Redeemer standing with his arms open over the whole bay. We wandered the jungle and mansion of Parque Lage, climbed the tiled Selarón Steps, and watched the sun go down over the water more than once.

The coast gave the trip its quiet ending — green islands offshore and calm water, a gentle counterpoint to the two big cities.

This trip ran 7 days, March 30 – April 5, 2025. Along the way we spent time at Sao Paulo — monuments & street art, Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ, The coast & the islands, and Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps. The gallery below tells it day by day, in 67 photographs.

Day 1

Sun 30 Mar

Sao Paulo — monuments & street art

Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artThe Monument to the Bandeiras in Sao Paulo.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artStreet art covering whole city walls.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artA hummingbird the size of a building.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artThe Gothic spires of Sao Paulo's cathedral.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artA plate of bolinhos to start the meal.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artMarkets and stalls and color everywhere.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artThe Monument to the Bandeiras in Sao Paulo.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artStreet art covering whole city walls.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artA hummingbird the size of a building.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artThe Gothic spires of Sao Paulo's cathedral.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artA plate of bolinhos to start the meal.

Day 2

Mon 31 Mar

Sao Paulo — monuments & street art

Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artMarkets and stalls and color everywhere.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artThe Monument to the Bandeiras in Sao Paulo.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artStreet art covering whole city walls.

Day 3

Tue 1 Apr

Sao Paulo — monuments & street art · Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ

Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artA hummingbird the size of a building.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artThe Gothic spires of Sao Paulo's cathedral.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artA plate of bolinhos to start the meal.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artMarkets and stalls and color everywhere.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artThe Monument to the Bandeiras in Sao Paulo.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artStreet art covering whole city walls.
Sao Paulo — monuments & street art
Sao Paulo — monuments & street artA hummingbird the size of a building.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristCopacabana curving along the Atlantic.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristIpanema and the Two Brothers mountain beyond.

Day 4

Wed 2 Apr

Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ · Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps

Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristThe grand mansion of Parque Lage under Corcovado.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristChrist the Redeemer watching over the whole city.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristThe cable car climbing Sugarloaf Mountain.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristA lizard sunning itself on a rooftop in Rio.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristCopacabana curving along the Atlantic.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristIpanema and the Two Brothers mountain beyond.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristThe grand mansion of Parque Lage under Corcovado.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristChrist the Redeemer watching over the whole city.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristThe cable car climbing Sugarloaf Mountain.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristA lizard sunning itself on a rooftop in Rio.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristCopacabana curving along the Atlantic.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristIpanema and the Two Brothers mountain beyond.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristThe grand mansion of Parque Lage under Corcovado.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristChrist the Redeemer watching over the whole city.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristThe cable car climbing Sugarloaf Mountain.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristA lizard sunning itself on a rooftop in Rio.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristCopacabana curving along the Atlantic.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristIpanema and the Two Brothers mountain beyond.
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & Christ
Rio — the beaches, Sugarloaf & ChristThe grand mansion of Parque Lage under Corcovado.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsSunset behind Sugarloaf and the bay.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsChrist silhouetted against the last of the light.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsRio coming on at night, all lights and water.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsThe tiled steps of the Escadaria Selaron.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsA whole staircase turned into a work of art.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsA cat keeping watch over the Selaron Steps.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsSunset behind Sugarloaf and the bay.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsChrist silhouetted against the last of the light.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsRio coming on at night, all lights and water.

Day 5

Thu 3 Apr

Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps · The coast & the islands

Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsThe tiled steps of the Escadaria Selaron.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsA whole staircase turned into a work of art.
Rio at sunset & the Selaron Steps
Rio at sunset & the Selaron StepsA cat keeping watch over the Selaron Steps.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsA purple supercar parked at the hotel.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsBoats out among the green islands of the bay.

Day 6

Fri 4 Apr

The coast & the islands

The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsThe wave-pattern promenade of Copacabana.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsA pufferfish washed up on the sand.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsGrey skies over Copacabana, beautiful all the same.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsA purple supercar parked at the hotel.

Day 7

Sat 5 Apr

The coast & the islands

The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsBoats out among the green islands of the bay.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsThe wave-pattern promenade of Copacabana.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsA pufferfish washed up on the sand.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsGrey skies over Copacabana, beautiful all the same.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsA purple supercar parked at the hotel.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsBoats out among the green islands of the bay.
The coast & the islands
The coast & the islandsThe wave-pattern promenade of Copacabana.

Where we wandered