Salvador

Salvador, capital of the State of Bahia, is one of the oldest cities in Brazil, and was capital of the country for nearly 300 years of the Colonial History. Due to this, Salvador was one of the places in Brazil which received most black slaves, who were put to work in the sugar cane plantations.

This intense flux of Africans, who mixed with the Portuguese settlers and the native Indigenous people, resulted in a mix of cultures like no other in Brazil.

A symbol of the religious syncretism and the Brazilian miscegenation, Salvador is a city of intense musicality and strong flavors. As the birthplace of miscegenation, the city holds deep connections with Africa.

The streets of the Historical Centre of Salvador(inscribed as World Heritage Site) are permeated with an African–Brazilian culture that has spread itself throughout the rest of the country: the religious syncretism; the dance, and the baiana’s trays, full of delicacies like vatapa, feijoada, acaraje – the latter is considered a food of the Gods.

Recommended restaurant: Amado – international cuisine with local ingredients.

Salvador is one of the host cities of the World Cup 2014. The Fonte Nova Stadium will be imploded and rebuilt from scratch. Thanks to its central location, Salvador should be a favorite point of visitation during the Cup.

Matches of the World Cup in Salvador: 6; Salvador will also host matches of the Confederations Cup 2013.

Salvador sits at the Southern tip of a V-shaped peninsula at the mouth of the Bahia de Todos os Santos (Bay of All Saints, just one of the many names which makes reference to the religiosity of Salvador).

The city can be difficult to navigate as there are many one-way, no -left-turn streets that wind through Salvador’s hills and valleys (Salvador is a strong candidate to the most chaotic transit in Brazil, and not even the recently opened metro seems to help much).

The center of the city is on the bay side of the peninsula (see photo above) and is divided by a steep bluff into two parts: Cidade Alta (Upper City) and Cidade Baixa (Lower City).

The heart of the historic Cidade Alta is the Pelourinho (a World Heritage Site), which is also the heart of Salvador’ tourism and nightlife.

Read more about the  World Cup in Salvador.

Rio de Janeiro

High rocky hills from where one can see the horizon, a deep blue sea with fine white sand, surrounded by tropical forests with vast biodiversity, lagoons and a paradise weather. Few places in the World can compare in beautiness with Rio de Janeiro.

With a population of nearly seven million people, the capital of Rio de Janeiro State has been the main tourism center in Brazil for decades (a legacy from the times when the city was capital of the Republic) and one of the first destinations foreigners think of when planning to visit Latin America.

Ipanema and Copacabana beaches and the Cristo Redentor (The Christ) have been restlessly sung in different songs, but one still needs to put music into the Guanabara Bay and into the monumental contours of the relief that embrace the forest, the ocean and the Gávea Rock.

And Rio is also one of the football capitals of Brazil. The most popular team in the World (the one with the highest number of fans) is Flamengo; other important clubs are Fluminense, Vasco da Gama and Botafogo.

The main temple of football is Maracanã. Built for the World Cup of 1950, the stadium will be renovated for the World Cup 2014; for safety, the capacity will be reduced, and the record crowd of nearly 200,000 attendants of 1950 won’t be repeated.

Read more about the World Cup in Rio.

Rio will be the first city to host the World Cup and the following Olympic Games; read more about the Olympic Games in Rio.

Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre, capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, is located in a privileged place.

As a strategic spot in Mercosul (South American Union, including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay), Porto Alegre is the geographic center of the main routes in the South Cone, at an equal distance from Buenos Aires and Montevideo and from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

As a consequence, Porto Alegre is already visited by tourists from all the Southern America countries. As it is certain that some of them will be qualified for the World Cup 2014, the city will gain a Latino, Spanish speaking atmosphere during the event.

Porto Alegre is the only city in the World which can boast two teams which were World Champions: Internacional and Gremio. Both teams have their own large stadiums: Gremio is renovating and expanding their Olympic Stadium, but Beira-Rio (Internacional’s stadium) was chosen to host matches of the Cup.

According to Inter, Beira-Rio will be, after the renovation, one of the biggest football venues in Brazil, and, as such, is a candidate to host the opening game and one of the semi-finals of the Cup.

Matches of the World Cup 2014 in Porto Alegre: 5; it is certain that the Brazilian team will not play in Porto Alegre. Given the physical and cultural proximity, it is almost certain that either Argentina and Uruguay will stay in Porto Alegre during the Cup.

Recommended five star hotel: Continental Porto Alegre.

Recommended restaurant: Fazenda Barbanegra, whose specialty is churrasco, the most traditional dish in the South of Brazil.

Read more about the World Cup in Porto Alegre.

Manaus

Above photo: Teatro Amazonas, with Rio Negro in the background.
Credit of photo: Ministry of Tourism.

Manaus is considered one of the most strategic cities in Brazil, due to its proximity to the wealth of the Amazon Forest. Manaus has direct flights to Miami and Atlanta.

The city also has international features, many of them built during the rubber cycle, in the early 1900s. The Teatro Amazonas is a benchmark in terms of beauty and excellence.

Stadium: Arena Amazonia, which will host only 4 matches, all in the Groups stage. Brazil will not play in Manaus, but it is certain that at least one seed team will.

The stadium is known by the locals as Vivaldao, and should be one of the most environment friendly in the World.

Five star hotel: Tropical Hotel Manaus.

Many tourists who want to stay in closer contact with the Nature prefer the jungle houses, which are five star hotels built in the middle of the Amazon jungle.

See the map of Manaus shown to the right to see the location of some of the most famous Jungle Hotels.

Recommended restaurant: Banzeiro; specialized in regional food, which includes several dishes based on the fishes of river Amazon.

Attraction you shouldn’t miss: Meeting of Waters.

When choosing the host cities of the World Cup 2014, the Brazilian Confederation and FIFA wanted to make sure that many international tourists could realize two wishes at once: watching the World Cup and visiting the Amazon.

Read more about the World Cup in Manaus (also in Portuguese).

Below, the movie used by the city Manaus when bidding to be one of the host cities of the World Cup 2014:

Sao Paulo

The largest city in the country offers tourists endless options for leisure and business alike.

With a very rich cultural life, Sao Paulo also has one of the peppiest nightlifes in the world. The city never sleeps. Sao Paulo attracts thousands of sports, cultural and business events every day of the year.

Famous events in Sao Paulo include the Formula One Grand Prix, the Gay Parade, the Carnival, Sao Paulo Fashion Week and many others. Avenida Paulista is the main financial center of Brazil. Important museums are located in Sao Paulo. Hotels in Sao Paulo are the most numerous and of the highest quality in Brazil.

In São Paulo, visitors can also enjoy quiet and natural surroundings. And those looking for sunny beaches or the adventures of ecotourism will be just a short ride away.

Sao Paulo is also the main football center in Brazil. No other State boasts so many National and International champions as Sao Paulo. No wonder that Sao Paulo is not only a host city of the World Cup 2014, but also the preferred one to stage the opening match of the event. Read more about the World Cup in Sao Paulo.

Fortaleza

Strategically located right below the Equator, Fortaleza, the capital of the State of Ceara, is the shortest route from Brazil to Europe, the United States and Africa.

Stadium: Castelao.

Five Star Hotel: Gran Marquise.

Recommended restaurant: Vojnilo (fish and seafood)

Don’t miss: Beach Park.

Fortaleza will stage six matches of the World Cup 2014, including at least one match of the Brazilian Team. Fortaleza is also confirmed as a host city of the Confederations Cup 2013.

Long sun–drenched beaches of warm and green waters are perfect for bathing and sports. The city’s vibrating nightlife with a busy cultural agenda and restaurants which showcase the best in northeastern cuisine make Fortaleza a sure destination for fun.

For the World Cup 2014, the stadium Castelao will be completely renovated. The new stadium will have about 60,000 seats, which will make it one of the candidates to host important matches, such as the semi-finals.

All these advantages (good location, tropical beaches, good infrastructure) will make Fortaleza one of the most visited destinations in Brazil during the World Cup. Many tourists will use Fortaleza as a gateway into the country, or as a last stop before flying back home.

Read more about the World Cup in Fortaleza.

Curitiba

Curitiba was established in 1693 and became the capital of the state of Parana in 1853, when gained emancipation, and since then the city known for its wide streets continued to grow, as European immigrants kept arriving along the 19th century, mostly German, Italian, Ukrainian and Polish immigrants (in the 20th century, the Japanese added to the melting pot), who contributed to the cultural diversity that to this day can be felt in the city known as “Smiling City”, “Ecological Capital of Brazil” or “Brazilian Pine Capital.”

Today, Curitiba has a cosmopolitan atmosphere and is regarded as the capital city offering the best quality of life in Brazil (Study by Firjan, 2008), with a diversified industrial complex that earned it the position of the fourth largest economy in Brazil and of one of the best five cities to invest in Latin America.

It has the lowest illiteracy rate and highest quality basic education available in all Brazilian capitals. Curitiba also hosts the first Brazilian university, the Federal University of Paraná, established in 1912.

The venue of the World Cup 2014 in Curitiba will be Arena da Baixada; the stadium belongs to Atletico Paranaense, and is one of three privately owned stadiums of the World Cup.

Arena da Baixada is the smallest stadium of the Cup. Given the good location and high attractivity of Curitiba, it is expected that the matches staged at this stadium will have full capacity. People planning a trip to Curitiba should book a hotel as early as possible – check out hotels in Curitiba.

Belo Horizonte

Photo: Pampulha Church. Credit: Embratur.

Brazil’s first planned city (long before Brasilia), Belo Horizonte, capital of the State of Minas Gerais, stands out for its quality of life, many parks and intense cultural life.

It was elected as one of the cities with the best quality of life in Latin America and one of the 100 best cities in the world  to live in by the United Nations Population Crisis Committee. It is the eighth capital in Brazil in terms of Human Development Index.

It blends tradition and modernity, is a benchmark in business tourism, and features great works of architecture of excellence, apart from a rich and busy cultural life. At a short driving distance from BH, there are several Historic cities, including a few World Heritage Sites, such as Ouro Preto and Diamantina.

The regional cuisine of Minas Gerais (cozinha mineira) is well known and much appreciated all over Brazil. A recent article by the New York Times appointed Belo Horizonte as a town where all the World is a bar.

The Mineirao Stadium will be renovated for the World Cup 2014; it will be one of the biggest in Brazil, and is a candidate to host the opening match of the event. Read more about the World Cup in Belo Horizonte.

Natal

Above: Dromedunas, one of the tourist attractions of Natal.
Credit of photo: Embratur.

Capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal was founded several centuries, on December 25, 1599 (Christmas Day, which in Portuguese translates as Natal).

Despite beings one of the oldest cities in Brazil, Natal maintains the calm and tranquility of smaller cities.

The natural diversity of the “Sun City,” as it is known in the northeast region, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.

Natal has dunes, hills, lagoons and a coast protected by a string of reefs. It also has a busy nightlife, a seafood–based regional cuisine, and many festivals – including a famour carnaval.

The city is also known for having the most sunny days (300 days with up to 15 hours of sunlight each) a year in the country.

Thanks to these reasons, Natal was chosen one of the host cities of the World Cup in Brazil.

A new stadium, called the Arena das Dunas (Dunes Arena) is being built. Centrally located, the arena will be of easy access from hotels, beaches and the shopping area.

Natal is one of the cities where fans can enjoy the beaches while they are waiting for the matches; other beach host cities are Recife, Fortaleza and Salvador.

Natal is certain to be one of the popular destinations during the World Cup. Read more about the World Cup in Natal.

Cuiaba

Photo: Cuiaba. Credit: Embratur.

Cuiaba, the Geodesic Center of South America, is the gateway to a splendid natural landscape: the beautiful ecological sanctuary of the Pantanal region, the fascinating Chapada dos Guimaraes (Guimarães Plateau) and the surprising Araguaia, Guaporé and Amazon valleys.

Cuiaba, located in a still economically unexplored region of Brazil (West Central, bordering with other Latin American countries), is a city with little football tradition.

The main purpose of FIFA and the Brazilian Government to elect Cuiaba as one of the host cities was to put this green, environmental preserved area, under the spotlight of the World media.

Read more about the World Cup in Cuiaba and the World Cup in Brazil.

A new stadium, called Verdao, is being renovated to host matches of the Cup. The name means “Big Green”, and is in line with the design of the venue, which aims to be one of the most environmental friendly in the world.