The Beauty Outside Of Rio
We know that Rio de Janeiro is known as the Wonderful City, no doubts why. Everywhere you look there’s a beautiful place, great beaches and amazing nature that mix with the big city environment like no other.
But there’s a few places outside Rio, that are worth a visit:
Petropolis, The Imperial City.
The city of Petropolis is located 60 km away from Rio and has been called the Imperial City since the times of the Emperor Pedro II. Settled by the Germans, Petropolis keeps the memory of Brazilian history alive with its buildings and charming streets.
Nestled among the forested hills of the Serra dos Órgãos, in the valley of the Quitandinha and Piabanha rivers, Petrópolis is a popular summer holiday spot. If you want to flee the city’s rush and heat, in Petrópolis you will find a colder weather and relaxing surroundings.
Beautiful Búzios sits on a jutting peninsula scalloped by 17 beaches. A simple fishing village until the early ’60s, when it was ‘discovered’ by Brigitte Bardot and it is now one of Brazil’s most upscale and animated seaside resorts. Boutiques everywhere, fine restaurants, bars and posh hotels. The Mediterranean touch introduced by the Portuguese has not been lost. Búzios’ image as Brazil’s Saint-Tropez.
Different from the other colonial cities of Brazil, the architecture of Paraty has character, originality and definition, forming a harmonious monument from the 18th century. Paraty is a Brazil National Historic Monument and a UNESCO World History Patrimony Site.
Paraty is a beautiful colonial city that preserves still today its countless natural and architectural charms. Explore the historical Center on foot, free of cars, and you will travel back in time. Take your time when walking and pace yourself as you walk these irregular rounded cobblestone pavement streets. The construction of its old housing and churches reflect a certain style of that time and the mysterious masonry symbols which decorate its walls, lead our imagination back to the old times of Brazil. The prohibition of motorized vehicles in the Center certainly adds to this feeling of a “time travel”.