Climate & Time Zones

Although 90 percent of the country is within the tropical zone, more than 60 percent of the population live in areas where altitude, sea winds or cold polar fronts moderate the temperature. There are five climatic regions in Brazil: equatorial, tropical, semi arid, highland tropical and subtropical. Plateau cities such as São Paulo, Brasília and Belo Horizonte have very mild climate with average temperature around 19º (66F). Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador on the coast have warm climate balanced by cool winds. In the Southern Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba, the subtropical climate is similar to parts of United States and Europe with occasional frosting. In this region, temperatures can fall below zero during winter.

Despite the popular image of the Amazon as a region of blistering heat, temperatures of more than 32ºdegrees ( 90º) are rarely experienced there. In fact, the annual average temperature is in the range of 22-26º ( 72-76ºF), with only a very small seasonal variation between the warmest and the coldest months. The hottest part of Brazil is the Northeast where during the dry season, between May and November, temperatures of more than 38ºdegrees (100ºF) are recorded frequently. The Northeast has greater seasonal variation in temperatures than does the Amazon region. Along the Atlantic coast from Recife to Rio de Janeiro, temperatures range from 23º to 27º C ( 73º F – 81ºF). Inland, on higher ground temperatures are lower, ranging from 18º - 21ºC (64º F – 71º F) .

Brazil has four time zones. Brasilia time is the nation's official standard, three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, London.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN THE PRINCIPAL CITIES IN º C

Geography

Brazil has 26 states and is divided in five regions: North, Northeast, Central West, Southeast and South.
The North Region is made up of seven states: Amazonas, Pará, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Amapá and Tocantins. Needless to say that the Amazon, Brazilian Rain Forest, covers almost entirely this area and about half of the Brazilian territory ( 42% of the country).
The Northeast Region is made up of nine states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia. It contains only 30% of the Brazilian population and were very important centres during colonization period. The rich folklore and music tradition, remain from the past, making this beautiful coast line with white sand beaches, even more special.
The Central West Region has only 6% of the Brazilian population. Until 1960, when Brasilia ( Brazil’s capital) was founded, there were only extensive savannas and tropical grassland all over it. Ever since, the region has been experiencing some growth with the establishment of new industries throughout its four states: Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and Distrito Federal. After Brasília, Pantanal is the most important highlight here, one of the largest sedimentation plains of the world.
The Southeast Region is the economic hub of the country with highly industrialized areas around the three largest cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. Here is where 45% of the country´s population is concentrated. The Southeast provides a sophisticated variety of hotels, nightlife entertainment, restaurants and shopping. Also in the coast zone, there are some pleasant getaways. The region is made up of 4 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo.
The South Region contains around 15% of Brazilian inhabitants, among which, a high rate of German, Italian, Swiss and Eastern European immigrants. The South presents a good balance between rural and manufacturing sectors. On the border, between Brazil and Argentina is located Cataratas do Iguaçu ( Iguassu Falls), with 19 large falls superior to Niagara and Victoria in size and attractiveness. This region is made up of 3 states: Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

Language

Brazil is a Portuguese speaking country, unlike its South American Spanish speaking neighbors, because of its colonization. It differs slightly in pronunciation from the Portuguese spoken in Portugal. English is considered second language, but dominated only by a few. Spanish is becoming more popular in some business circles as Brazil establishes stronger trade ties with its neighbors. In southern cities, some descendants of European immigrants also speak German or Italian.

Clothing

Businessmen, especially office-based executives, almost always wear suits at work. Apart from this, the emphasis is on smart but casual lightweight clothes for all occasions.
Heavier clothing will only be needed during the short winter from São Paulo southwards.
When visiting The Amazon and Pantanal bring comfortable, “safari like” clothes for sightseeing in the jungle.

Communication

Pay phones in Brazil use either tokens or phone cards, which can be purchased at newsstands, bars or shops, usually located near the phones. For long-distance or international calls, you will need the higher-value phone cards (DDI).
Because there are several competing operators of phone services in Brazil, it is necessary to dial the code of the operator prior to the area code or country code when making long distance or international calls. The principal operators use 15, 21 or 31. The instructions on each public telephone will tell you which code to use.

International Calling
Direct Dialing – 00 +country code+area code+ phone number
Embratel - 0800 703 2100 information on long distance calls
Embratel International Operator – 0800 703 2111

Domestic Calling:
Direct Dialing – 0 + operator code+ area code (without the initial 0) + phone number. (Embratel’s code is 21)
Direct Dial Collect call – 90 + operator company+area code+ phone number


Currency

The local currency is the Real, which, despite its relevant stability these last 10 years, is still not readily available outside Brazil at an attractive rate of exchange.
The best plan is to travel with one of the major international credit cards to cover the major disbursements and currency and/or traveler’s checks for day-to-day needs. The dollar is still more widely used than the euro and the exchange rate is therefore more efficient.
Major credit cards are accepted at most hotels, restaurants and shops in the larger cities.
If you are traveling into the interior and away from large cities, make sure you exchange enough money in advance because it will be harder to find banks with exchange facilities.

Eletricity

Electrical current is not standardized in Brazil, so it’s a good idea to carry a transformer.
In Rio and São Paulo the current is 110 and 120 V - 60 cycles. Salvador and Manaus use 127 Volts, while Recife, Brasília, Santos and various other cities use 220 Volts. Check before you plug in.

Health

We strongly recommend taking out insurance against accident/illness before travelling to Brazil, as hospital and medical fees can be high. Vaccination against yellow fever is essential if you plan to visit any of the following states (which include such tourist attractions as the Amazon, the Pantanal and the Lençóis Maranhenses): Acre, Amazonas, Goias, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Rondônia, Amapá and Roraima.
Be careful to verify whether the health regulations in your country of origin (or in any other country you expect to pass through on your way to or from Brazil) are more rigorous.


Security

Brazil has gained an undeserved reputation for being a dangerous place to visit, mainly a result of the emphasis placed by the international press on misfortunes suffered by tourists who, more often than not, did not use good sense. Being sensible and streetwise is indeed the key to a trouble-free and enjoyable stay in Brazil.
Just like in London, Paris, New York or any other major tourist city, petty crime against off-guard visitors is an unfortunate fact of life. The simple solution is that visitors can't get robbed if they've got nothing with them to be stolen. Always leave travelers checks, passports, air tickets and the like in the hotel safe deposit box. (Visitors should however carry some form of ID, such as a photocopy of their passports, with them at all times.)


Self-Drive Car Rental

Renting a car in Brazil is relatively straight-forward, but this should only be contemplated if you are confident that you can handle the wild driving habits of many Brazilians!

Our advice to visitors who do not really know their way around can be summed up as:

• Do not rent a car for driving around in big cities. The signposting is often very poor, traffic can be chaotic and the drivers of motorbikes, especially in São Paulo, are suicidal and take a lot of getting used to. Besides, taxis are relatively cheap.

• Do not rent a car for long distance driving, especially in the north and northeast. There are no emergency rescue services and service stations are few and far between. Driving along the Rio-Santos or around the colonial cities of Minas Gerais involve shorter distances and help will be less difficult to find. The convenience of greater independence and mobility may justify the choice.

• Make sure you have a good map in the car before setting out.


Tipping

Taxi drivers in Brazil do not normally receive tips from Brazilians; therefore a 10% tip will be very gratefully accepted.

Restaurants 10-15% should be added to any account if not already added or included.

Luggage porters do expect tips. We suggest R$2 per bag, rounded up to R$10 per couple when checking in or out of a good hotel.

Chambermaids do not expect tips but will be very grateful if you leave R$5 or R$10 at the end of your stay.