Driving in Brazil
Discover Brazil by car
You might not immediately think of travelling by car when you think of Brazil, which is a shame, because there are some absolutely stunning routes to drive. The roads are generally in perfect condition and the landscapes are incredibly varied. There are routes where one breathtaking view is followed by an even more spectacular one, or where you drive from one picturesque village to the next. Villages you’d probably never have visited if you’d travelled any other way. We’d be delighted to tell you about the most beautiful driving routes based on our own experience.
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The Transamazonica
The Transamazonica, or Rodovia Transamazonica (BR-230), is a road approximately 4,000 km long, stretching from north-eastern Brazil right through the Amazon region to the Peruvian border in the west of the country. Much of the Transamazonica is unpaved and brilliant to drive on, but it is a route for true adventurers.
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Driving along Brazil’s green coast
Between the metropolises of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro lies a winding road, some 500 kilometres long, running past unspoilt beaches and hills overgrown with tropical rainforest, often offering spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll drive past seaside resorts both large and small, including the enchantingly beautiful colonial town of Paraty.
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Canyons, vineyards and idyllic beaches
The far south of Brazil is still largely unvisited by tourists, which is a shame, as it is a breathtakingly beautiful area. The climate is temperate and the landscape is very mountainous. It is also the region where Brazilian wines originate. You can drive along some truly beautiful routes here, where the view changes with every bend and where you can stay overnight in small-scale hotels set amidst nature or in picturesque villages. Along the coast, you’ll find idyllic bays with unspoilt beaches.
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Colonial Route
If you drive inland from Rio de Janeiro towards the state of Minas Gerais, you’ll discover the colonial heart of Brazil. The route is stunning, and along the way you can stay overnight in historic towns such as Petrópolis, Tiradentes and Ouro Preto.
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Along the coast in the sunny north
Start your journey in Recife and drive along the coast for a few days to Salvador, the city with the most African feel in Latin America. The route is a romantic drive along endless beaches, taking you past small, charming towns and villages, whilst you enjoy the ever-pleasant tropical climate.
Driving in Brazil with Sapa Pana Travel
Johan, founder of Sapa Pana Travel, is keen to share his experiences of driving in Brazil. He has undertaken several road trips in his own Dutch car, travelling through countries including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and, of course, Brazil. He has now clocked up over 70,000 km across South America. When it comes to road trips in Brazil, there are countless possibilities. The Transamazonica and the Costa Verde are exceptional, but there are also fantastic routes to be found in the south of the country!
Our trips are tailor-made, so they are fully adapted to your personal preferences. Naturally, we take into account any previous experience you may have of driving yourself in Latin America. If you’d like to include self-drive as part of your luxury trip to Brazil, please do get in touch with us. Petra, our travel specialist, is Brazilian herself! As a child, she travelled a lot by car with her parents. But even now, when she returns to ‘her’ country, travelling by car helps her enormously in discovering ‘beautiful new places’.
As you can see, we are incredibly passionate about driving and have actually driven these routes in Brazil ourselves. Would you like to know what our favourite routes in Brazil are? Would you like to drive in Brazil yourself and have this trip organised by Sapa Pana Travel, so that you can benefit from our expertise and our strong, reliable local network? Then please get in touch with us straight away. Taking your wishes as our starting point, we’ll advise you based on our expertise and, together, we’ll put together your ideal trip to Brazil.
Fancy a trip of Brazil?
Would you like to go on a self-drive trip of Brazil using a rental car, and are you curious about the options available? Then do take a look at the itineraries we’ve put together to inspire you. You can book these tours directly, but we’d also be happy to put together a personalised itinerary based on your wishes and ideas.
Do you have a question? Please feel free to contact us. Call +31 73 610 62 04 or send an email to info@sapapanatravel.nl. We’ll be happy to help.