Overview
Brazil's big cities, such as Rio, the former capital, are all on or close to the coast. In order to shine a light on the potential of the country’s vast interior, in 1960 the capital was moved to a brand new, futuristic city, Brasilia. Built from scratch, designed as an organic whole with different sectors for residential, government and commercial use, it is very different from the older, relatively chaotic cities. The brutalist architecture, modernist Cathedral and wind-funnelled avenues are not to everyone’s taste, especially the Brazilians themselves, whose spontaneity goes against this kind of pre-conceived order. It’s no longer really space-agey, but it is unique, an important part of Brazil’s historic and social narrative, and well worth a look.
Brasilia sits in relative isolation in the Cerrado, the country’s heartland, a vast region of savannah grasslands and dry forest which carpets remote plateaux and rugged outcrops, covering a full quarter of the Brazil's territory. Its lagoons, marshland and scrubby bush, albeit wildly beautiful, are at first sight inhospitable, but in fact home to a huge diversity of wildlife. Macaws, eagles, deer, anteaters, ocelots and the shy maned wolf may be spotted here among 13,000 species of flora. Brasilia itself is rapidly becoming a centre for ecotourism in the Cerrado, with its national parks offering, hiking and wildlife-spotting opportunities. A highlight is the canyon-riven National Park Chapada dos Veadeiros, a UNESCO-listed wildlife-rich territory 3.5hrs north of Brasilia.
Holidays Brasilia and the Cerrado
From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.
Group - Discovery
Brazil / Iguazú Falls
Trogon: Natural Brazil
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Things to do
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Accommodation
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Where to go when - our guide to Brasilia and the Cerrado
The weather in Brasilia and the Cerrado is wide and varied
1,172m above sea level in the remote heartland of Brazil, the country’s futuristic capital offers brutalist architecture, a modernist Cathedral and wind-funnelled avenues. Brasilia has two well defined seasons: dry (May – September) and wet (October to February) and a transitional season March - April. Temperatures hover in the mid to late 20°Cs most of the year, with the hottest and sunniest months July - August. Weekends and the holiday season of July and January - February are quiet in terms of visitors.
The savannah grasslands and dry forests of the Cerrado are warm and temperate, with a significant amount of rainfall throughout the year. January is the warmest month at 22°C, while June has the lowest average temperature at 15°C. The best time to visit for wildlife spotting is February - November, with pleasant temperatures and limited rainfall.
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